Countless torrents of information surged past, flooding into her mind, but they were all just fragments that couldn't be grasped.

In this moment, Celitia once again saw the scene she had witnessed many times in dreams.

The difference was that the inverted heaven and earth from her dreams had now flipped right-side up.

...No.

Perhaps it wasn't that heaven and earth had finally turned right-side up, but rather that she herself had entered this inverted world.

In her daze, Celitia saw the goddess statue, its mysterious smile becoming increasingly clear.

The mark on her wrist grew hotter and hotter, burning as if it might ignite.

In the inner pocket of Celitia's dress, the iridescent cat's eye stone on the black swan brooch emitted an eerie deep purple glow, resonating with the mark.

"Ugh..."

Celitia suddenly pressed her chest.

The familiar sharp pain rose from her chest, as if knives were stirring her internal organs, making her vision go dark.

Her lungs contracted painfully, breathing became extremely difficult, and Celitia couldn't endure it, coughing in agony.

"Cough cough... cough cough cough..."

What was happening?

For the first time, on a night that wasn't the new moon, the curse had actually activated.

The pain spread from her chest, quickly extending throughout her entire body. Celitia trembled, completely powerless, and collapsed in the corner.

Her breathing gradually weakened, and Celitia had entered a semi-unconscious state.

At the boundary between surface consciousness and deep consciousness, a voice seemed to be constantly speaking to her:

"This is tribulation, and also the price. Wake up, then control it."

Control... it...

Over all these years, Celitia had tried many times, but had never succeeded.

No... that wasn't entirely correct.

Celitia remembered that perhaps once, she should have successfully controlled the curse.

It was in the student dormitory, when Kassy suddenly clung to her, getting handsy and insisting on kissing her.

If not for that, Kassy would have succeeded at the time.

Right.

She could control it. No matter what, she would absolutely never give up.

"That's right, you can do it."

The memories surging in her mind also told Celitia this.

In a flash of insight, Celitia suddenly extracted enough key points from that torrent of information.

All along, she had been wrong.

This wasn't some so-called curse.

Rather, it was a mysterious energy called "dark matter."

Just as she was about to grasp the key, a voice suddenly rang out in front of Celitia:

"Is that you?!"

This voice was very familiar.

Struggling to stay conscious, Celitia forced her eyes open and made out the other person's face.

"It's you..."

Celitia let out the same exclamation.

The person standing before her was actually Bren.

"It's me," Bren said through gritted teeth, his face extremely vicious. "Surprised to see me, Celitia?"

Not only did Charlotte harbor ulterior motives, but Bren did as well.

As long as Charlotte could successfully deliver his gift, Bren's purpose would be achieved.

In that case, he didn't necessarily have to listen to Charlotte, did he?

In a place like the royal palace ball, rashly kidnapping a noble was still too risky.

But thinking of Charlotte's promise to create an opportunity for him, and that thing she had given him, Bren couldn't help but feel his heart itch with desire.

Fear of risk and the desire for revenge constantly battled in his heart, and Bren had been pacing back and forth for a long time.

Before he could finish deliberating, Bren actually ran into Celitia head-on.

And she was alone, weakly collapsed in a corner, showing none of her previous arrogant attitude.

It was truly a heaven-sent opportunity!

Bren thought the goddess was being far too kind to him.

Did this mean that from today onward, he would step by step reach the pinnacle of life?

Bren looked left and right, confirming there wasn't a soul nearby.

Whatever happened here, no one would know.

Bren's courage swelled again.

"You're coming with me!"

Bren grabbed Celitia's arm and dragged the girl through a door.

This was a temporary rest room for servants—Bren had seen people going in and out before.

Throwing the girl onto the rest room bed, Bren locked the door and walked up to Celitia, looking down at her from above.

That day at Cassia Cathedral, Bren hadn't even managed to touch the girl's hand.

This time, couldn't he do whatever he wanted?

"Don't be foolish and scream, or I'll kill you."

Bren threatened Celitia while pulling out a pitch-black pill from his pocket.

According to that woman's explanation, this was an aphrodisiac pill.

Hmph, the grudges between women were truly terrifying.

To actually think of such a vicious method—but it was just right for him to take advantage.

"Swallow this pill for me."

Bren bent down, holding the pill in one hand while his other hand reached to pinch the girl's chin.

Before he could touch the girl, a slender, pale hand suddenly gripped his wrist tightly.

"Ah!" Bren let out a sharp cry.

He had completely not expected that despite Celitia looking extremely weak, she would still have such strength.

"I'm returning those words to you now."

Celitia's tone was ice-cold. "If you don't want to die, then don't make too much noise."

"You're crazy?!"

Bren simply couldn't believe it.

He thought he had just made a momentary mistake, giving Celitia a chance to resist.

Looking at her pale face and sweat-covered forehead, after struggling this once, she couldn't possibly have any strength left.

"Be honest with me, and I can still treat you gently."

Bren struggled forcefully, trying to grab Celitia's hands and pin her to the bed.

However, he only felt intense pain in his wrist as it was clamped tightly, nearly crushing his bones.

Then, with a spinning sensation and a loud crash, Bren's entire body was violently slammed to the ground.

"Ahhh—!!"

His back hit the stone step in front of the bed, nearly breaking his spine, and Bren screamed in pain again.

Celitia shakily climbed up from the bed and gripped Bren's throat with one hand.

Her magic power and fighting spirit clearly hadn't recovered yet, but now her body was filled with some inexplicable force.

Was this the so-called "dark matter" energy mentioned in her memories?

Celitia's fingers applied slight pressure, and Bren felt he couldn't breathe, his mouth gaping open, foaming at the mouth, nearly suffocating to death.

Realizing she couldn't quite control her strength, Celitia finally loosened her grip.

"Huff huff... huff huff..."

Finally escaping from the terror of suffocating to death, Bren gasped for air, scared to tears and snot.

"Please, spare my life, let me go!!"

Bren couldn't understand at all how such a seemingly helpless girl could turn the tables and subdue him.