Chapter 296 Sudden change of event
Chapter 296 Sudden change of event
After some time, Julian and Eleanor made their way to the grand dining hall for breakfast. The room was filled with the aroma of mouthwatering dishes.
As they approached the table, Julian immediately noticed the familiar figures of his family seated together, engaged in light conversation.
His eyes swept across the table and locked onto a striking figure beside Regina. His heartbeat quickened.
Aunty Alice, he thought instantly recognizing her.
Her beauty rivaled even that of his mother, Regina, with the same serene grace and captivating presence.
However, unlike the more formal attire of other female nobles, she wore a stunning kimono.
It was a beautiful blend of green and blue, which symbolized her status as a healer.
She had long, flowing black hair and mesmerizing green eyes that carried both kindness and strength.
Despite her composed grace, the fabric of her kimono struggled to contain her big, mature breasts. It only added to her allure and charm.
As Julian and Eleanor approached, all eyes turned toward them. The soft murmur of conversation stopped, and it was Alden who broke the silence first.
"Julian, you are back," he said with a nod, his eyes lighting up.
Julian bowed respectfully. "Yes, Father. I hope you have been well."
Alden nodded in acknowledgment, smile forming on his face.
Julian then turned his attention to Regina. "Mother, I hope you have been well too."
Regina nodded as well, but she could not hide the blush that appeared on her face.
Finally, Julian's gaze settled on Alice. He offered a charming smile. "Aunty Alice, you have arrived."
Alice's eyes softened, a gentle smile curving her lips. "Julian, it is good to see you." Her voice was smooth, and it carried a hint of affection.
"You have grown so much since I last saw you. And from what I hear, you have been quite busy."
Julian chuckled softly. "You can say that," he replied confidently.
"I have been exploring here and there, seeing what the world has to offer."
Alice laughed, "Ah, the adventurous spirit of youth. It reminds me of our own adventure."
She turned her gaze to Alden, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Do you remember how we used to sneak out of the castle to explore the duchy? Those were the days."
Alden, who rarely opened himself, let out a loud laugh, "Oh, I remember it well. Especially when Father caught us and hung me upside down in the garden for half a day. That was quite the lesson."
Laughter erupted around the table, filling the grand dining hall with warmth. The memories shared by Alden and Alice painted a vivid picture of the strong bonds between them.
With caution, he moved toward the source of the roar. As he continued walking, something extraordinary happened—the strain on his mind began to lessen.
The sharp pain faded, and for the first time since he began his focus, he felt a wave of relief wash over him.
What is going on? he thought in surprise, continuing towards the source. It's like a path.
As he advanced, the pixel that once seemed so distant began to close in and slowly came into focus.
Julian was now able to observe its structure. Its shape was unlike anything he had encountered before—it resembled an oval, but its form was ethereal and gaseous.
His mind raced with the implications, but before he could process everything, he reached the source of the sound.
As he glanced around, he saw a large, glowing circle. It glowed with strange golden hue and the light of it seemed too pure to exist in the world.
"This... this energy," Julian whispered in awe.
The circle pulsed with a steady rhythm, as though it had a heartbeat of its own, and Julian could feel an intense pull from it.
However, his thoughts became even more jumbled as something even more astonishing began to unfold.
"My cultivation..." Julian gasped, the words barely leaving his lips.
He could feel his energy skyrocketing, surging faster than he had ever imagined. His cultivation had spiked from an early Arch Mage to the verge of reaching the late stage in mere moments.
He felt the power flowing through him, but his instincts told him to be cautious. "What is this energy?" he said, eyeing the glowing circle as he maintained a safe distance.
Just then, his eyes locked onto something even more remarkable. Three distinct trails of energy began to emerge from the circle, coiling through the air like serpents and making their way towards the isolated pixel.
His breath caught in his throat as he immediately recognized the colors of the energies: one glowing a fierce red, another shining bright gold, and the last dark blue, almost black.
"Creation... Preservation... Destruction," Julian whispered, the realization sending shivers through him. His pulse quickened as he pieced it together.
He cautiously followed the trails of energy, maintaining a safe distance.
But then, without warning, everything changed.
A blinding flash of white light enveloped him, far brighter and more intense than anything he had ever encountered. (Even more than the one he saw in his dream)
He instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes, but the light consumed him completely, and for a brief moment, Julian lost all sense of time and space.
When his vision finally cleared, it was as though he had been pushed into a completely different world.
Time had ceased to exist.
His body remained motionless, frozen in place. His heart, once beating rapidly, had come to a complete halt. His breath, which had been shallow from the intense concentration, was gone.
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He could feel the very essence of life within him stripped away, yet somehow, he was still alive.
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