Chapter 1422 Endless
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Jade trembled when she realized she was in the Eostre family tombs. When she looked back to see Ms. Everdeen's crystal coffin, a stream of tears began to roll over the already frozen ones that covered her delicate face.
When she looked up to see Dyon holding her up, her trembling turned into a fierce quaking. She couldn't control her own body, unable to rein in her own emotions.
Suddenly, she began to scream. Her hands shot up to her head, knocking Dyon's arms away from herself as she stumbled backward, falling onto the ground.
"Put me back! Put me back!"
Dyon was stunned. Had he used any real strength, it would be impossible for Jade to brush him off so easily. But, her frame had been so frail that he didn't dare to be too rough. In the end, the result was the situation he saw before him now.
Still, of all the scenarios Dyon had thought of before he awakened Jade, he couldn't help but kick himself for not thinking of this one.
At the moment, Jade looked exactly like her 18 year old self. She hadn't aged a single day, which let Dyon know exactly how long she had been trapped within the ice. Some time between when Meiying escaped the Daiyu and before Dyon fought Loki and Elder Daiyu, Jade had entombed herself here. Due to the ice freezing her aging, his and Jade's roles in each other's lives had completely reversed. If before Jade was the mature elder sister, it was now Dyon's turn to be the elder.
"Put me back!" Jade's ravings didn't stop. But, there was something tangibly different between this time and the last. If last time, Jade had lost her mind, this time, it was precisely because Jade was entirely lucid that this was happening.
Dyon suddenly stood frozen, he had no idea what to do. The level of pain and heartbreak in Jade's voice was so tangible that he felt a trembling deep within his soul.
She didn't want to be in this world anymore. The only reason she hadn't killed herself for the deeds she committed because being forced to kneel for all eternity was a far harsher sentence, one she gladly placed upon herself. She simply couldn't accept being released, least of all could she accept that Dyon was the first person she saw.
No matter how many changes he went through, no matter how powerful he became, Jade would never forget Dyon. It was impossible for her to not recognize him immediately. He was as deeply ingrained in her psyche as this unending guilt she felt.
In the beginning, Dyon had planned to distance himself from Jade. A part of him couldn't bring himself to forgive her, while another part knew that the things that occurred weren't her fault.
Even if he did choose to forgive her, what could he do other than distance himself? He couldn't accept Jade's feelings, so he only had this choice left.
But, when Dyon saw Jade break down before him, his first instinct was to kneel down and pull her into his embrace. He didn't do so to express some hidden romantic feelings, but he did it because he just couldn't find it within himself to stonewall her.
All those years ago when Violet confessed her feelings for him, Dyon hadn't needed to hesitate to reject her. However, it was also at that moment he thought of what his reaction would be if it wasn't Violet who was before him, but instead Ava. How would he react then? And what if it was Jade? A woman he had imposed his lust on… Could he turn his back on her so easily?
Jade fought with all her might, even scratching and clawing, trying to push Dyon away. But, how could she succeed? Not only was she now a cripple, even if she wasn't, would she really have the cultivation to contend with Dyon?
Soon, she simply ran out of stamina. Dyon didn't retaliate, nor did he say any words, he just held her firmly.
Jade's sobbing soon turned to wails. A grief that reached bone deep poured outward in an unceasing torrent. There was a hatred hidden deep within those cries for help. It wasn't a hate toward Dyon or Ms. Everdeen, or even the Eostre family, it was an undying hatred she felt for herself.
Dyon didn't know how long he knelt on the hard stone ground with Jade in his arms. He knew well that had it not been for his body heat, Jade's mortal body would have long since collapsed under the strain she put on it.
In the end, she expended all the energy she had left before she collapsed into Dyon's chest, completely exhausted.
With a thought, Dyon placed two seals on her mind. The first blocked the memories of the atrocities she committed entirely, and the second would force her to sleep until her body was completely recovered.
He didn't have a solution to this. Sometimes, it was impossible for things to be wrapped up in a neat and tidy bow… Jade would one day have to face the things she had done. But, for now, Dyon would allow her some peace after almost 30 years of endless suffering.
With a heavy heart, Dyon laid Jade down in one of the countless bedrooms of Soul Palace. There would be no problem with her resting here for the foreseeable future. Since he had already task Kaeda with watching over her, there was nothing for him to worry about for now.
As for what he'd do once Jade awoke, Dyon could only wait for that moment to come. The level of mental fatigue she must have gone through over the past several decades wasn't something Dyon could fathom.
What made Dyon's punishment of the Eostre Clan so cruel was the fact their consciousness was intact. Due to the ice will, their thoughts were slowed to an absolute crawl, but they did in fact still have thoughts.