Rebirth: Childhood friend of the heroine

It was nearing midnight when Andre returned to the group.

"Is there a specific spell you're going to use?" Sarah asked as soon as he entered.

However, she was ignored as Andre, without wasting time, turned to Alex and instructed, "Take a bath and strip down to your underwear. Then sit quietly in the room."

The abrupt command caught everyone off guard. The idea of Alex sitting half-naked in the middle of a ritual felt strange, if not outright absurd.

"Why would you ask him to do that?" Sasha questioned her tone as a mix of confusion and concern.

Andre, unfazed by her skepticism, explained, "This ritual isn't recorded anywhere across the globe. And if you're wondering why I asked him to remove all clothing, it's because even the smallest interference—clothes, dirt, or anything else—could obstruct my connection. These eyes of mine will need to see through his physical body to connect with his astral self. You do know what an astral self is, right?"

Sarah frowned slightly, her mind racing to recall her studies. "It's the second body of a person, formed purely out of soul energy. It sustains damage if their soul energy drops below a certain threshold."

Andre nodded in approval. "Exactly. I'm going to connect with Alex's curse through his astral body. My goal is to divide the curse's powers into fragments and seal them in separate layers."

The explanation left Sarah uneasy. She was a Saint-rank healer, capable of gazing at astral bodies to assess someone's soul energy. But the act of connecting directly with someone's astral self? That was leagues beyond her abilities.

'He's way above Saint-rank,' she realized with a sinking feeling. A Monarch, perhaps? But that rank had only been achieved by one individual, and they were long dead.

"Is there any risk involved?" Celestria asked, her voice trembling slightly. The mention of the astral body made her uneasy, knowing how delicate it was.

Edric, standing nearby, added, "A small mishap and the backlash could be severe."

Andre let out a hearty laugh, placing his hands on his hips. "You're all good friends to worry about him so much. But relax—you've got nothing to fear."

His confidence was unwavering, leaving little room for argument. Yet, Rebecca stepped forward, her expression resolute. "Even so, it's incredibly risky. Alex, you won't have any way to defend yourself."

Alex sighed, his patience thinning. "We don't have any other choice, Rebecca. Walking around with this curse on my back is just asking for trouble in the future. Right now, it's only my soul energy at risk. But if we leave it unchecked, it could threaten my life—and everyone else's."

Rebecca clenched her fists. She could see the determination in his eyes, the unwavering resolve in his voice. There was no room for hesitation or doubt—he'd already made up his mind.

Andre clapped his hands together, breaking the tension. "Well, then. Everything settled? Shall we begin?"

Alex nodded and sat on the floor in a lotus position, his breathing steady as he closed his eyes. Andre stepped forward, placing a firm hand on the back of Alex's neck.

Sarah held her breath, her mind running through countless spells she could use if anything went wrong. She wasn't going to let this ritual harm him if she could help it.

Edric, meanwhile, adopted his elven form, his senses heightened to monitor Alex's soul energy. If something went awry, he was ready to intervene.

Rebecca, ignoring Alex's earlier objections, reached out with her bond to read his thoughts, determined to track his mental state throughout the process.

Celestria, unable to do anything else, clasped her hands tightly and prayed silently.

Andre furrowed his brow as he dove into Alex's consciousness. The journey was swift, and within moments, he found himself face-to-face with Alex's astral body.

Floating in the void, Alex's form glowed faintly with a silver light. But something was dreadfully wrong.

The curse had wrapped itself around his astral body like a grotesque parasite. Black, pulsating tendrils slithered and coiled around him, oozing a tar-like substance. The tendrils stabbed into his limbs, chest, and head, as though feeding on his essence.

Andre's heart sank. 'The curse has already... damn it.'

Snapping out of his daze, he severed his connection with Alex and stepped back, his breathing uneven. Sweat glistened on his forehead, and for the first time in years, he looked shaken.

"What happened?" Sarah's voice was sharp, panic evident in her tone. Experience more content on empire

Everyone turned their attention to Andre, alarmed by the sight of the ever-composed man suddenly so serious.

