Chapter 853

Chapter 853: Phantom Witch’s Tear

After spending more than half a month in the forest, time gradually approached the latter part of July.

Lolan Hill was planning to go to Emanas in August. Before that, she wanted to ask Tides some questions, so she took out the pendant that Tides had given her before.

Today, only Lolan and Yixue were in the maple forest; Yeling and Daiju had gone on an adventure in the woods and would probably return in 2-3 days.

Standing in the courtyard under the twilight sun, Lolan took out the pendant and made it float in front of her. She slowly recited the agreed spell. On the grass swaying gently in the breeze, a circular array with distinct internal patterns began to form.

The pendant floated to the center of the array, and under its enhancement, a faint purple light started to shine. Soon, a gentle breeze began to blow around the pendant, creating an invisible ripple that spread towards the unknown distance.

The silver-haired girl standing at the edge of the array kept her eyes closed, softly chanting. Her dress fluttered in the wind, revealing her slender wrists as she rolled up her sleeves.

This process repeated several times until about seven cycles later, Lolan finally stopped the array.

The pendant contained a faint power left by Tides, and if it was her, she should be able to sense this subtle fluctuation.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the setting sun in the distance. Even if Tides sensed it, it would still take some time for her to arrive. Lolan wondered whether she should prepare some snacks to welcome this witch senior.

Turning around, she opened the wooden door and was about to return to the house when a familiar voice suddenly echoed behind her.

“Are you looking for me, little Lolan?” a blonde-haired, silver-eyed witch wearing a black dress floated down from the sky.

“Tides senior,” Lolan turned her head in surprise. Did the witch really come so quickly?

“Call me sister instead of senior. It feels too old-fashioned,” Tides brushed aside a strand of hair and looked at the silver-haired girl.

“It’s been a few years, and you seem much more mature now, Lolan,” she walked into the room beside Lolan and sat down gracefully on the sofa.

“But I’m relieved to see you’re still alive. When you called me suddenly, I thought something urgent happened, so I used some special methods to get here,” said the witch, who had lived through countless years and possessed numerous abilities.

“I apologize for worrying you, Tides sister,” Lolan brought two glasses of juice and placed them in front of Tides.

While drinking the juice, Lolan glanced at the unchanging Phantom Witch. For some reason, this witch seemed more composed than before, less playful and joking as she used to be.

“You’re very perceptive, Lolan. You noticed something was off right away,” the witch’s observation was instantly seen through by her extensive experience.

“Unfortunately, I won’t explain why,” she shook her head slightly, her silver eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Alright,” Lolan lowered her head, her hands fidgeting.

“This time I returned to the West Continent and received an invitation from the Sage Council to go to Emanas. They want to discuss something with me.”

“Go then,” Tides replied directly.

“I know you might not understand the Sage Council and feel wary, but actually, things aren’t as bad as you think,” Tides added.

“Do you know what kind of people the Sages are?”

“They are the most powerful among humans, elves, and other races, having lived for a long time, each with their own thoughts and wills.”

“People like this are not easily swayed or commanded by others unless it’s something vital to the survival of all races, in which case they might unite. Otherwise, they are a loosely organized group.”

“For witches like us, these people, though powerful, are not strangers. Many have grown up and matured right before our eyes.”

“So, I can tell you directly that although the current Sage Council is not as strong as it once was, the new members have undergone rigorous screening and evaluation. Most of them are individuals with high morals and a sense of responsibility.”

“After the upheaval over a decade ago, the Sage Council conducted a thorough cleansing during the years when they lost their power. Many rebels were dealt with, and there was a large-scale restructuring. So, I can guess why they invited you, and there’s no need to worry.”

“That makes sense. Thank you, Tides sister,” the girl nodded, her earlier doubts dissipating.

Then she thought about the plans she would implement in the coming years and hesitated whether to tell Tides.

After a moment of hesitation, Lolan looked at Tides again and asked hesitantly, “Do you know about the experiences and thoughts of the Time Witch Dorothy?”

Tides paused slightly upon hearing the name, then regained her composure.

“Dorothy… such a memorable name,” she picked up the juice and stirred it gently.

“Looking at the floating fruit pieces in the pale red liquid, she answered Lolan’s question.

“I remember, and I know Dorothy’s thoughts,” Tides sipped the juice and sighed lightly.

“The future of the Ivar World is unstable, and many witches are aware of this. Some wise men also learned the truth through certain channels.”

“So, they organized people to explore ruins around the world, hoping to find a solution.”

“The Eternal Blazing Sun Crown and the Regretful Moon Crown, these two divine artifacts, they have gained some understanding from the ruins.”

“However, humans are not deities and cannot locate where these crowns are. Even if they could, using them forcibly might trigger a disaster.”

“Witches are fragments of deities, but we are not deities themselves. Even if we want to interfere with the crowns, it’s extremely difficult and impossible to perform complex operations.”

“That day you fought with Selene, the result was mutual destruction. I assume you can’t use the crown’s power freely now,” Tides lowered her eyelids.

“Why not try to solve it?” the girl asked in confusion.

“Because we haven’t found the right path,” Tides closed her eyes and replied.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever been outside the world, beyond this star. That lifeless space, where centuries pass without reaching the end, traps this world in place like a prison.”

“But ironically, it’s this lifeless expanse, like prison bars, that protects those inside.”

“A piece of wood, no matter how much air is blown onto it, can only burn to a limited extent. This world is similar.”

“Many relentless pursuits ultimately turn out to be nothing but illusions.”

As Tides spoke, a tear slipped down her cheek, but it quickly dried, seemingly wiped away by herself.

