Following the mysterious woman, the group stepped into Celesto's Sea of Memories. This was a strange space composed of countless lights and shadows, each ray of light seemingly representing a moment from Celesto's past.
“This place is really strange,” Arya said softly, her eyes filled with curiosity and caution.
"Don't get distracted, everyone concentrate," Arthur whispered, gripping his sword tightly and scanning the surroundings warily.
“There are many of his memories here. We need to find that key point,” the mysterious woman said in a deep voice, her fingers lightly tracing the air as if sensing something.
Just then, an eerie aura suddenly spread out, the surrounding light distorted, and a dark figure gradually emerged before them. It was young Celesto, his eyes filled with hatred and rage.
"How dare you intrude into my memories!" the young Celesto roared, his voice deafening. "I'll make you pay!"
"Back off!" Karl shouted, swinging his axe, and charged at young Celesto. The warriors followed suit, and a fierce battle ensued.
"Be careful, this is no ordinary enemy," the old hunter warned, but before he could finish speaking, several warriors were already trapped by dark forces and struggling in agony.
"Don't panic, everyone. We must find his real weakness," Arthur said firmly.
"There's an unusual fluctuation over there!" Lorenzo pointed to a spot where the light was unusually intense. The group immediately understood the direction and headed towards it.
After a fierce battle, they finally reached the source of the light. There, a blurry figure appeared before them. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was the figure of a young girl, her eyes filled with innocence and hope, a stark contrast to the surrounding darkness.
“This is…” Arya’s eyes widened. “This is what Celesto used to look like?”
“That’s right, that’s the key we’re looking for.” The mysterious woman nodded, her voice trembling slightly. “That’s his true weakness—his longing for the past and that forgotten innocence.”
“I see…” Carl said thoughtfully, “We’ve found his weakness.”
"But how do we use this?" a new recruit asked, puzzled.
“We must awaken the innocence within him,” the mysterious woman replied. “If we can help him feel the beauty of the past, there is hope of changing him now.”
The words had barely left his lips when a powerful dark force surged in from all directions, engulfing them in enormous bat-like monsters and other terrifying creatures. Celesto's voice rang out again, brimming with arrogant arrogance: "You think you can change me like this? Foolish! I will never revert to my past self!"
"Hold on, everyone!" Arthur shouted, slaying a bat monster with his sword. "We must succeed!"
Everyone worked together, fighting valiantly against the ever-surging monsters. Suddenly, a figure appeared silently—the young girl—slowly walking towards the center of the battlefield. Her eyes were calm and resolute, as if possessing some invisible power.
"Who are you?" Celesto's voice trembled slightly, clearly surprised.
“I am your past, the you of the past,” the young girl said softly. “Remember, everyone has a beautiful memory in their heart, and it will not disappear easily.”
The young girl's words touched Celesto's heartstrings, and a complex emotion appeared on his face, as if he were struggling with some emotion deep within himself.
“No… I don’t need to go back…” Celesto’s voice had lost its former authority, and was instead filled with uncertainty and confusion.
"We can't delay any longer," Arthur said decisively, pointing his sword forward. "Everyone, attack with all your might!"
"Fight with all your might for our home!" Karl roared, chopping down a giant bat monster with a single blow.
"Archers, prepare!" Arya shouted, and arrows rained down like a storm.
"Mages, cast your spells!" Lorenzo waved his staff, and powerful magic swept across the entire battlefield.
The battle reached its climax, and Celesto's defenses gradually crumbled, revealing his inner vulnerability. Finally, with everyone's combined efforts, the dark power dissipated, and Celesto collapsed to the ground, a look of confusion and despair flashing in his eyes.
“We did it…” Arya said excitedly, tears welling up in her eyes.
"But this is just the beginning. No one can predict what will happen next." The mysterious woman's voice remained calm and firm.
Standing on the battlefield of victory, the people were filled with new unease and questions.
"What should we do next?" Arthur asked, looking at the mysterious woman.
“We need to go deeper and uncover more secrets.” The mysterious woman took a deep breath and looked into the distance. “More challenges await us ahead.”
“Then let’s continue. We’ll definitely make it to the end.” Karl clenched his fist, his eyes shining with determination.
The group set off again, venturing into even more unknown depths. What dangers and opportunities await them on the road ahead? Everything remains to be seen…
"No matter what, we must persevere to the end," Arya murmured to herself, gripping her bow tightly.
"Come on, we will succeed..." the young soldier whispered, his heart filled with belief.
