Damn you, Micah. For his final wish, he wants the flower his lover Alice gave him.
This flower was specified exactly, leaving no room for exploitation in the wish.
But I got a hint from Raul, information planted in my mind about the immortality of the soul and how an obsession could be hidden within it after death.
I pieced together what I saw in Alfred's memories and remembered that Alice was a painter.
I spent a fortune at an auction to buy one of Alice's paintings… about 3 kilograms of gold.
Alice was known in the art community as Twardowski.
She used a male name, but her works only gained value after her death.
I'm looking at the painting in front of me now; it holds a faint trace of life force.
But I could feel the emotions radiating from it: sadness, melancholy, and love…
The painting depicts the burning mansion where I first saw Micah, but in this version, it's not burning; it's a cheerful portrait.
I'm currently in a tavern in Sylvarion, the only place I could go. Elves were everywhere, staring at me strangely.
As if I was supposed to be among them, but some smiled and welcomed me warmly…
I sighed, looked at the painting, and reviewed the information in my mind…
I bit my finger, drawing a small amount of blood, and pressed it to the center of the painting, reciting the words: "Truth or lie, reveal yourself. Witch of this painting, I bring you salvation. Let me show you the world, oh restless soul, after death. I bring you peace."
Each time I spoke, the painting rippled. Then something unthinkable happened—the painting pulled me inside.
I found myself in a place like a mansion, but it was a Micah mansion, except everything seemed made of paint.
I checked my sword and sighed in relief—it was still with me.
I walked slowly along the paths, heading toward the mansion, but in the garden, I saw a glowing white orb.
What is this?
Touching the orb felt logical, so I did, and a scene appeared before me.
It was Micah and Alice. Micah looked about 35, while Alice, a 23-year-old elf with short black hair, was running around.
"Hahahaha, you can't catch me, Micah!" she said, and Micah chased her.
Micah kept pursuing, but Alice tripped and fell onto the grass nearby. Micah was about to catch her, but fell too when she did.
Micah was on top of Alice: "I love you, Alice," he said.
"I love you too, Micah," Alice replied.
Micah leaned down and kissed her on the lips…
I chuckled a bit—they seemed like a cute couple, at least back then.
Then I slowly moved toward the mansion and stood at the door.
I opened the doors carefully, revealing a luxurious hall with black accents. Then I saw another glowing orb.
I touched it and stepped back.
This time, the scene showed Alice's worry. She seemed to be arguing with Micah.
"Micah, how could you sacrifice Alfred!" Alice was shouting and crying.
Micah's face now had symbols on it: "No, Alice, I had to do it. What if it had taken you…"
Micah clutched his chest as if in pain: "But you're the reason your brother died! I saw it, you used dark magic to provoke the horses. Did you think you could fool me?" Alice said.
She started crying and ran to the stairs in front of me. Micah followed her.
I examined the surroundings: a grand hall to the left, a large kitchen to the right, adorned with ornate chandeliers.
They weren't filthy rich, but wealthy enough. Though I call it a mansion, it was more like a two-story house…
To me, it felt like a mansion, but compared to the emperor's palace, it was a shack.
I slowly climbed the stairs.
There were three rooms. I went to the leftmost door, which looked like a study, and saw another glowing orb.
When I touched it, only Micah appeared, no Alice: "I won't let you die, Alice! You'll live!" He was frantically flipping through books.
Dark magic books, forbidden grimoires, I saw them, but then Micah vanished.
I left the room slowly and chose the middle one, which looked like a dining hall.
There was another orb. When I touched it, Micah and Alice were at the dining table, but Alice's body looked pale, as if she were ill.
"Eat, darling, eat your food. Don't blame yourself," Micah was trying to feed Alice.
Alice pushed his hand away: "Micah, stop trying. You know about my illness."
"No, Alice, I can't let you waste away before my eyes. Eat your food like a good girl," Micah said, gently feeding her, but Alice was crying, looking exhausted.
There were marks on Alice's arms.
I realized they were from dark magic…
The orb faded, and I left the room, closing the door.
I hesitated before entering the last room. I was following my instincts to enter these rooms, but there were more. Oh, I get it…
I entered the room—it was a bedroom, bigger than most houses.
I touched another orb, and this time, it showed Alice on a sickbed with Micah beside her.
