The memories swept through her consciousness like a tsunami, penetrating every nook and cranny of her mind and taking control of everything that was contained therein.
Amanda felt as though her world was spinning as a series of images began to pop into her head.
She wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, but when she came to, she noticed that the sun had already started to set.
"You've finally digested the memories?"
It was from behind her that she heard a voice that she knew all too well.
She sat herself down on his chair without even bothering to look at him and tried to digest everything that had been thrown at her.
She propped her elbows against the table and massaged her forehead.
"The memories…"
Her head throbbed.
"…Are they real?"
"Why wouldn't they be?"
Ren appeared right in front of her.
He looked at her with a smug expression on his face, and the corners of his lips were slightly upturned.
The expression on his face...
She was genuinely irritated by it, but as she thought back on the memories that were flooding her mind, she found that she couldn't bring herself to complain about it.
She…
Was that really her?
"Hehehe."
Ren laughed in the most irritating manner and sat down on the desk.
"What do you think?"
He moved his body in closer proximity to her, and his eyes narrowed as he did so. At the same time, the smile that had been partially visible on his face gradually vanished, and what replaced it was an extremely serious expression.
"Squid-like person?"
His voice was calm, but Amanda could feel the hidden anger within it.
His ego had been hurt.
"I didn't know you thought of me like that, Amanda… I'm honestly quite hurt."
He continued on.
There was a look of expectation in his eyes as if he wanted her to correct what her other self had said, but Amanda didn't give him that benefit.
When she raised her head, she purposely squinted her eyes and cocked her head.
"I guess you…"
She stopped herself mid-sentence and shook her head.
"…No, never mind. You don't look like a squid."
"Wait, hold on. You think I'm deaf? You clearly were about to say something."
Ren's expression changed for the worse, and he leaned his body forward. He seemed rather desperate at the moment, and Amanda's lips trembled.
She was having a hard time keeping herself composed.
'It's too easy.'
As impressive as Ren was, he was the simplest person to read.
She knew him like the back of her hand, and pressing his buttons wasn't something that she found difficult.
With that said…
'Was that really me?'
Amanda tried to conceal her expression by covering her face with her hands.
Despite not being able to view her own memories, she had seen enough from Ren's perspective to find herself secretly squealing at her own behavior.
Would that really be how she would've turned out if the Demon King had never existed?
It made her shiver.
"Hey, Amanda. Why aren't you answering? Com―"
Lifting her head up, she leaned her body forward and pressed her lips against Rens. He stopped talking immediately after that, and his expression blanked.
Pursing her lips, Amanda sat back down on the chair.
"You've worked hard."
***
pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ "I've got six orbs with me, and there's seven of you present."
Jezebeth looked at the seven demons that were standing right in front of him while six white orbs floated atop his palm.
The demons' presence was unlike any other, and their expressions contained nothing but reverence for him.
They were the seven clan heads.
"My lord, we will accept any decision that you make."
With a subtle bow of his head, Prince Murdock, the head of the Clan of Envy, spoke.
"I do not know what those orbs are, but if you are giving them to us, they must be of significant value."
His words reflected the thoughts of the other heads.
"Hmm, I guess you can say so."
The yellow orbs around Jezebeth cycled atop his palm.
"They are indeed rather precious. So much so that you might even find your strengths increasing…"
All breathing stopped the moment those words escaped from his mouth.
The seven demons' expressions changed when they learned that receiving the yellow orbs would increase their strength.
At their current level, increasing their strength was nearly impossible, and almost everyone was stuck in the same rank for a considerable amount of time.
The fact that the orbs could increase their strength...
Eyeing the orbs in Jezebeth's palm, intense greed flashed across the eyes of all seven heads.
'As expected .'
The sight made Jezebeth smile.
He had long known that his words would elicit such a response from them.
"Since you're all reacting like this, it must mean that all of you want the orbs, don't you?"
The heads all nodded their heads at once, and Jezebeth laughed.
"Alright then, since I only have six and I don't want to pick favorites, I'll do a little something to make all of you happy."
He extended his finger forward, and golden runes flashed in the air, enveloping the entire room in a white glow.
The white glow agglomerated toward the tip of his finger, forming a small white orb that was of similar size to the yellow orbs.
"This should be enough."
Once the orb formed, Jezebeth looked at the seven demons and waved his hand forward.
Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!
The orbs were fired directly at the seven demons, and before they could react, their heads rolled back, and the room turned white.
***
[Human Domain, Ashton City.]
"Please maintain order. Don't rush forward; we will call you one at a time!"
The air was laced with tension as the crowds gathered around the portal, waiting for their turn to step through and embark on a journey to a new world.
Excitement and anxiety hung palpably in the air as people whispered amongst themselves, unsure of what awaited them on the other side.
Some families were dressed in their finest clothes as if this were the start of a grand adventure, while others wore practical and sturdy outfits meant for travel.