The group continued their journey, traversing countless lights and shadows in the sea of memories, until they arrived at a completely new area. Here, darkness no longer shrouded them; instead, a warm and soft light filled the air. They seemed to have entered a tranquil little village, surrounded by lush green pastoral scenery, with a faint fragrance of flowers permeating the air.
"It's so quiet here," Arya said softly, her eyes darting around, searching for any potential danger. "It feels like something is watching us."
"Relax, let's assess the situation first," Arthur reassured him, but he still gripped his sword tightly.
Suddenly, a burst of cheerful laughter came from not far away, attracting their attention. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of children chasing and playing at the village entrance. One figure stood out in particular—it was Celesto in his youth.
“This is…” Lorenzo said in surprise, “This is another fragment of Celesto’s memory?”
"It looks like a scene from his childhood," the mysterious woman said in a deep voice. "We need to look for clues here."
Just then, a little girl ran over, grabbed Arya's hand, and asked, "Sister, who are you? Where did you come from?"
Arya crouched down and gently replied, "We're friends here on an adventure. And you? Where is this place?"
The little girl looked at her innocently and said, "This is our village! My name is Lilith, would you like to come and play with me?"
Seeing this heartwarming scene, everyone couldn't help but smile. Just then, young Celesto ran over, curiously looking the group of outsiders up and down. "Aren't you villagers?" young Celesto asked疑惑地问道, "Why are you dressed like this?"
Carl bent down and patted him on the head. "Hey, young man, we're just travelers passing through. Do you know that young lady?" He pointed to a girl not far away.
“Of course I know her, she’s my best friend—Sophia,” Celesto said proudly.
"Oh, I see." Karl nodded in understanding.
"Are you really not coming to play?" Lilith asked again warmly.
"No, thank you, little friend, but we have very important things to do," Arya politely declined.
Just then, an old lady slowly walked over and said, "The children are very curious. Don't be in such a hurry to leave. Have a cup of tea before you go."
"Excuse me, ma'am, where is this place?" Arthur asked politely.
“This is Celesto’s sanctuary—a place full of memories,” the old woman said slowly. “Everyone who enters this memory zone can find the answers deep within their heart.”
Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances, seemingly realizing something important. They decided to linger for a moment, hoping to find more valuable clues.
Just as they were about to leave, a young soldier suddenly appeared, eyeing the uninvited guests warily. "Are you outsiders?" the soldier asked. "Strangers are not allowed here."
"Don't worry, we mean no harm," the mysterious woman explained. "We just want to help someone find what they once lost."
"Hmph, that's easy for you to say," the young man sneered. "If that's the case, then you'll have to prove yourselves first."
“We are willing to accept any test,” Arthur said firmly.
“Alright, then follow me.” The young man turned and led the way, and the group followed him into the deeper forest…
As they passed through the dense forest, a clearing came into view. There stood an ancient altar, upon which were displayed all sorts of strange and unusual artifacts.
"Where is this place?" Arya asked, puzzled.
“This is the deepest sanctuary in Celesto’s heart,” the young man replied. “Only those who have passed the trials can approach it.”
"Then what should we do?" Arthur looked at the mysterious woman for advice.
She smiled slightly, "Just follow the instructions."
Just then, a bright light shone down from the sky, enveloping everyone. When the light faded, each person found themselves back in a significant moment of their own life.
- For Arya, she returned to her childhood and learned archery with her father;
-Karl returned to the days of fighting alongside his comrades;
-Arthur appeared on that fateful night, facing a life-or-death choice;
-The mysterious woman returned to the moment she first embarked on this path of salvation;
Everyone is experiencing their own story, and in this moment, their souls are cleansed and purified like never before.
Ultimately, when everyone returned to reality, they found a deeper understanding and support for each other. This experience not only helped them better understand Celesto's complex inner world but also strengthened the bonds between them.
"What do we do now?" Lorenzo asked.
“Let’s keep moving forward,” the mysterious woman said firmly. “We are getting closer and closer to the truth.”
As soon as the words were spoken, a deep and unfamiliar voice came from the distant jungle: "Welcome to the final trial..."
"It seems the opponent we're about to face won't be so simple." Arthur gripped his longsword, a determined glint in his eyes.
"No matter what, we cannot give up," Arya said firmly.
"Let's all work together!" The young soldier raised his shield, his eyes gleaming.
They embarked on a new journey, and what challenges awaited them in the unknown future? Everything was uncertain, but one thing was certain—this brave team would overcome all difficulties with unwavering faith!
"We must persevere no matter what," Karl said, clenching his fist. "For victory!"
"Okay, let's do our best together!" Arya responded softly, her voice filled with unwavering determination.
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