I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 235

* * *

“Hey.”

 

Where is this?

 

“You there.”

 

This voice.

 

“Stop for a moment.”

 

It was Ignis. Not the young Ignis, but the adult Ignis.

 

Dana recognized it immediately. This is the Windsor Mansion’s back garden… And this very moment was one she remembered vividly. It was an event from her current timeline. When she was ‘Danae Windsor.’ The moment in the past when she first met ‘Ignis de Windsor.’

 

Dana was confused. Why am I suddenly here? I never intended to return to this time.

 

Just then, ‘Danae Windsor’ bowed politely. And she recited the exact same words Dana remembered. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. You must be Uncle Ignis, right?”

 

Ignis, who had been staring at her while smoking, let out a scoff. “Uncle? What bullshit.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Call me that one more time and you’ll get in trouble, kid.”

 

Kid… Right. He treated me like a kid the first time we met.

 

At that time, Dana had only recently possessed the body of Danae Windsor, and she was seventeen. Young, but not young enough to be called a kid. Annoyed, Danae Windsor tried to walk past Ignis.

 

“Hey.” But Ignis kept talking to her. “You’re that saintess? The one going around purifying rotten land with the crown prince?”

 

It irritated her. But the gentle Danae Windsor smiled softly and replied, “I’m not a saintess, but it’s true that I perform purification.”

 

“Ahh. Impressive. Looks like that crazy old b*stard’s efforts paid off.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Ah, never mind. It’s nothing.” Ignis smirked crookedly, then suddenly strode toward her. Standing so close, his large build was overwhelming, and she shrank back involuntarily. Startled, she instinctively lowered her face. “Let me see your face.” Ignis grabbed her chin without permission and lifted it.

 

Danae held her breath. The red eyes that met hers head-on were overwhelming.

 

“Have we met before?” With eyes like a bird of prey, he scrutinized her face. “You look familiar.”

 

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

 

“Neither do I. Why the hell am I saying trashy lines like that? I don’t even use crap like this when I’m hitting on women.”

 

“Pa-Pardon?”

 

When Danae flushed in embarrassment, Ignis grinned teasingly. “Don’t misunderstand, Saintess. I’m not hitting on you.”

 

“What?”

 

“Little kids who still smell of milk aren’t my type.”

 

At that, Danae Windsor bristled. “You’re not my type either, Lord Ignis. And I never thought you were hitting on me!”

 

She tried to sharply swat his hand away, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he gripped her chin even tighter and peered at her.

 

“Hey. You sure have never seen me before?”

 

“No. Today is the first time!”

 

“Right? It’s my first time seeing you too.”

 

“…”

 

“But it’s strangely irritating.” Muttering in an annoyed tone, Ignis finally released her chin. “Whatever. Forget it. It’s not like we’ll see each other again anyway.”

 

“…Are you leaving?”

 

“Yeah. I don’t even want to set foot near this creepy mansion.” He sneered, then tilted his head. “Why? Want me to take you with me?”

 

“No. That’s fine.”

 

“Ah. Suit yourself. You’ll regret it.”

 

“That’s none of your concern.”

 

“Do as you please. If you want to live like a human being, escape this monster’s den someday, pretty little saintess.” With those words, Ignis brushed past her.

 

As Dana blankly watched his retreating back. Ah! Suddenly, a powerful force yanked her soul. It sucked her out as if absorbing her. Dana was pulled straight out of Danae Windsor’s body. And then…

 

* * *

“You’re conscious.”

 

Yustio’s face came into view. Dana stared at him silently. Her head felt numb, dizzy. Her thoughts would not connect properly.

 

“You have returned to reality.”

 

“…”

 

“Pull yourself together.”

 

“…”

 

Returned to reality? From the past, back to the present? So I’m back. The moment she became aware of it, an intense wave of relief washed over her. She had returned. Barely, she had made it back to the present time! I thought I wouldn’t be able to return.

 

Until just moments ago, Dana had been swept away in a torrent of time. She had completely lost control over her time-traveling ability and had been dragged randomly through various points in time. And she roughly knew the cause of that anomaly.

 

“It looks like the holy magic placed on your soul collided with the demonic power. That’s probably what caused the distortion.” With sunken eyes, Yustio examined her soul as though piercing through it. “What happened?”