“Dorothy didn’t just fail because she was defeated in Oz Country, but also because her ideas and methods proved ineffective, leading to her being abandoned by the Sage Council.”

“In fact, many within the Sage Council initially supported Dorothy because she accumulated a lot of goodwill during her time in Emanas. Many sages were even her students.”

“Though the Time Witch could foresee dangers earlier than others, she exhausted every effort but couldn’t realize her feasible ideas. Outsiders believed she was killed by the Knight of the Treiye Family, but in reality, if the Time Witch wanted to escape, no one could stop her.”

“It’s more appropriate to say she was driven to despair and self-destructed after seeing her efforts negated.”

“In the later stages of Oz Country, I and a few other witches gradually became aware, but it was too late to stop the war. Once it reached this point, it couldn’t be halted.”

“I detest Night Mistress because she cruelly showed Dorothy the harsh reality. Everything you painstakingly built is meaningless, worthless. The resources wasted, lives lost, and wills sacrificed will become heavy burdens that crush you.”

“Lolan, I see many people in you, including witches and sages. Many had grand and noble ideals at the beginning.”

“Dorothy was like this, Su Qin was like this, and Red Dogwood was like this too. As people born with talent and potential, we often notice differences between ourselves and others, which reveals our luck.”

“Some may indulge in this and believe they are superior, destined to enjoy fortune, using their abilities recklessly to pursue desires.”

“Others may be sensitive and clear-headed, perhaps having gone through difficult times early on, understanding others’ hardships, and cherishing their talents more. If they become powerful, they wish to repay those close to them to soothe their slightly uneasy hearts.”

“But no matter how talented or capable someone is, such qualities are not infinite. There comes a ceiling eventually.”

“Witches appear immortal, but countless witches have died. Some were killed by beasts in the wilderness era, some died in battle during the thousand-year war, and even in peaceful times, witches fade away in corners.”

“While you are stronger than ordinary people, you are not invincible. Just because you have the power to kill billions doesn’t mean you are stronger than billions. Many things you can’t do, billions of ordinary people can easily accomplish.”

“Therefore, if you have any fantasies because of Dorothy’s memories, I must wake you up. Recognizing problems and truths is simple, but truly solving them is thousands of years away.”

“I don’t want to see more juniors walk down this torturous path.”

“If you stayed in this peaceful and beautiful forest like when we first met, I would be even happier and more relieved.”

“Often visiting you to chat, watching the growing fruits together, bringing you interesting gifts, introducing you to old friends. I’ve imagined many ways to bring you into the witch community, making you a beloved junior.”

“But unfortunately, everything changed just two years after you woke up again.”

“First, you went to Hope Lane, then to Emanas.”

“Until I met Night Mistress again in Emanas, I tried to keep the atmosphere warm and avoid reopening old wounds. I thought experiencing a relaxed, youthful campus might be a good experience.”

“But in the end, you chose the path I least wanted to see.”

“I don’t know if humans or the world will perish, but you are getting closer to death.”

“Magical women obsessed with their obsessions are more likely to burn out in those obsessions.”

Tides spoke her long-held words, slowly opening her eyes to look at the young witch in front of her.

After listening to the Phantom Witch’s teachings, Lolan fell into a long silence.

She opened her mouth slightly but closed it again, continuing to remain silent.

“I know your personality is gentle, you’re not good at refusing others, and you can’t ignore others’ suffering. You hate injustice. These things I know,”

“I’m glad to have such a junior, someone who brings relief and a sense of cuteness.”

“Just that those things are still far from you. As a witch, your life has just begun. Many interesting and beautiful things await you. You have centuries, even millennia, to hone yourself, find more stable ways, and improve.”

“You don’t need to bear so much responsibility, making yourself feel heavy and anxious. As for the issues facing the Ivar World, there are specialized organizations to handle them.”

The Phantom Witch spoke for a long time, seemingly pouring out all the things she had never spoken before.

She stood up and came in front of Lolan, gently stroking the girl’s silver hair and whispering in her ear.

“Let me tell you the story of how I first met Sister Crystal.”

“Maybe this will help you understand better.”

She took Lolan’s hand and sat down beside her, then told her how she was adopted by Crystal when she was a little girl, and how she grew up, gradually meeting and interacting with other witches.

There were moments of warmth, times of crying and injury, but eventually, they stabilized, becoming different versions of themselves.

When she finished telling the story, Tides blinked her wet eyes, wiping away the tears at the corner.

“I’m sorry, did I scare you? I talked so much today.”

“No, it’s a lucky thing to hear Tides sister talk about the past,” Lolan shook her head.

“But,” Lolan pressed her finger gently, still speaking.

“I still want to do those things because,” before she could finish, Tides placed her finger on Lolan’s lips, silencing her.

“I don’t want to hear it. You’re such a disobedient junior,” her face showed annoyance, like a pouting girl.

“Go to Emanas if you must, I won’t interfere anymore.”

With that, she stood up from the sofa, opened the door, and walked outside.

Soon, a blue-flamed carriage pulled by two black unicorns rose into the night sky, its bells ringing as it disappeared into the night.

Watching Tides leave, Lolan felt a bit disheartened, standing there for a long time before slowly walking back inside.

When she looked at the sofa again, she found a small note left behind.

“If I still can’t stop you, then this disobedient junior should go to Night Mistress. She’s the one besides me who understands Dorothy’s thoughts the most.” The note’s edge had a small angry face, showing Tides’ displeasure.

What a vague witch senior she is.

Holding the note in her hands, Lolan felt a faint warmth rise in her heart, dispelling her previous disappointment.

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