Chapter 154: Confusion Overload
“Oshte…”
Crash—!
Carlos spun around faster than a caffeinated squirrel, narrowly dodging a flying porcelain bowl that zoomed past his head and smashed into the wall behind him with a spectacular explosion of shards.
Sweat plastered to his brow, he looked about as guilty as a cat caught in the cream, didn’t dare glance my way again, and bolted out of the room faster than my grandmother chasing down an ice cream truck, slamming the door behind him with a thunderous “bang.”
And Angel? Well, let’s just say he was out of there like a squirrel seeing a dog coming.
Silence reigned supreme in the room.
I pouted, rubbed my throbbing temples, and threw off the covers like they were a heavy blanket of shame. Cautiously, I sat up on the edge of the bed, dangling my feet towards the floor, and slowly lifted my rear…
“Ah!”
Before I could even stand, my legs buckled like a cheap lawn chair, and I stumbled forward. Thankfully, I managed to grab the bedside table just in time, avoiding a dramatic crash landing that would have given me a real reason to regret waking up.
My legs still felt like they were made of jelly…
You don’t get a sense of reality in dreams, but the way my body was responding made it clear I had been out cold for far too long.
Ten days, folks…
I plopped back onto the bed, staring blankly ahead for a moment like a confused toddler. Suddenly, it hit me! I turned around and flung the disheveled blankets off the bed, stretching out my hands to check the sheets.
Just a tiny bit damp. Definitely my fault. No other mysterious liquid to worry about, thank goodness!
“Phew—”
Letting out a relieved sigh, I unconsciously half-covered my upper lip with my lower one, puffing my cheeks and letting air escape, managing to mess up my bangs in the process.
Well, there goes my plan to hide the sheets… right?
My earlier fear of an embarrassing bedwetting incident was temporarily alleviated…
I glanced down and realized I was wearing a sheer floral gown. Wait, didn’t I see this in Victoria’s wardrobe?
So she did change my clothes!
I hope she’s okay…
Waking up to an absence of Victoria’s friendly face was unnerving. With all the chaos in the Royal City, surely the queen was running around like a chicken with its head cut off!
Memories of the city’s destruction flooded back, making the previous Teresa incident seem like a walk in the park. Entire blocks lay in ruins, and countless lives—so many—were lost…
Countless lives lost at my hands…
What am I going to do…?
A wave of confusion washed over me.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I swung my pale legs back and forth until my stiff muscles eased ever so slightly. Leaning on the bed’s edge, I gave standing another shot… and wobbled up like a baby giraffe finding its legs.
I cautiously took a step.
Success! I could walk…
But my legs felt like rusty hinges, every bend a Herculean task.
Waddling like an awkward duck, I made my way to the washroom beside the entrance, swung open the door, and approached the tiny sink. Cupping my hands, I splashed some cold water on my face.
Splash!
The refreshing chill made my brain start to function again.
After three rounds of this delightful face-palm, I looked up into the oval mirror adorned with gold trim.
Reflected back was a young woman with bright eyes and perfect features, resembling the world’s most expensive doll. My hair—the black silk that cascaded down like a waterfall—was damp, with a few droplets lingering on my cheeks. My starry black eyes held a whisper of confusion.
I stared blankly at my own reflection.
After a moment, I blinked.
…I’m back.
No more silver hair, and my eyes remained as dark as the deepest abyss. At first glance, everything seemed just as it was before.
But…
Something drastically transformative had taken place within me, undeniable and surreal, yet profoundly real.
In the mirror, amidst my flowing locks, a silvery strand of hair hung down like a rebellious noodle, glaringly obvious against my raven tresses.
What the heck is this…?
I reached up, felt that silvery strand, pinched it between my fingers, and twisted it around like it was some sort of noodle, my mind reeling with confusion.
The girl in the mirror mimicked my actions, then suddenly her lips curled into a smile.
!
