Chapter 224: The Night of Divine Descent - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

The agony was excruciating, so unbearable that it felt like a desire for death. In the midst of her chaotic consciousness, suspended in the rift of the Divine Moon, Tia found herself thinking this way. At this moment, she could no longer distinguish between reality and illusion, only an endless tide of pain washed over her, making her feel like a tiny boat in a storm that could capsize at any moment. This was not a clash of superhuman power, but a battle of will. For most people without inner conviction or determination, after experiencing torture of this magnitude, their consciousness would shatter like glass under pressure, effortlessly breaking into fragments. Especially since the pain-induced illusion exaggerated the senses of the punished and infinitely slowed the flow of time within the God Moon's rift. This filled those trapped with unimaginable despair. Perhaps only a second had passed in reality, but for those inside the illusion, it felt like enduring a week or even longer of torment. It was unfathomable how Tia, having been inside for an entire day, managed to cling to the last thread of sanity without succumbing. Or perhaps, she was already on the brink of collapse, holding onto a sliver of false hope with her tattered will. If she could endure this pain, she might retain a thread of awareness when the Goddess descended. After that, considering how much the Church valued her body, she could threaten them with her life to achieve her goal. That way, Lynn, who was still being hunted, and Louise, who was sent to the Inquisition for providing information to her, might be saved. It doesn't matter what becomes of me. As long as he survives, it's enough. At this point, after learning about her origins and background, Tia seemed to have figured everything out. Ultimately, her existence didn't appear to be blessed by this world, and all things related to this body maintained a facade of harmony with her. Officially, she was given the revered title and status of the Silent Saint, yet privately, they despised her. Almost everyone wished for her immediate disappearance, but they were powerless to achieve it, choosing instead to seal away this dark truth. How absurd. She had grown up in such a twisted and pathological environment for so many years. A group of people who harbored intense hatred towards her respectfully addressed her as "Your Excellency, the Saint," while subtly attempting to erase her identity as "Tia Uhersted." This perhaps explained why Tia of the past had been so vacant and indifferent, like a puppeted doll. Few people used her real name. Except for that one "Viya" from Lynn. Even though it turned out to be a falsehood, the moment Tia heard him call her that, there was an unmistakable flutter of joy in her heart. Though it wasn't her true name, it was the first time anyone addressed her with kindness, abandoning her identity as the Silent Saint since childhood. Perhaps this simple name stirred her heart, leading to the opening of a Pandora's box and a series of forbidden events. And now, it seemed it was time to atone for those forbidden actions. Tia did not want to die; she desired to live more than ever. Unfortunately, that wish had become a luxury. In that case, she figured it would be better, in the face of certain death, to seek a slim chance of survival for the people she cared about in her final moments. But it was still so painful. If only, just before dying, things could ease up a bit. She knew that for her current situation, letting go of resistance and allowing the torment to erase her consciousness would alleviate the pain the most. Yet, driven by her steadfast heart, the girl showed an unprecedented stubbornness. Surprisingly, the moment this thought arose, the endless torment that had been torturing Tia suddenly lightened. It was as if something or someone had heard her cry. Or perhaps there was a deeper malice lurking from the Silence Church. With a silent silver light enveloping her body, Tia's vision blurred. A moment later, she found herself in a decidedly familiar scene. Here... Tia's beautiful eyes widened slightly, her emerald pupils quivered gently. Staring out at the balcony on the fourth floor, where a chilly breeze blew, her memories whisked her back to ten days ago. It was the second evening following her first encounter with Lynn. Their initial meeting had left a deep impression on her, coupled with her desire to grasp the past twelve years of lost memory, led Tia to the banquet organized by Selina in disguise. At the ball, intent on confronting him directly, she tailed him to the fourth-floor balcony. The scene from that night was vivid, one of the few memories sustaining Tia through endless pain and torment. But why would that scene manifest now? Tia was puzzled. At this moment, under the influence of a mysterious and powerful rule, she temporarily forgot her current predicament, as well as everything that had happened in recent days. Looking at the young man before her, and the close proximity between them, Tia's heart began to race. So close. Close enough to catch a whiff of his scent. The girl's cheeks flushed faintly as she tried to lower her head to hide her fluster. Only when she realized she couldn't execute the action did she understand she couldn't alter or influence this memory. Now, she was merely an observer, locked within her body, forced to watch that night replay all over again. In her heart, Tia felt a pang of regret. She had long wished for an opportunity to apologize for mercilessly injuring him that night. At this moment, faint footsteps reached her ears. And Sia's tentative call: "Tia, are you there?" Instantly, a wave of tension and excitement engulfed Tia, making her feel slightly dizzy. Yet deep down, she secretly harbored a trace of anticipation and delight for what was about to unfold. According to the original course of events, within seconds, the young man before her would pull her into an embrace to cover her tracks, posing as a couple sneaking out for some intimacy at the ball, squashing any suspicion in Sia's mind. For some reason, Tia harbored a small wish that their relationship would be exposed, perhaps sparing Sia from further harm. I am truly a sinful woman. Tia's consciousness mused silently. She then watched as the young man before her smiled gently and stepped forward, pulling her into his embrace. The refreshing scent mingled with the warmth of his body flooded her senses, causing the girl's heart