The little creature's voice carried quiet pride. "For centuries, I was bound in the jewel you wore, waiting for the day you would awaken and release me. I had almost given up hope... until you called me forth."
He had been waiting in this secret territory for a thousand years; waiting for a martial artist capable of establishing a contract with him to come.
Her hands shook. "Then... are you my contractual spirit?"
Ravyn's ember-like eyes narrowed. "Not in the way you think. I am older than these bonds. A fragment of my soul clung to you, even in your past life. When you died, it was I who pulled you across the veil, bringing you here. We've already concluded a Master and spirit pet equality contract."
The weight of his words struck deep, a strange warmth blooming in her chest. Gratitude and awe swirled together. "Thank you, Ravyn" She faltered.
The little dragon's aura softened, almost indulgent. "Do not thank me yet, mistress. You carry both burdens and possibilities. Whether you rise or fall is still yours to decide."
Her gaze drifted back to the glowing egg. "Ravyn... this egg, it responded to me. What is it?"
The dragon studied it silently for a long moment before answering. "It is no ordinary egg. Whatever sleeps within requires a vast ocean of energy to awaken. Your presence stirred it, but that is all. We can only wait until it chooses to hatch."
Erysimum's heart thudded as she reached out again, though she dared not touch it. "So it has to wait... just like me."
Leaving the egg behind, she explored the rest of the building.
The second room revealed a soft, neatly arranged bedroom, sheets that looked untouched yet inviting. A kitchen followed, its counters still gleaming, cupboards stocked with herbs and grains. Then came the library, towers of books reaching toward the ceiling, their spines etched with golden characters. The air there carried the weight of knowledge so vast, it almost made her dizzy.
And then... the fourth room.
A heavy door, etched with strange runes, stood at the end of the hall. She pressed her hands against it, but it refused to move. The air around it pulsed with mystery, cold and commanding, as if warning her to stay away.
Ravyn's voice echoed softly, curling around her like smoke. "Some doors are not meant to be opened yet."
She drew back, her chest tight with curiosity, but she knew better than to push.
A sudden weariness swept through her, the toll of the night pressing on her shoulders. With one last glance at the locked door, she returned to the main hall.
Her eyelids grew heavy. Though she longed to unravel the mysteries of this space, she knew she needed rest. She closed her eyes and willed herself out.
The world shifted.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back in her room. The night outside was nearly the same, only moments having passed. Her eyes widened.
Erysimum let out a shaky breath, relief flooding her chest. It had felt like hours within the space, but here... not even a heartbeat had passed.
She clutched the pendant in her hand, pressing it against her chest.
"From now on," she whispered into the dark, her voice steady despite her racing heart, "this secret belongs to me alone."
Her lashes fluttered closed. For the first time in this new life, she drifted into sleep not with fear, but with the faint, burning spark of hope.
Her lips curved into a faint smile. She lay back against the sheets, her heart lighter than it had been in years. Tomorrow would bring questions, burdens, and struggles, but tonight, she had found hope.
But only she knew that tonight, her fate had changed forever. The first light of dawn filtered through the high windows of the Duskbane estate, brushing the room in pale gold. Erysimum stirred, stretching her arms.
Her long black hair tumbled over the pillows, falling past her waist, gleaming with a sheen she had never seen in her own world. Each strand seemed alive, dancing gently as the breeze from the slightly open window stirred them. She sat up slowly, her eyes drawn to the mirror across the room.
Stepping closer, she tilted her head and studied her reflection. The girl staring back was fifteen years old, tall, and slim, yet every curve and line spoke of strength hidden beneath youth. Her black eyes deep, infinite like an ancient well glimmered faintly with a reddish radiance. In that moment, she realized they were different from her past life: sharper, more mesmerizing, carrying an uncanny depth that seemed to hold secrets older than time itself. Her long lashes framed them, delicate yet commanding, giving her gaze an intensity that made it feel as though she could see everything and nothing all at once.
Her lips curved into a small, incredulous smile. I... I look like myself... but better.
Her hands lifted instinctively to the ring finger of her left hand the place where the inheritance ring had been moments before. Her skin was bare, but a small, intricate star had taken its place, etched delicately as though the universe itself had carved it there.
So that was the mark of the inheritance, she whispered, tracing it with her fingertip. A subtle warmth pulsed beneath her skin, as if the star carried both promise and power.
She stood, pressing her hand against the silver pendant that pulsed faintly at her chest. The connection between her and this space thrummed, alive and waiting.
Her fingers clenched, determination solidifying in her heart.
Erysimum held up her hand to feel her pulse, preparing to examine the condition of her body, but suddenly she stared blankly, confusion appearing on her face.
"Was my meridian of your cultivation base forcibly destroyed by someone?"
her spiritual roots had long ago being destroyed, her Dantian no better than an ordinary person's. Because that person had used a highly skilled method, common doctors couldn't treat it, not to mention that even the symptoms of the illness were invisible.
In the beginning her grandfather had held onto hope of finding someone in the streets to cure her illness, but even the Astralis ward said to be tended by celestial healers under starlight, in Elandor reach also was helpless. Since then he had given up.
In the world of Elarion, martial artist ranks divided into Qi Refining stage, Foundation Establishment stage, Meridians stage, Gold Core stage, Nascent Soul stage, Divine stage, Void and Darkness stage, Overcoming Tribulation stage, Completeness stage.
Although she didn't know if she was able to cultivate or not, but she, erysimum, will not undervalue herself. She would never willingly be useless trash.
If she didn't have any qualifications to cultivate, she will find other ways to become strong