Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 729 - 90: Distant Memories_1

Chapter 729: Chapter 90: Distant Memories_1

Vivian felt she slept for a very long, very comfortable time. In her memory, it had been forever since she had slept this soundly. There were no lingering headaches throughout the night, no need to constantly worry about suffocating, no longer fretting over whether she would see the sun rise the next day. All she had to do was close her eyes, go into the deepest sleep, let her brain, let her spirit rest in the best way, allowing her weary soul to rejuvenate in slumber.

In her deep sleep, Vivian seemed to have dreamt about a time she’d returned to when she was six years old, that last autumn she felt truly happy. She returned to this small courtyard stored in her memories, with a thick magic book in her hands, silently reading under the scrutinizing gaze of ordinary children like they would a monster, her chubby hands occasionally tracing patterns from the book in the air, fingertips occasionally emitting a lively burst of Elements.

Perhaps having finished reading a Chapter, six-year-old her looked up, gazing into the distance with a longing gaze at a tower soaring high in the Mage District, the Starshine Tower - the world she dreamt about. Beyond the courtyard, a few neighbour’s children ran over giggling like idiots, pulling her out of her reverie. Glancing disdainfully at the children, Vivian snorted from her nose. How could these vulgar mortals understand the allure of magic and knowledge? They would waste their time foolishly, live in ignorance, and die in ignorance. Ignorance, the sorrow of most people, but she would not be like them – because she was a prodigy, the youngest professional in the Holy City.

An autumn breeze wafted over, lifting the little girl’s blue shoulder-length hair. Vivian tied her blue hair behind her ears, stopping these naughty strands from distracting her from gaining knowledge, refocusing her gaze on the thick magic book. She hadn’t left the courtyard in a long time, aside from sitting in the yard reading, she seemed to have no interest in other activities. If possible, she would happily sit in the same position for months, of course, provided she has enough new knowledge to go through. Faced with other children mocking her laziness and reclusion, the little girl always responded with a cold smile, gazing pityingly at these pitiful, ignorant commoners. Such pity, unique to Arrogant mages, especially to the prodigies amongst mages.

However, Vivian was, after all, still a six-year-old child, and no matter how mature she was, she still possessed the unique dreams of a child. In order to let her learn and experiment with magic without any estimation, her parents, merely Lower Rank professionals, worked tirelessly every day, just to earn more money, to buy her more experimental materials. Mature Vivian understood her parents’ feelings, and was grateful for their affection, but in her young heart, there was a bit of anticipation, looking forward to an opportunity to go out and play with her parents, a day to spend happily together. However, such anticipation would never leave her lips, she knew, her parents were already very hard working, so she wouldn’t want to add any more stress on them.

"Vivian, Vivian." A girlish voice filled with youthful vibes came from outside the courtyard: "let’s take a walk, you’ve been stuck at home for five days, your body will rust if you continue like this, come out, the Harvest Festival is starting soon, many merchants have come to town and brought a lot of interesting things, let’s go have a look."

Vivian frowned, glancing impatiently at the small figure at the entrance, a girl just like her, quite a peculiar one. The girl lived in a large mansion, she should be a descendant of a declining noble family, observing impeccable etiquette, talks, actions, behavior, and wardrobe, each possessing an air of Elegance, each making the neighbouring girls green with envy. Such a girl should be popular, but this girl made people uneasy, because she loved not dolls, nor eyebrow pencils and mirrors, things girls should like, her dreams were not to be the most dazzling presence at a dance, the center of all the boys’ attention, she loved sharp swords and sturdy shields, and had dreams of becoming a knight representing justice and kindness. Such preferences and goals contrasted strongly with her elegant manner, making people hard to accept. And she was more than just fond of them, she had already begun formal knight training, once crossing the boundary between the common folk and the professionals, she could become a real knight and walk the path of a knight.

Maybe because they were both oddballs, maybe because they were both more mature than their peers, maybe because they weren’t popular with their companions, for whatever reason, the relationship between the two girls improved, if one day Vivian’s not at her house despite not needing to consult issues at the Mage Tower, she must have been invited out by the little girl aspiring to be a knight.

