What the heck is this?'
As he gazed at the yellowed page marred with frantic scribbles, he was taken aback. The book now seemed more like a personal diary rather than a historical record or work of fiction. The scribbled symbols before him were clearly in Huaren but almost unreadable.
'The Venerable Bard, Fang Yuan? He must have been well-traveled with a title like that, not to mention there are unconventional words here I've rarely seen. Feeling a bit strange, Damon quickly read a few pages.
12th March. Today, while strolling the forest with my handmaiden, I encountered the most extraordinary young woman. She carried a casket on her back, but I could not deny the allure she radiated. The gods themselves must have conspired to bring her before me; her beauty makes the dullness of my current suitor unbearable. Naturally, I offered my assistance. How could I resist?"
'He's bragging about himself? …I thought the Huaren were humble people.' Damon was left with his mouth agape.
Uncle Fan had said most Huaren valued restraint and propriety, but Fang Yuan's arrogance leapt off the page.
"2412, 10th June. A year has passed, and yet Lady Mary resists my advances! I find myself jealous for the first time; she dares to speak to that cursed coffin more than me! The audacity! I even tried employing my Mystic Eye to glimpse its content, but fate seems to mock me, and yet…. she has confided in me, her past is tragic… a fallen merchant's daughter. Perhaps .. perhaps she will grace my bed yet."
Damon could only roll his eyes. He never thought a man could be so shamelessly despicable..
"2nd July. A Gala is being held in the Makhaire nation to celebrate the establishment of the Global population record. Its people are loud, vulgar, uncultured! Disgusting! And yet…. Mary…jewels sparkling, veil perfect…irresistible. Worth attending solely for her."
Damon chuckled. The contrast was striking; Huaren valued subtlety, grace, and measured behavior, while the Makhaire of the west were brash and loud. Fang Yuan's disdain wasn't surprising. It was like mixing Oil with water.
"13th July. She's mine! Finally, finally MINE!"
The scrawl was short but frantic, uneven, and darkened in places, as if he pressed too hard with the quill. Damon blinked. The spike of obsession and possessiveness made him uneasy, yet he could not stop reading.
"15th July. I regret not taking the casket. Her Obsession… I should have acted sooner! Too late …. too late!"
Damon's eyes narrowed. 'What's so important about the coffin?'
"16th July. I hired another Specter to examine Mary's body. The bastard took half my fortune, but I was able to track her killers Hahahha….Ah.. My beloved Mary. Finally, they will pay ."
"19th July. Damn them! Those wretched twins. I see their revolting faces every time I close my eyes, always circling, always taking what's mine. Why her? Why, Mary? Those savages have taken my legs, but I Will Never forget! Their blood must wash away this outrage!"
'So the twins were Mary's killers, but who are they? What happened with the coffin? ' Reading the last sentences, his mind raced with questions.
Suddenly, as he went to flip to the next page, he noticed that the surroundings started getting dark. In his vision, the light provided by the chandelier hanging in the center of the library appeared to have been covered by a thick veil of darkness.
"What?… what's happening ?"
He knew this wasn't some natural phenomenon as he felt the subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy now radiating from the diary in his hands.
He tried to let go, yet his body froze up.
["Kill them, Kill Them! Kill The…"]
A string of words began ringing in his ears, becoming more chaotic with each passing moment, pulling him deeper.
His breathing became shallow, frantic. His grip on the dairy tightened as he could only hear the Chilling voice.
["Fucking KILL Them! , KILL Them! Kill The…"]
Damon felt himself getting dizzy and disoriented. Every word forced his mind to grow numb, slowly draining away his rational thoughts. As he struggled to breathe, he could hear the thumping of his racing heart. It was like the sound of a war drum making a declaration.
["Alright, that's enough."]
Xiuying's voice snapped in his ears.
But Damon didn't move.
'Resist...I have to resist…' He gritted his teeth, his mind sinking further, no matter how hard he tried resisting. Slowly, a flickering burning sensation began forming in his mind. It was as if something deep within his core was being ignited once again.
This… feeling.
'I've felt it before. It's….'
Amidst his thoughts, Xiuying's irritated voice cut through.
["I said enough!"]
Snap! With a snap of Xiuying's fingers, Damon jolted, snapping out of it; the darkness retreated, and his vision slowly returned.
His eyes focused first, glancing at the diary, which was firmly sealed shut.
Raising his head, he locked eyes with Xiuying. Now standing before him, her face twisted in an unpleased frown.
["You were resonating with the will of the writer, don't you know how dangerous that is?"]
Taking a moment to steady his breathing, He spoke slowly. "Huff …Huh ..What's.. Resonating?"
Silence.
Xiuying's face twitched faintly as if suppressing something. Letting out a sigh of frustration, she continued, " When we share intent, we link ourselves. If one of us has the stronger will, the other can't help but bend towards it. That's what Resonating is: your thoughts, your feelings, dragged into alignment with another. You didn't just hear the writer, Damon. You felt them, their anger, their grief; they were becoming yours."
Damon frowned, sifting uncomfortably. "That sounds.. invasive"
"It is invasive."Xiuying gave a dry, humorless laugh.
" It's also unavoidable; the stronger Will always drown the weaker. The only defenses are having a Will that doesn't break when pressed against someone else's or praying to the Gods for protection. I recommend reading the Fundamentals of Spectology. Otherwise, you're just 玩火自焚 [Playing with fire and waiting to be burned]". Her eyes narrowed as she uttered the last sentence in Huaren.
"So it was like that. Thanks for saving me, Miss Ye. Although I haven't learned much about Wills yet, I'm sure breaking the resonating link can't be done by any weak mind."
Damon's subtle praise managed to ease Xiuying's irritation. A smile formed as the latter nodded in satisfaction.
"Indeed. You're rather lucky I was here. "
Suddenly, a faint shimmer gathered above Xiuying's head, breaking the calm between them. Damon blinked as a palm-sized figure emerged from the glow, a tiny woman with delicate features, her translucent wings buzzing softly like a wasp's. She stretched with an exaggerated yawn, rubbing her eyes as if she'd just woken from a sweet slumber.
He leaned forward with curiosity plain on his face. 'What in the world …?'
Noticing his stare, Xiuying decided to explain.
"Don't gawk, it's rude. She's my contracted spirit. A year ago, when I became a grade II Specter, I encountered a rift leading to the Ginen, the realm of the spirit race."Her voice carried a hint of pride as she spoke.
The little lady fluttered lazily in the air, hovering just above Damon's nose before flashing him a mischievous smile." The name Pitou," she said, her voice high and playful. "You must be the little bookworm I've heard so much about. I didn't think you'd be this cute".
Confused, Damon opened his mouth to respond, but Pitou twirled mid-air and turned back to Xiuying.
"Enough resting, Xiuying. It's time, you need to go out again."
The smile Xiuying had worn only moments ago faded in an instant. Her shoulders stiffened. "Always at the worst possible time, I'll leave you to it, just don't touch anything else, I've got to go," she muttered under her breath.
With one sharp look at Damon, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the library, her footsteps echoing through the quiet hall.
Pitou lingered just long enough to give Damon a cheeky wink before darting after her mistress, the faint buzz of wings fading into the distance.