Elemental Magnetic Star

Chapter 155 If Only It Were the First Meeting

"Alas, alas, you are not the true Ocean Bloom..." In the deep darkness, a cold, hollow voice sighed.

"Who are you? Why have you trapped me here?" Raina Grace looked around, but all she could see was darkness. If not for her elemental magnetic power glowing faintly, she might have thought she was blind.

"Me? I am, of course, the Abyss, the most powerful and unpredictable force, the ruler of the Elemental Magnetic Star..."

Whether it was the ruler of the Elemental Magnetic Star, Raina Grace did not know, but this omnipresent yet untraceable voice clearly wanted her to believe it was the master of this space.

"No, you are not the Abyss. The Abyss has power but no consciousness," she asserted.

Raina Grace still vividly remembered her first contact with the power of the Abyss, a chaotic and dispersed sensation, clearly exhibiting a basic instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm. Now, it was evident that some force had merged the power of the Abyss, concentrating it without dispersing, to form such a dense and sticky state. It definitely could not be an evolution of the Abyss; no natural evolution could occur in just a dozen years. But what external force could have the capability to use the power of the Abyss for its own purposes?

"You must be a Sky Whisper staying in the Abyss!"

According to the Pale Jade Tree, the Abyss could serve as a refuge for Sky Whispers leaving the Endless Sea because the power of the Abyss could supplement the weak bodies of Sky Whispers. Now she was brought to the Abyss by a Sky Whisper's fin, meeting Luminous Harmony—

"Right, Luminous Harmony! Oh no, Flicker Shadow—" If Luminous Harmony was conspiring with the monsters in the Abyss, then he had been deceiving Flicker Shadow all along. Flicker Shadow might be in danger.

"Aren't you worried about your own situation?" The twisted voice no longer pretended to be deep and imposing but showed a hint of curiosity, "Is this the strength of Ocean Bloom's heart?"

"You said I am not the true Ocean Bloom, didn't you?" Raina Grace countered. She wanted to know what she really was, what the other party was, and how she could quickly find Flicker Shadow.

"Yes, I always feel something is missing..." the voice seemed puzzled.

"What about you? A Sky Whisper without a fin, fallen into the Abyss, have you become a 'Abyss Whisper' now?" Raina Grace provocatively asked. She speculated that the Sky Whisper deceived Terra Grove by offering its Abyss fin but failed to achieve its expected result. And without its fin, a Sky Whisper would have to stay in the Abyss forever?

"What do you know?" the voice suddenly shouted uncontrollably, "What do you understand? How could you know my pain...ah...ah..."

Raina Grace was startled, ready to face its furious rage, but instead, the voice faded, and the dark fog dispersed, gradually revealing the cave's original appearance. Though still pitch-dark, the suffocating pressure was gone, and moving became easier.

Unsure of what had happened, Raina Grace guessed that the "Abyss Whisper" might not have full control over the power of the Abyss, so it reverted to its original form when emotionally agitated. Regardless, she should now look for a way out to find Flicker Shadow and the dubious Luminous Harmony.

Looking around, Raina Grace had suspected that this cave was where the Azure Phoenix was born, hence the pathway leading directly to the Verdant Thistle Forest. Sure enough, following her memory, she found the narrow yet deep cave. The decaying Terra Grove wood left only remnants, but the hurried departure of Flicker Shadow and the traces of lightning were still clear.

A breeze cooler than the cold air blew from above. Looking up, Raina Grace saw a high, seemingly endless chimney, where the Azure Phoenix once soared. There must be a sky up there, unreachable by her sight and abilities.

She looked away, and the narrow, dark path ahead was where she and WeeStick had left before, and Flicker Shadow had taken Luminous Harmony and lightning out from here just now. She hoped it was not too late to leave now.

"...You're playing dead now? You think playing dead will help? Speak up, come on..." Just as she stepped out of the cave, Raina Grace was relieved to hear Flicker Shadow's fierce voice, accompanied by kicks and cries of pain.

He sounded unharmed, relieving Raina Grace. It seemed he had also noticed something off about Luminous Harmony, but what was he trying to achieve with such beating? "Flicker Shadow?"

Flicker Shadow stiffened for a moment, stopping his actions without turning around. Only when lightning ran excitedly towards him did he turn sharply. Standing prettily not far away was Raina Grace.

"Raina Grace, you..." He approached quickly, kicking lightning aside, then hesitated, "Is it really you?"

The girl smiled sweetly: "What's wrong? After a long separation, why do you always ask if it's really me?"

Flicker Shadow exhaled deeply, embracing her tightly: "I was just scared..."

Feeling the long-lost embrace and the familiarity of an old friend, Raina Grace hugged Flicker Shadow back, whispering, "Scared of what? Didn't I tell you not to worry about me?"

"Mm," Flicker Shadow hummed from his throat, unwilling to let go for a long, long time.

---

"Like a blooming, colorful gemstone flower..." Flame Wave murmured.

"Exactly, the figure of Ocean Bloom is indescribably beautiful; imagining a gemstone flower might just do it justice." Jadelle agreed enthusiastically, "How did you think of that? It's as if you've seen it with your own eyes."

Was that fleeting first sight her true form? "You said you felt Jade Thistle's memories were chaotic, more like witnessing others' experiences than her own?" Flame Wave asked eagerly, wanting to confirm his guess, "Do you think it's possible that another soul lives within her body, a soul so powerful it prevents her from accessing it, only able to observe from the sidelines?"

Jadelle thought carefully, then slowly nodded, "Now that you mention it, it does seem so."

"You also said that memories related to me are very vague, including significant events like the making of the Silver Wolf mask?"

"Yes, so compared to Aurum Aspire, you're a complete stranger to me. Now that you mention it, I've always wondered," Jadelle suddenly realized, "Jadelle always seems to be filled with a dread and fear mixed with guilt. She's always in pain, as if she's stolen someone's treasure. I've never understood what makes her so restless; could it be the other soul you mentioned?"

"Stolen someone's treasure... What is more precious than life itself?" Flame Wave realized, "So, it was theft?"

He recalled Jade Thistle's final, resolute words before her death: "Forever and ever, let us never meet again!" He and Aurum Aspire had always thought this vow of never meeting again stemmed from her disappointment and a resolute decision to part ways permanently. However, was she actually cursing Raina Grace at that moment? To forever and ever escape from her, to free the soul that she had forcibly imprisoned.