"Catherine, can’t I just read in peace?" Vivian complained childishly, but still opened the courtyard door: "I was reading Master Kermil’s Magic Potion Studies, and you showed up at the climax."

Young Catherine, with her black hair coiled up and wearing an elegant white long dress that wasn’t flashy but was certainly tastefully chosen, walked into the courtyard with the grace of a princess. Taking Vivian’s hand, she gave her a warm but not overly familiar smile and said, "When I came looking for you three days ago, you said the same thing. I can’t let you carry on like this. If you seclude yourself in your home all the time, you’re going to fall sick. And when your body rusts, you’ll be like those rusted puppets in the Eastern District puppet factory, unable to move a muscle. Therefore, you must come out with me this time. Don’t forget, your aunt and uncle said that when they’re not home, you must listen to me. Plus, I’m your older sister, even if they were home, you should still listen to me."

"I will not rust. I’m a genius, not a metal puppet, how could I possibly become immobile like them?" Vivian shook her head in dissatisfaction, "Tomorrow, let me read one more day, then I’ll go out and play with you, how’s that?"

"No." Catherine sternly set her cherubic face, saying seriously, "As someone who has convictions, we cannot delay handling things until tomorrow. The tasks of today must be completed today, and tomorrow has its own tasks. If you can’t do that, and everything is put off until tomorrow, then in the end, nothing will get done. When we grow old, we’ll only be able to lie on our sickbeds full of regret, hmm, maybe even our regrets will be put off until tomorrow. So..."

"Alright, alright, stop nagging. I’ll go, okay?" Vivian muttered impatiently, yet obediently went back to change into her custom-tailored small Mage Robe and, holding Catherine’s arm, walked out of the house. Even though the little girl always complained that Catherine was a nag and annoying, in her heart she sincerely liked her. If any other child disrupted her like this, they would have long been thrown out by her magic. Only Catherine could receive such friendly treatment.

Seeing that Vivian finally succumbed, Catherine’s face carried an expression of victory like she had won a war. With utmost grace, she stepped out of Vivian’s yard. Vivian, with her wide-brimmed pointed wizard’s hat following behind, her helpless expression concealed by the vast hat, only revealing her puckering lips.

But they were still children after all, only a few minutes after leaving the house, Vivian had already put all complaints and displeasure behind her. Just like Catherine said, nearing the Harvest Festival, a large quantity of traveling merchants passed through the Holy City, bringing a plethora of merchandise. The diverse array dazzled the young girl, making her feel that her eyes weren’t enough to take everything in. Even the most talented child, when confronted with novelty, experiences the same curiosity and desire for possession. After just half a street, the two little girls were each holding a bunch of interesting small wares. The combined cost of these items might not even reach a silver coin, but the temptation they hold for children is overwhelming.

Right as she was deeply immersed in a pleasant dream of frolicking through the remembered Holy City with her beloved sister, Vivian’s dream suddenly shattered, becoming fragments that exploded in her subconscious. An unprecedented sensation enveloped Vivian’s consciousness, making her deeply aware of the terror within her slumbering dream.

It was an indescribable sensation, comprising of pain, despair, terror, sadness, happiness, and joy. All emotions and perceptions seeming to fuse together, vigorously stirring within her brain, giving her no moment of respite. Even in her dream, the sensation was clear and potent, so intense it made her want to scream and struggle, yet unable to awaken from the dream. Occupying that space between wakefulness and slumber, the young Mage’s thoughts were completely out of control. In her instinct to break free of this torment originating from the deep recesses of her soul, her thoughts ended up in turmoil and she found herself powerless, aimlessly crashing about within her mind, never able to shake off this unsettling sensation.

In the physical world, if someone were to observe her, they would see her body still immersed in a peaceful slumber, undisturbed and statue-like, with no sign of distress. But within her Psychic World, because of the continued odd sensation, a formidable storm was brewing, causing extreme emotional turbulence capable of destroying the once peaceful dream and replacing it with a dreadful nightmare that could only intensify her suffering and despair. The most horrifying nightmare from her memories. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for its recommendation on Qidian.com (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users can read at m.qidian.com)