351: Buried Memories Part 1

A cataclysmic shockwave of divine brilliance erupted from Marie's body the moment her fingers brushed the artifacts, expanding outward like a massive dome in every direction. The subterranean cavern instantly shimmered, its ancient stone walls reflecting the blinding radiance. The very air seemed to vibrate with a resonant hum, as though the heavens themselves had just acknowledged something profoundly sacred.

Then, Ravenna’s world went entirely dark.

The absolute brilliance that had just erupted from Marie’s body vanished all at once from her perception. It didn’t fade gradually; it was violently ripped away, leaving behind an infinite, suffocating void.

She couldn’t hear. She couldn’t feel her own limbs. Only a low, endless ringing remained in her ears, like the distant echo of white noise struck directly into the fabric of her soul.

Her eyes snapped open, but absolutely nothing greeted her. There was no stone ceiling above, no floor beneath her feet, no sky, and no horizon.

Just a pure, unending void.

She stood completely still, the crushing silence of the abyss becoming almost unbearable. There were no walls and no visible light source, yet she could intuitively sense just how vast the empty space truly was. This wasn’t a standard dream, nor was it the mortal world. Ravenna recognized the familiar, heavy pressure of a divine space the moment she felt it.

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“It’s exactly the same as before,” Ravenna murmured, watching the flickering blue text struggle violently to stabilize in the darkness.

She kept her gaze fixed on the empty expanse around her, refusing to panic. “I guess I just have to wait for my consciousness to properly settle... This must be like a waiting room before the system forces me into another one of young Ravenna's hidden memories, just like last time.”

A presence appeared. Right next to her.

Her body moved before her thoughts could even catch up. Shifting her gaze, she looked at the figure with a composed, watchful expression. Casually seated at a sleek, modern office desk, completely out of place in the cosmic void was the woman. She sat with her legs crossed, a pen held deftly in her hand, as if she were in the middle of reading over an important corporate report. Her short black hair framed her face perfectly, and she wore a sharp charcoal blazer over a crisp white blouse.

“So, what are you, like a subconscious manifestation in my mind or something? You showed up last time too, Joy,” Ravenna asked the woman sitting at the desk. Unlike their very first encounter, when she had been utterly shocked to see her former self, she was completely anticipating her appearance this time.

Joy simply smiled, a cool, unreadable expression. “You seem to have matured enough to not panic anymore simply from seeing me. However...” Before Ravenna could press for an actual answer, Joy finished, “That’s still not enough.”

With a subtle flick of Joy's wrist, the illusory floor beneath Ravenna’s feet instantly collapsed as she fell.

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There was no wind, no sensation of cold air rushing past her skin as she plummeted. There was only an endless, suffocating blackness. It was a fall with no end, devoid of any sound save for the frantic, rapid hammering of her own heart. She couldn’t tell how long the descent lasted; it could have been a single second, a grueling hour, or an eternity just like the last two times she experienced it.

Then, suddenly, she woke up.

A gentle warmth touched her cheeks. Sunlight.

She sat up with a sharp gasp, finding herself lying on soft, manicured grass, surrounded by an explosion of vibrant color. A garden.

The sky above her was brilliant and entirely cloudless, but the sun’s heat was remarkably gentle, nothing like the scorching, humid intensity of Kim Island or the dry, harsh winds of the northern continent. The light here kissed the skin rather than intensely burning it.

She stood up and looked around, taking in the picturesque view. The courtyard bloomed with a surreal vibrancy, as though the plants themselves were infused with active enchantment. Manicured hedges curved like deliberate living sculptures, and jewel-toned flowers rose proudly from polished marble planters. Roses the color of spilled wine coiled tightly up trellises of pristine white stone, their sweet scent thick and intoxicating in the air. Bees buzzed lazily from bloom to bloom, and a serene, heavy stillness lingered over the landscape. The scene is almost too perfect to be real.

At the heart of the garden stood a massive, ancient oak tree, its sprawling branches casting dappled shadows over the lush grass beneath it. And right there in those shadows, nestled tightly beside the thick roots, stood her.

“This place…” Ravenna whispered, her eyes widening as the recognition set in. “The secluded courtyard between the Imperial Church and the Empress’s wing? I am back in the exact same memory I saw during the first upgrade...”

A torrent of forgotten context rushed back into her mind. This was the hidden garden where Ravenna and Aurora used to play as children, entirely shielded from the stiff, suffocating formality of the royal court life. It was a place where secret whispers and genuine laughter replaced rigid titles and political obligations. It was where innocence still lived.

Just outside the courtyard path, a familiar scene began to unfold.

“You’ll only worsen Mother’s sickness!” a young boy scolded sharply.

His voice rang out clear and authoritative despite the soft pitch of childhood. He couldn’t have been older than thirteen. His jet-black hair, his perfectly upright, noble posture, everything about him was unmistakable. It was a young Prince Nolan, and standing next to him was a girl several years his junior.

“The young Ravenna... I am perfectly certain this is the exact same memory now,” Ravenna muttered to herself as she walked toward the escalating confrontation between the young siblings.

The young Ravenna's jet-black hair was noticeably messy, her cheeks flushed bright red with a volatile mix of frustration and defiance. She glared bitterly at her oldest brother, and then, completely rejecting his lecture, she abruptly turned away.

With a sharp, ragged breath, the little girl took off running. She bolted straight through Ravenna’s ethereal body like a ghost passing through mist.

Without wasting another second, Ravenna took off after her, her heels thudding softly across the stone path as she chased the small, fleeing figure deeper into the courtyard.

As she passed beneath the ancient oak tree, its golden leaves rustled softly above, guiding her to where the younger Ravenna had now collapsed. The little girl sat with her knees pulled tightly to her chest, her arms wrapped securely around them. She hadn't moved an inch. Her chin was tucked firmly against her knees, her small shoulders hunched forward in a heartbreakingly familiar posture of silent grief.

In this quiet moment, away from Nolan's harsh judgment, that version of Ravenna wasn’t angry anymore. She was just sad. Quietly, unbearably sad.

“The memory... it isn’t ending here anymore,” Ravenna commented softly. She sat down on the grass directly next to her younger self, watching the sorrowful profile of the child. “Maybe I finally get to see what happens next, and exactly why this memory was buried so deeply that I can’t recall.”