[US] Chapter 17: Soul Thread

The man leading the way brought Rober and Kalis to a small house at the end of the village. The house was made of wood and earth, with a thatched roof, looking old and dilapidated. No kitchen smoke rose from the roof, indicating that the family hadn't cooked anything for some time.

They entered the house. The interior was cramped and dark, with only the faint light from an oil lamp. The smell of dampness was pervasive. In the middle of the house, on a rickety bamboo bed, two children, a boy and a girl, were sleeping soundly. Their faces were pale and gaunt, their breathing weak.

Beside the bed, a couple sat, their faces etched with fatigue and worry. The husband, with calloused hands, was trying to spoon-feed some thin soup to his son, but the boy showed no reaction.

The man leading the way spoke, introducing them: "These are the parents of the two children. They've been sleeping soundly like this for several days."

He turned to the peasant couple and said: "These two were invited by Viscount Calos to help us. They say they can cure the children."

The peasant couple, hearing this, quickly stood up, bowed deeply, and clasped their hands in prayer to Rober and Kalis: "Please, esteemed ones, save our children! We are forever in your debt!"

Rober signaled for them to stand up, and then he and Kalis approached the bed, observing the two children. He noticed that their complexions were very pale, their breathing weak, and their bodies somewhat cold. These were indeed the signs of someone in a deep coma.

Kalis Marry, after observing carefully, turned to Rober, smiled slightly, and asked: "Rober, aren't you going to start? I'm eager to see you show your skills."

Rober shrugged slightly, replying modestly: "Madam Marry, you haven't taken action yet, so how dare I 'show off before an expert'? I'm waiting for you to make a decision first, on what we should do."

Kalis chuckled and shook her head. "You really are..." she said. "I know you already have the answer in your head. Alright, I admit, I may know many things, but my knowledge certainly can't compare to yours, at least in this field. It would be more convenient for you to take action first. If there's anything I can help with, I will lend you a hand."

Rober smiled, thanking Kalis for her trust. "Thank you, Madam Marry, for your kind words."

He took a deep breath, focused his mind, and then began to perform magic. He raised his hand, drawing symbols in the air. These symbols were not ordinary writing, but language, formed from Rober's magical energy. They emitted a faint, ethereal blue light, and floated in the air like fireflies.

When Rober finished drawing the symbols, an image resembling a giant, blue eye appeared in the air. This eye slowly rotated, then turned towards Rober, as if awaiting a command.

Rober closed his right eye, focusing all his will on his left eye. Immediately, the image of the blue eye in the air flew swiftly and merged with his left eye, as if they became one.

Rober opened his left eye. And, immediately, the world around him changed completely. Everything was plunged into a thick blackness, as if he were standing in the middle of an endless night, without a single ray of light.

But, not everything was plunged into darkness. In the locations where people were standing, Rober could see faint, shadowy figures, emitting a faint, light-green glow. Those were the souls of the people present in the room, invisible energies that the naked eye could not see.

Rober turned his gaze towards the bed, where the two children lay. And, he immediately realized what he had predicted. The souls of the two children were no longer in their bodies. In the children's places, there were only two thin, silver-white threads, hovering in the air and extending out the door, towards somewhere Rober couldn't see.

"Just as I suspected," Rober said, his tone somewhat worried. "This is the 'white dream.' The children's souls have strayed too far, so they can't wake up on their own."

Kalis Marry, standing beside Rober, asked: "So, what do we do now? Is there any way to bring their souls back?"

Rober shook his head. "Not at the moment," he said. "We need to find where their souls are lost, and then we can figure out how to bring them back."

He walked to the window, looking in the direction the two soul threads were extending. They were faint and fragile, as if they could break at any moment, but they were still there, and they were leading Rober somewhere...

Rober looked around and realized that it wasn't just the two soul threads of these children. In other houses in the village, there were similar soul threads, extending outwards, and all of them were heading in the same direction, towards the dense forest.

"All the children in the village are suffering from this condition," Rober said, his tone becoming serious. "Perhaps we'll find the answer in that forest."

Kalis Marry frowned and asked, "So, what should we do next? Do we need to use some kind of magic, like... a soul-summoning spell?"

Rober shook his head, explaining: "Soul-summoning spells, madam, are a type of dark magic, used to summon the souls of the dead, from the underworld back to the living world. But these children, they are still alive. Their souls are just lost, not dead. Therefore, we cannot, and should not, use a soul-summoning spell."

"So... so does that mean... we can't save them?" The mother of the two children, who had been silently listening until now, suddenly spoke up, her voice full of despair, and tears streaming down her face.

"No, it's not like that," Rober quickly reassured her. "There is still hope. But we need to act quickly. If this situation continues, their souls will gradually weaken, and they might..."

Kalis Marry, after a moment of thought, spoke up: "I understand. So, we need to find the place where the children's souls are lost and bring them back. But that forest is vast and dangerous. With just the two of us, it will be very difficult."

Just then, the young man, Viscount Calos's servant, who had been silently observing until now, suddenly spoke up:

"Madam Marry, Mr. Rober, there are many soldiers at the Viscount's manor. They are very familiar with the terrain of this area, and they can help you search for the children."

Kalis Marry thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright!" She turned to the villagers and said, "Everyone, listen. Gather together and bring all the children who are in a coma to Viscount Calos's manor. We will gather there and plan our actions. I promise, I will do everything I can to save the children."

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: truyentop.pro