 

Dana did not answer immediately. She closed her mouth. Before speaking, she organized her thoughts. Where should she begin? How should she explain? Too much had happened…

 

“At first, I entered Danawin’s body.” After a moment, Dana parted her lips. She began recounting everything she had experienced. On June 5th, the two heads of the serpent rose above the water’s surface.

 

“And then I returned again to a past timeline. Not this one, but a time that has already passed. There, Raios…” The things she had done. The things Raios had done. Dana told it all exactly as it was. Even though he had cut off the serpent’s head for her.

 

There was only one thing Dana didn’t mention. It was about Carl Windsor. She did not want to speak of that. Why? If she had thought deeply, she might have understood, but she was too exhausted to examine the reason now. So she skipped it.

 

“I see.” And as her story drew to an end, Yustio reached a conclusion. He muttered to himself, “So it was connected to Raios after all.” He did not look surprised. It was as if he had already suspected it.

 

Dana let out a sigh. Raios, Raios, Raios… Raios Geranze. The moment she thought of him, emotions like a massive storm surged within her. When she had been inside the body of ‘Danae Geranze,’ she had tried several times to move. But in the end, I couldn’t.

 

Was it because that timeline had already ended? There was nothing she could change. Nothing at all. But—

 

“I need to go to the past again.”

 

The past of this current timeline. The moment when the young Ignis was waiting for her. That past could be changed. Ignis had been waiting for her.

 

“I couldn’t find out when or why Raios received the Sun God’s curse.” But Dana felt that if she said it was for personal reasons, Yustio would not agree, so she added. “So, please cast the holy magic that preserves my memories again. The one that allows me to remain for a long time as well.”

 

She had assumed he would cooperate. This was information Yustio needed too. But an unexpected answer returned.

 

“It is impossible.”

 

“…What?”

 

“The two holy magics have already twisted within your soul. They’re not the kind that can simply be replaced.” He spoke as if stating an immutable mathematical formula. “You can no longer travel to the past while retaining your memories.”

 

“…”

 

Dana understood his words a beat too late. She can’t? She can’t go back with her memories anymore? Her lips parted on their own, and a groan rose in her throat. No.

 

To watch what Raios did… in truth, she didn’t need her present memories for that. Nor did she need to stay for long. She only needed to glimpse it in fragments, briefly. That was something she had done many times alone with her insight ability. But rescuing Ignis from the sanctuary… Without my memories, it’s impossible. Only if she had her current memories then she could take Ignis and escape the sanctuary.

 

“Is it truly impossible?” Dana asked, her lips trembling. “For real?”

 

Perhaps sensing her desperation and fear, Yustio answered honestly. “It is not impossible.”

 

“Then why—”

 

“You would be in danger.”

 

“…”

 

“If the holy magics twist completely, you may become trapped in the past for a long time. Or you may live as a person of the past, having lost your present memories.”

 

Dana quickly grasped his meaning. If she entered Danawin’s body and lost all her memories… I would just live as Danawin… Goosebumps rose along her skin. It was terrifying. Just imagining it drained all her will. It would be no different from becoming a foolish simpleton. I don’t want that. But she had made a promise to Ignis.

 

“You promise?”

 

“Yes. I promise.”

 

Dana let out a sigh. “How long can I endure at most?”

 

“…”

 

“Please. There’s something I absolutely must do.”

 

Yustio did not answer at once. But seeing in her eyes a resolve that wagered even her life, he finally spoke. “Time flows differently between past and present, so I cannot be exact…” He trailed off briefly, as if calculating. “By the standards of the past, you should be able to endure about twenty-four hours.” As he spoke, he seemed to gain certainty and nodded. “Yes. At most twenty-four hours. Beyond that, the risk of the holy magics completely twisting increases.”

 

“…”

 

“So you must return before then.”

 

Twenty-four hours in the past. Just one day. If she failed to return within that time, she would be trapped in the past for long years. She would live as someone from the past. Become a fool, knowing nothing. It was dangerous, but this time, Dana couldn’t hesitate.

 

“Yes. I understand.”

 

This time, she could not turn away from him.

 

“I will return within twenty-four hours.”

 

Ignis was waiting for her.