My heart skipped a beat as I stumbled back, hands flying to my face, eyes widening in horror—I peered into the mirror, where the girl reflected back at me pulled her lips wide, eyes comically enlarged, trembling in disbelief.
What on earth!
Did I just see that wrong?
Or maybe…
I took a slow step back towards the mirror, scrutinizing my face with a detective’s intensity. I tilted my head, tugged at my hair, pulled at one side of my face, puffed out my cheeks, stuck out my tongue, and squinted one eye… and of course, the girl in the mirror did the exact same dumb expressions.
…What am I doing?
Am I still dreaming…?
“Ha—”
After another dramatic exhale, I smacked my cheeks, running my tongue around my mouth before attempting to form coherent words: “I… I…”
“I’m… Bayeno…”
“I’m… Peilo…”
“I am… Peilo… I am, Silvya… I am… What am I even…?”
The girl in the mirror looked a little less shiny, shoulders slumping like a deflated balloon.
All that happened in the dream was still crystal clear in my mind.
That little girl who grew up in the castle, from babbling to plummeting off a cliff, all those sixteen years of life imprinted in my brain. It felt so much like it was mine… which, let’s be honest, it kind of is.
I had forgotten before, but now it was all coming back.
And down at the bottom of that cliff, the “clinic,” with the Romani Doctor… I vaguely recalled dreaming about that too. But back then, it all felt like a dream, and upon waking, I remembered very little. But now…
As those memories of terror, shivers, rage, and endless hate poured into my heart…
My body trembled, my hands quaked.
I raised my trembling fingers to inspect my pale, delicate skin.
After a moment, BAM! Scarlet flames erupted from my palm, engulfing it in an instant. The intense gleam flashed before my eyes, ready to set the whole washroom ablaze, the temperature skyrocketing as the water in the sink began to bubble ominously. Then with a crack, the mirror shattered from the heat, pieces raining down into the boiling water.
In a heartbeat, the flames vanished from my hand.
…Completely different from before.
This Sin Fire felt like it was flowing smoothly, almost like it was a part of me.
Well…
I took a deep breath. My fingers clenched a couple of times and then spread wide again. The crimson hue of my palm hadn’t faded and now glowed with an icy blue radiance.
Hiss—hiss—hiss—
With a sound like a snake hissing, a thick white mist began to rise from my hand, flooding the space within moments. The washroom turned misty and cold; frost crawled up the walls, and the surface of the sink quickly froze over until—boom!—it exploded.
Crash, crash, crash…
Ice chunks pelted my face and body, causing me to jump as if I’d just seen a spider. I hurried to retract my Power of Order, staring at the icy remnants scattered across the floor, gently rubbing my cheek where the ice had hit.
“…Ouch.”
The frost’s power has definitely gotten stronger…
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Suddenly, a series of knocks echoed from outside, followed by Carlos’s voice, “Hey, Little Shay, what’s up? You good in there?”
It’s Carlos!
“I’m fine!” I shouted hoarsely.
After a brief silence, Carlos responded, “I’m right outside. Call me if you need anything.”
I had nothing to say to that and turned my attention back to my hands.
One more time…
This would be my final act.
In the next moment, the Chaotic Power surged forth.
Black smoke billowed from my entire arm, swiftly coiling into three slender smoke snakes. Focusing hard, I directed the snakes to spiral around me, colliding in front to form a smoke ball. With a sudden puff, the smoke solidified into a white-glowing black flame that danced spiritedly above my palm.
I stared at the blazing fireball.
One second later, I closed my palm.
Phew—
The inky flames dissipated instantly, tendrils of smoke weaving back into my chest.
I raised my gaze.
In the cracked mirror, amidst the flickering reflections, a glimpse of my face could be seen. The crimson hue in my right eye melted away like ice in the sun.
I stood there, transfixed, unable to think straight. Then suddenly, the image of that black castle nestled against the snowy mountains flashed through my mind, alongside Lady Catherine’s gentle smile.
“Mommy…”
I want to go home…