All of them clutched their belongings tightly, double-checking that they hadn't forgotten anything. The promise of a new life was too great to risk leaving anything behind.
"They promised us shelter, right?"
A woman asked her husband, her voice trembling with nervousness.
"Yes," he replied, trying to hide his own uncertainty. "They said that they would guarantee us shelter and food."
"Are there any pictures of the place?"
Another man asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
"Yes, I already sent it to you on the chat."
His friend responded, pulling out his phone to show the group.
The portal itself was a towering structure, gleaming in the sunlight. It pulsed with a soft, blue light that spread across the surrounding land.
The hum of the portal's energy was almost deafening, causing many to clutch their ears.
"Your ID, please."
An official called out, bringing everyone back to the present moment.
Officials greeted each group as they came forward, checked their identification, and provided them with instructions for the journey ahead.
"Here you go, officer."
A man said, handing over his identification papers. The officer scrutinized the documents, checking and double-checking the information.
"Mhm, everything checks out. You can go."
The officer finally said, waving them forward.
There was a sense of anticipation and nervousness in the air.
No one knew exactly what to expect on the other side of the portal. Some had seen the pictures of a lush, verdant world that seemed unlike any other, while others whispered of danger and uncertainty.
This was to be expected.
After all, this was a completely different world, and there was barely anything they knew about the planet. The only thing they knew for certain was that this was their only chance for a better life.
Woom!
The portal activated, and the first group stepped through.
A hush fell over the crowd as they disappeared from sight, and there was a moment of tense silence as everyone waited to see if the portal would malfunction.
Woom!
And then, with a soft hum, the portal activated again, and another group stepped forward to take their turn.
"Next!"
The officers called out, and the crowds shuffled forward.
Like that, more and more people began to move forward, and the crowd of people that numbered in the thousands slowly started to dwindle. The sun, which had previously hung in the sky, started to fall, and night started to approach.
There were still people lining up behind the portal, and amongst them was a certain family of three.
"Come, Nola. We have to hurry, or we'll be late."
"Okay, Mom."
Nola put her phone away and followed behind her mother.
There were only a couple of people left in the line in front of them, and they were soon going to be called up next.
"Mom, is Ren coming with us?"
"Ren?"
Samantha placed her hand over her cheek. Her face looked troubled, and a soft voice answered for her.
"Ren is busy. He said that he'll come when he has time later."
"Oh."
Nola dispiritedly nodded her head.
It'd be a lie if she said she wasn't disappointed.
It had been quite a long time since she had seen her brother, and while she understood that he was extremely busy handling matters with the Alliance, she would've really appreciated it if he would occasionally come to meet her.
With how hectic life had been over the past few years, she hadn't had the time to attend school, and she had no friends.
The only people she talked to were her father and mother, and… they were boring.
So boring!
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
A hand reached out for her shoulder all of a sudden.
Nola noticed a change in her parents' expression when she raised her head, and when she turned around, she saw a familiar face.
One that she hadn't seen in quite a long time.
For some reason, her eyes stung, and she found herself unable to contain herself. She instantly threw herself in his direction, going in for a tight hug.
"B, brother!?"
"Ho!?"
Ren was obviously taken aback by Nola's actions, but that was only for a short moment as his face quickly melted, and he hugged her back.
"My, my, my… so you finally miss your brother?"
A stupid smile hung on his lips, and he continued to squeeze Nola's little body, which was locked tightly in his embrace.
"Okay, Nola. You can let go now."
This went on for quite a while, and she eventually had to be pulled away by Samantha.
"Ren, do something as well!"
"What, why?"
Ren looked at her with an aggrieved look, pulling Nola even more tightly into his embrace and turning his body away from her.
Ba… Thump!
He felt his heart throb for some reason, but the feeling dissipated as fast as it came.
"We're just hugging each other. Don't interrupt our moment."
"Aiii… Stop making a scene. You've been hugging for the past five minutes. We're up next, so get her off your body."
"Tsk."
Ren silently clicked his tongue and didn't outwardly show his displeasure.
He had no death wish.
"Nola, you can let go now. If you don't let go, Mom will get the two of us into trouble."
"Mhm, okay."
Nola let go obediently and rubbed her eyes.
"That's good."
He patted her head and cast a glance at the portal in the distance.
"Be a good girl and listen to Mom and Dad. While the city is safe, don't do anything stupid while you're there. If you behave well, I'll give you a nice surprise."
"Okay."
Nola obediently nodded her head once again, carefully listening to Ren's words. Such behavior made him smile even more, and his expression almost crumbled.
Standing up, he looked at his parents and hugged the two of them.
Ba… Thump!
Once again, his heart throbbed, and he felt his legs tremble a little.
'What's going on with me?'
The feeling came and went quickly, but it left an impression on him as he tried to check if something was wrong with his body.
However, when he saw that everything was normal, he could only shrug his shoulders.
'Maybe it's cause I won't see them for quite a while.'
It probably was that.
"Have a safe trip."
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