This might be the only chance!
Ling Xiya bit her lip, suppressing the unease in her heart, and decided to take the risk.
She took a deep breath, quickened her pace, and rushed toward the corner.
However, just as her body turned the corner, before she could see the scene ahead clearly,
A sudden, intense dizziness seized her!
The world spun!
The ground beneath her feet seemed to turn into rolling waves, and her surroundings became like a kaleidoscope tossed into a high-speed spin—violently distorted, blurred, and deformed.
The walls were tilting, the ceiling was sinking, and everything familiar became strange and hideous in an instant, as if to swallow her whole.
Every sound felt as if it were filtered through a thick curtain of water, becoming distant and surreal.
She felt her body become incredibly heavy, her limbs went soft, and they completely refused to obey her.
“What… happened…”
She wanted to speak, but she couldn’t make a sound, as if something were blocking her throat.
That strange sweet fragrance she had smelled earlier now seemed to transform into a tangible poison, frantically eroding her nerves and will.
Her vision quickly dimmed, her legs could no longer support the weight of her body, and as her sight went black, her body fell forward uncontrollably.
In the final moment before she lost consciousness, a crystal clear thought flashed through her mind:
“I… was set up…”
“That woman… she really did let me follow her on purpose…”
“It’s Anesthetic…”
Her consciousness was like sinking into the cold bottom of the sea, falling completely into darkness.
Ling Xiya slumped limply onto the cold floor, losing all sensation.
Deep in the corridor, there seemed to be a sound of extremely faint footsteps, as well as a nearly inaudible sigh, carrying an endless sorrow.
—
A cold sensation spread from her spine, mixed with a faint smell of mold, pulling Ling Xiya out of the boundless darkness.
The process of regaining consciousness was slow and painful, as if countless fine needles were stirring in her temples, accompanied by a sharp sense of nausea.
She tried to move, only to find herself firmly fixed to a hard object.
The stinging pain of rough hemp ropes tightening came from her wrists and ankles.
Every time she struggled, the binding tightened further, carving deep into her flesh.
What alarmed her even more was that her body felt as if it were imprisoned by an invisible force, unable to exert even the most basic strength.
“Forbidden Curse…”
Ling Xiya’s heart sank.
That woman…
The figure that looked seventy percent like her appeared in her mind again—
It was her.
Yesterday evening, she had intentionally shown her face, seemingly at random, but in truth, it was to make a waiting maid like herself follow her to investigate.
She had thought about it for a long time back then without suspecting a single problem.
Thinking about it now, that so-called showing of her face was a fabrication; the real purpose was likely just to lure her over…
“Such a cruel heart…”
Ling Xiya bit her teeth hard, trembling with humiliation and anger.
She had only followed out of curiosity, and yet the woman had kidnapped her.
Why would she do this?
Just then, an even more terrifying fact hit her—she couldn’t see.
It wasn’t darkness, but pure void.
Her eyelids were closed heavily; she tried hard to open them, only to find that no matter how much effort she put in, not a single ray of light entered her vision, as if her eyes had lost the ability to perceive light.
They weren’t covered; she could distinguish that sensation.
Her eyes… was she blind?!
“Ugh—!”
Ling Xiya let out a scream, her voice distorted by fear.
She struggled frantically, the hemp ropes causing a burning pain on her skin, even oozing traces of blood.
But that Forbidden Curse was like a maggot on a bone, making it impossible for her to muster even a shred of strength.
Despair submerged her like a tide.
She was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, stripped of her sight, her strength, and any possibility of resistance.
Ling Xiya’s emotions gradually settled from their initial mania, turning into a cold despair.
She began to listen carefully to the movements around her, trying to use her hearing to compensate for the loss of her vision.
Aside from her own slightly heavy breathing and heartbeat, there was total silence.
She didn’t know how much time had passed—maybe an hour, maybe several.
Just as Ling Xiya was about to be driven mad by the silence, a soft, rhythmically paced sound of footsteps approached from the distance.
The footsteps were very light, yet they struck Ling Xiya’s heart like a heavy hammer.
She immediately held her breath, every nerve in her body tensing up.
Squeak—
The faint sound of a door hinge turning rang out, breaking the silence in the room.
Then, the footsteps entered the room and stopped not far in front of her.
Ling Xiya could feel a gaze falling on her—a gaze carrying complex and difficult-to-understand emotions.
There seemed to be scrutiny, pity, and a kind of… deep sorrow that she couldn’t comprehend.
“Awake?”
A female voice sounded—cool and soft, like jade stones striking together, yet carrying an imperceptible trace of hoarseness.
Ling Xiya’s body suddenly stiffened, a chill rushing from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.
This voice… why?
The voice she heard seemed a bit deeper and more hoarse, carrying an indescribable exhaustion and weariness, but that unique timbre and tone could not be mistaken!
It was exactly the same as her own!?
“Who exactly are you? Why is your voice so similar to mine?!”
Ling Xiya’s voice trembled with shock.
The woman standing before her did not answer immediately.
She quietly looked at Ling Xiya, who was tied to the chair, eyes closed—or rather, hollow and soulless—her face filled with shock.
The sorrow in the woman’s eyes grew even heavier.
She was currently wearing a plain-colored long dress, her long hair simply tied up, revealing a smooth forehead and a pale face.
The rims of her eyes were slightly red, as if she had just finished crying not long ago.
“…….”
The woman slowly mouthed the words.
“This…. impossible! You can’t be….”
“Shh~”
“Then what on earth do you want?!”
Ling Xiya roared.
“You brought me here, used Anesthetic on me, placed a Forbidden Curse on me, and… and you blinded my eyes!”
The woman slowly crouched down, keeping her gaze level with Ling Xiya.
She reached out her hand, seemingly wanting to touch Ling Xiya’s cheek, but at the moment her fingertips were about to touch her skin, she hesitantly withdrew them.
“Blinded your eyes…”
The woman murmured softly, her tone filled with pain, “I’m sorry… I…”