to flutter. She instinctively wanted to reciprocate the embrace with equal warmth. Yet, in this moment, Tia was only a bystander, unable to alter the scene before her. The next second, she felt the staff in her hand lift uncontrollably, followed by an ethereal blade of moonlight embedding forcefully into the young man's chest. Tia felt her heart clench with pain. Back then, she had no connections with Lynn, had never imagined wanting to understand this person before her, acting thoughtlessly to prove her loyalty to Sia, she had recklessly caused him harm. If given a second chance, she vowed never to repeat those actions. With the warm blood splattering, the moonlit blade mercilessly pierced through Lynn's chest. In an instant, Tia's heart felt as though it shattered. It was as if she had killed the young man with her own hands. Yet, uncomplaining and without reproach, the young man held her, never once uttering a word of blame. Moments later, as Sia's footsteps receded, the surroundings returned to silence. Quick, quickly bring out the moonlight essence for him to drink! Even if she couldn't control her past self to alter the present, Tia still desperately shouted within her heart. Alas, her "self" could not hear her internal cries. The girl stepped back, hurriedly breaking free from the boy's embrace. Up until this point, everything was still within Tia's recollection. But then, in the next second, everything changed! When she looked at the boy once more, she noticed his face was unusually pale, his expression weak and pained, and the front of his clothing drenched with the blood that incessantly flowed. No, something's wrong! Her instincts flared, alerting her to an anomaly. The amount of blood was vastly different than before! Back then, she had barely pierced his skin, which led to Lynn being mistakenly apprehended as a suspect in a series of murders, but it hadn't incapacitated him. Now, however, the boy staggered a few times before collapsing to the ground with a loud thud under her horrified gaze! The pool of blood spread rapidly. Simultaneously, Tia, trapped within this body, finally sensed something amiss. No, the wound... it's wrong! Even though she had previously made threats to kill Lynn, it was always just talk. She had never genuinely attempted to take his life. But the current scene diverged completely from her memories. The moonlight-formed blade had indeed struck his heart now. A location that was absolutely lethal, with a depth that far surpassed a mere threat. The boy's chest rose and fell more slowly until, at last, all signs of life ceased. He was dead, deceased on a balcony where he never should have died. No... In that moment, a searing pain filled her chest, an overwhelming sorrow washed over her. Given the choice, Tia would rather endure the torment from earlier than face this all-too-real scenario now. Yet, the events unfolding before her would not change based on her will. She had killed the boy she cared about more than anything. Before she could recover from the overwhelming despair, the scene shifted once more. This time, it was an interrogation room. Unlike the previous scene where the confrontation was inevitable, this time the boy lay dying in her arms. According to her original memories, these injuries were inflicted by Sia but were later restored through the effect of the moonlight essence. This was the moment when Tia's inner transformation began. "Don't worry... Tia," he whispered softly. "I didn't tell him anything." Slowly, he lifted his bloodied hand, his joints dislocated from the abuse, his features contorted in pain. In his final moments, he wished to touch her face. But upon seeing the blood on his hands, a flicker of self-mockery and sorrow flashed in his eyes before he gently closed them, as if bidding farewell to the world. Once more, he died right in front of Tia. This time, despite not being the one who acted, it was still inextricably linked to her. The girl's already near-breaking heart shattered further. No... It was as if she was pleading for something, wanting to cover her eyes and ears to escape the nightmare unfolding before her. Yet scene after bloody scene continued to batter her spirit relentlessly. The next second, the scene shifted again. This time, it transpired on the night he was declared wanted, facing the King of Malice in an old factory. Despite being pointed at by countless fingers and misunderstood by all, the boy stood unflinching, unwaveringly shielding her. A human body against divinity. The outcome of such valiance was inevitable doom. Until his consciousness faded, he grappled with guilt over his powerlessness, unable to stop apologizing for failing to save everyone. Ultimately, the boy perished without a complete body, leaving the living world burdened with the stigma of a criminal, while the ones behind the machinations reaped the glory and rewards. In the realm of consciousness, Tia's face was ghostly pale, tears flowing uncontrollably. Even knowing that this wasn't real, the vividness was overwhelming, leaving her unable to stifle her anguish. In the end, the scene transitioned once more, to the night they parted ways. At that time, Tia had fallen unconscious, cradled in his arms and unable to move, while only her awareness registered the surroundings. She finally "witnessed" up close everything that transpired that evening. In the end, then taking responsibility for everything, Lynn couldn’t escape the supernaturals who hunted him and died right then and there. With that, everything concluded. With a profound sense of unreality, the next second, she found herself in a deep void. At the same time, Tia gained an understanding of all that had just happened. Strictly speaking, those scenes that shattered her so weren’t merely illusions but potential divergences of history. In other words, the predetermined past in her memories required only slight shifts for everything to cascade into the worst outcomes. Thinking about it, every scene witnessed before ended in his death. And each death was somehow tied to her. Perhaps from the start, she should never have entangled herself with him. Perhaps Sister Gretel and the others were right. As a "mistake," she should never have existed in this world. Under the intense emotional turmoil and struggle of consciousness, Tia’s presence began to faintly dissipate. Simultaneously, enveloped in a cold and powerful force, the pure moonlight coalesced into the vague silhouette of a woman, suspended high above the celestial rift. The descent of the goddess was commencing.