Micah didn't look sad, but Alice's veins were visible.
She was dying: "Micah, stop. I can't handle your experiments anymore."
"I can't let you die, Alice. If I'm immortal, you can be too," Micah protested.
Alice turned her head: "Fool, I already know you don't feel anything for me anymore. It's just an obsession now, or you're doing this to avoid looking bad to your men."
"You're right, Alice, but what should I do? This was the only way to save you," Micah said, his face like stone. I underestimated his lack of emotion.
Alice sighed and pointed to a nearby drawer: "There's a gift for you there, Micah. I know I'm dying. Your experiments only cause me pain."
"I'll do one last experiment, Alice," Micah said, not even opening the drawer.
Then Micah drew a symbol on the walls. Darkness spread from Alice, and something happened—her screams and cries stopped.
She died with her eyes open, but I saw her soul enter a painting.
The body's immortality couldn't simply be achieved, not unless granted by a god.
No matter what tier you are, gonna die after you split in half.
Except Gods!
I sighed. Micah had trapped Alice's soul in the painting so his lover would always be with him.
The vision ended.
I went to the drawer, opened it, and found a red flower—a red spider lily.
It was beautiful. Without realizing it, tears streamed from my eyes.
I collapsed to the ground and cried.
My soul couldn't bear it.
I'd seen a tragic love story with my own eyes.
I can't stand it. The red spider lily is known as the flower of death.
Alice always knew she was going to die.
She only wished for Micah to move on and forget her…
Then I felt a touch on my shoulder: "Thank you for crying for me," said a woman's voice.
I turned around and saw Alice in black clothes. I hugged her with all my strength: "I'm so sorry for everything you went through. I promised to bring you peace, and I will, I swear."
Alice stroked my hair: "Oh, child, you don't have the power to save me from this torment. This dark magic can't be undone unless by a god."
She was right.
Micah must have sacrificed so much for this dark magic…
"RAUL, PLEASE, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, COME, I BEG YOU!" I shouted.
I don't know why, but I knew the only person who could save Alice from this was him: "Ugh, I was just having a nap," Raul said, looking lazy, but Alice flinched when she saw him.
"Hahaha, hello, Alice. Long time no see," Raul said.
But Alice sent dark magic toward Raul. He casually slapped it away, and the magic hit the ceiling, blowing it off: "Okay, you don't like me."
Alice pulled me behind her: "You're even using a little girl for your schemes?"
"No, Alice, you're mistaken. You loved the wrong man and faced the consequences. Even if I hadn't intervened, you'd have died from your illness, and your husband would've woken up in other women's arms. You should thank me for making him emotionless," Raul said, crossing his arms.
Alice remained on guard, but I nudged her: "He's telling the truth. We have a deal, but he didn't take my soul. He didn't take Alfred's either. If he wanted yours, he'd have taken it."
"Wait, he didn't take Alfred's soul? And you made a deal with him? Don't you know this entity? His name is known across the continent!" Alice grabbed my shoulders, scolding me.
Raul coughed: "Alright, ladies, as much as I enjoy you fighting over me, get to the point. Why did you call me, Lara?"
"I want you to bring Alice back to life," I said. Alice's eyes widened, looking from me to Raul: "Don't do that! I'm already dead, Lara. I'm glad you care, but he doesn't do anything without a price," Alice shouted, shaking me.
"Actually, I can't do that. There are universal rules, and while I can bend them slightly, I'm somewhat bound by them. For instance, interfering fully with people's fates is complex. Reviving you is hard, but I could free your soul from the painting to wander the world immortally; that would be easy." Raul said, as if thinking aloud.
Alice stood in front of Raul: "So you're not a complete bastard, huh? I don't want revival. I want peace, and the underworld is peaceful. Escort me there."
"Deal," Raul said, then looked at me: "Lara, I hope you understand—Alice is tired. Sometimes living takes more courage than dying. She doesn't have the strength to endure anymore. Her soul will soon fade because of this painting, which is why she showed you all this. Take the flower in your hand and bring Micah to Sylvarion's XXXXX temple."
My vision darkened, and I found myself outside the painting. The painting slowly faded, then decayed and vanished.
I sighed, stood up, and saw the red spider lily on the ground.
Oh, poor Alice's soul.
I hope Raul doesn't deceive her…