Alex opened his eyes and stood up slowly. His calm demeanor betrayed the growing concern in his voice as he asked, "What did you see, Andre?"

Andre didn't answer immediately, his frown deepening as he tried to process what he had witnessed. Finally, he spoke, his tone laced with disbelief. "How are you even sane?"

Alex blinked. "What do you mean?"

Sarah stepped in, handing Andre a chair. "Sit down first. Explain everything properly."

Andre nodded, sinking into the chair as Amanda handed him a glass of water. He drank it in one go before looking back at Alex. "Did you release the curse for an extended period?"

Alex frowned in confusion. "Only once, when I fought that feral creature. But it was only for a few seconds."

Andre shook his head, his voice rising slightly. "No. That's not possible. You've allowed the curse to take control for far longer than that."

Rebecca, her frustration evident, interrupted, "Just tell us what you saw! Is he in danger?"

Andre took a deep breath, his hands trembling slightly. "The curse has already taken hold of sixty percent of Alex's astral body. It's... consuming him."

Celestria gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, while Sarah's eyes widened in horror.

Amanda's voice wavered. "That means his consciousness will be taken over soon, right?"

Andre hesitated. "It's possible. But..." He turned to Alex. "Do you feel anything different? Like a lack of empathy, or an overwhelming urge to destroy or hunt?"

Alex paused, taking a moment to assess himself. Other than hunger and a certain... physical frustration, everything felt normal. His thoughts were clear, and his emotions for his friends were unchanged.

"No," he replied firmly. "If anything, the usual chaos I feel when using the curse is gone."

Andre's frown deepened. This was unexpected.

Sarah hesitated before asking, "Is there any way to separate the curse without harming his astral body?"

Andre shook his head. "Not without taking a huge risk. Tampering with an astral body is like playing with fire. The smallest mistake could cause irreversible damage."

Alex remained calm, though he noticed the fear in Celestria's moist eyes. "Then why hasn't the curse attacked me yet?"

Andre sighed. "I don't know. By now, it should have taken over your consciousness. But you seem... fine."

Edric offered a grim suggestion. "Maybe it's waiting until it completely consumes his astral body before acting."

"Please don't say such things," Celestria pleaded, turning to Alex. "Try to remember what allowed the seal to break in the first place. Maybe we'll find a clue about the curse."

Alex thought hard. He couldn't recall any moment of losing control—except one.

"When I..."

"...brought your mother to the Tiger Hills," Sarah finished, her voice trembling.

They exchanged a glance, and Sarah's eyes grew moist. "That was the only time you completely lost control of your emotions."

Andre frowned. "But he seemed normal then."

Sarah shook her head, "I have never seen him that devastated before. Ever." She added the last word to imply that she was referring to their last life as well.

Rebecca's eyes narrowed. "So, the curse exploited his grief to gain control over his astral body?"

Andre didn't respond immediately. Instead, he muttered, "But his soul energy hasn't dropped. In fact... it's increasing."

This revelation left everyone speechless. Something about Alex was far from ordinary.

Alex remained silent for a moment, before he asked something that shocked everyone, "Is there any way for me to talk to the curse?"

"Talk....with a curse?" Amanda tilted her head in confusion

"Isn't that just a devouring creature?" Edric added. He has heard from Andre about the Curse's past, which ushered him to say.

Andre frowned, "He is right..the Curse never talked even in the past...all it did was to devour."

Alex shook his head, "But I have a feeling...that this Curse is a living being. I think it wants me to connect with it."

"Why do you think so?" Rebecca asked.

Alex exhaled an audible breath, before saying, "....that day...when I broke down and cried...I, for the first time, heard the Curse's voice."

"Huh?" Sarah exclaimed, "What did it say?"

Alex looked at the mirror hanging. on the wall, before uttering,

"You are me."

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A/N:- I hope you all enjoyed reading the chapter. Well, I hope the pace isn't much slow, once he returns things will pace up a little. Anyway, drop a comment.