Chapter 166 Back in Body
Aleshia awoke, feeling confused. She tried to move her body and head but realized she wasn't in control. However, she could still see through the eyes of the body she inhabited. As Aleshia adjusted to her new perspective, she noticed that she— or Kailey's body— was moving around the room, performing menial tasks and caring for the people and children inside.
As Aleshia adjusted to her surroundings in her mind, she recalled the last thing she remembered and how much time she had been in the soul space. Panic set in. Instinctively, she shouted, but no voice emerged from the body she inhabited. After failing to alert Lucia, she paused. Remembering Kailey, she searched her eyes across the mindscape and noticed it was recreating a reenactment of the scene unfolding before her.
Feeling lost and worried about what had happened to Kailey, Aleshia searched the mindscape for a while. Despite her efforts, she couldn't find her. She focused on recalling how she had taken control of the body the first time. Aleshia began to exert her influence like waves, pulsating her mana to assert herself and take over the entire body.
While Aleshia exerted her influence, her eyes began to cross as she experienced two overlapping visions: one of the mindscape and the other of the real world. As this occurred, Lucia noticed the developments, said goodbye to the children, and walked into a secluded room away from them.
When Lucia checked the room with her senses and seemed to deem it safe, she relinquished control over Kailey's body. In a sudden burst of energy, Aleshia forcefully took control of the main functions while unconsciously leaving some parts to Kailey. Struggling to adjust to the new weight, she collapsed onto the ground before unsteadily trying to get back up.
"Aleshia, you're there, right?" Lucia, the witch hat, asked anxiously. "Over the past few days, I've felt Kailey's body getting stronger, and her mana flow is less constrained. What happened while you were in there? Did you uncover any information about curses?" Lucia bombarded Aleshia with a series of questions.
"Whoa, whoa, hang on! First, can you tell me how long I've been out? Second, I think I found a book that explains curses, and I have it with me. Oh, and I met Kailey inside," Aleshia listed.
"You saw Kailey!" Lucia exclaimed, looking around the room as if searching for ghosts. After a moment, she asked in confusion, "Where is she? She isn't here?"