Selene drifted in an endless, dark abyss, caught between icy cold and scorching heat warring within her, tearing at her nerves. The primeval roar clung to her consciousness like a parasite, echoing with venom, resentment, and a… chilling hunger.
An immeasurable time later, a sliver of light pierced the darkness, accompanied by fragmented voices.
"...Vitals stable... Temporary coma induced by energy shock... Exceptionally active brainwave patterns..."
It was Dr. Lin's voice, cool to the point of clinical detachment.
"...What happened to her?" This was Lysander's voice, strained with a potent, suppressed emotion—a low pressure more unnerving than open fury.
"Preliminary analysis suggests Miss Selene's 'Pure Yin Energy' entered a deep resonance with both the 'key' and the cursed energy within the casket," Dr. Lin explained. "She became a temporary energy conduit and amplifier. The positive finding is that her constitution seems to be spontaneously filtering and adapting to this energy, with no irreversible damage. The negative is that this resonance may have left a 'mark' on her, or… activated something latent."
Something latent? Selene thought groggily. Did it mean the part of her power belonging to the "Oracle"?
She tried to open her eyes, but her lids were leaden. She could only vaguely sense she was lying on the cold platform in the medical suite, surrounded by the faint hum of machinery.
Then, a hand—bearing familiar, slightly calloused skin—settled gently on her forehead. The gesture was stiff, almost hesitant, utterly unlike his usual imperious manner.
Warmth seeped into her skin. Not the coolness she had offered him in comfort, but his own inherent heat, carrying a faint, barely perceptible sense of… solace?
"If you're awake, stop pretending." His voice was close, a low vibration against her eardrum.
Her lashes fluttered, and she finally managed to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was Lysander's face, looming near, etched with clear exhaustion and lingering concern. His dark pupils were locked on her, swirling with unreadable complexity.
She realized she was lying in the soft master bed, not the medical platform. Daylight streamed through the window; she had been unconscious all night.
"I…" Her voice was a dry rasp.
A glass of water was promptly brought to her lips. Lysander helped her sit up slightly, his movements not gentle, but possessing an awkward carefulness.
She drank, soothing her throat, before looking at him again. "The casket… the 'key'…"
"Shattered," Lysander stated tersely, his tone regaining its customary hardness, though his eyes remained intense. "Energy overload. Both the casket and the so-called 'key' are fragments."
Selene's heart sank. A dead end?
"However," he continued, his gaze sharpening as it scanned her, "before they were utterly destroyed, we captured key energy frequencies and data fragments. Thanks to your… amplification."
His tone was neutral, neither praise nor blame. Selene waited.
He stood and walked to the window, his back to her, the sunlight outlining his tall, tense frame. "Dr. Lin's preliminary analysis is complete. The casket indeed contained a wisp of soul and a fragment of the polluted power core from the 'Betrayer' of a thousand years ago—the Wolf-Sorcerer, Mo Yuan."
Mo Yuan! The architect of the "Eternal Shackle"! Selene's breath caught.
"The fundamental reason your blood and your touch can calm my rage," Lysander turned, his gaze piercing, "is that your 'Pure Yin Energy' is essentially a continuation of the original Oracle's 'Ultimate Yin Force.' It is part of the Shackle's very fabric, inherently purifying and suppressing Mo Yuan's dark power." He paused, delivering his next words with deliberate weight. "And this energy resonance, though perilous, accidentally confirmed something else—"
He looked directly at her. "Your bloodline contains not only the power of the 'lock,' but also lies dormant… the true 'key' to unlock it. But this 'key' requires specific conditions and… sufficient power to be fully awakened."
Selene was stunned. She was both the lock and the key? It meant she wasn't fated to be merely a sacrifice? That she could potentially… control her own destiny, even undo Lysander's curse?
A flame of hope ignited within her, brighter and clearer than ever before.
"So," her voice trembled slightly, "'a willing sacrifice' might not be the only solution?"
Lysander looked at her deeply, his eyes seeming to swallow all light. "Theoretically, no. But the process of awakening the 'key' could be more dangerous than the sacrifice itself. Although Mo Yuan's remnant soul was destroyed with the casket, his will seems to have… infiltrated your consciousness through the resonance."
Selene recalled the hateful roar in her mind and shivered.
"Dr. Lin will continue monitoring your mental state," Lysander's tone was decisive. "Starting today, your training regimen changes."
"Training regimen?" Selene was confused.
"You thought I gave you those basic theories just for your education?" Lysander approached the bed, looking down at her with the demeanor of a ruler restored. "No. It was to give you a foundation to initially understand and guide the power within you. Before was theory. Now, it's time for practice."
He pointed at her, not touching. "You need to learn to actively control your 'Pure Yin Energy,' to build mental shields against external corruption, and even… to transform your power into abilities of defense or purification. Otherwise, next time, you might not be so fortunate."
His words were cold and pragmatic, yet they cut through the fog obscuring her path like a beacon. He was no longer treating her as just a passive tool, but as a "partner" who needed to grow—and could grow? Or perhaps, a "weapon" that needed honing to achieve greater utility?
Whatever his motive, for Selene, this was an unprecedented opportunity.
"What do I need to do?" she asked, a new light kindling in her eyes—the light of survival and self-determination.
Lysander watched the unwavering flame in her gaze, his own eyes dark and unreadable. "First, recover your strength," he commanded. "Then, Lucian and Dr. Lin will oversee your preliminary training."
He turned to leave, pausing at the door without looking back, his voice clear.
"Remember, Selene, from now on, your life is not solely your own. Until you fully master the ability to protect yourself, do not engage in any more foolish risks."
The door closed softly behind him.
Alone in the bed, Selene watched the bright sunlight outside, feeling a faint, cool current subtly moving within her—different from before. She clenched her fists.
Danger and opportunity coexisted. The shadow of Mo Yuan hung over her like a sword of Damocles, but the path to freedom and power had, for the first time, revealed a vague outline.
Lysander's stance remained complex and inscrutable, but at least they now shared a clear, common goal—to make her strong.
This was no longer a one-sided transaction. It had become a symbiotic journey—a gamble against fate, against time, and against each other.
Her awakening had only just begun.