Chapter 252: Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion – Chapter 252: A Married Couple

"Ugh," Oscar felt a headache and heaviness in his limbs, similar to when he drank copious amounts of alcohol. He rubbed his eyes in a groan. "What happened?"

His mind was hazy, trying to recall his memories, and he slowly got up, feeling his hands touching a soft fabric. Oscar stared in confusion at the fact he was in a small soft bed. "What am I doing in a bed?"

Oscar blinked multiple times and shook his head to get a grip on himself. He forced himself out of bed, leaving the blanket on the floor, and observed his current surroundings, a nice home made of stone bricks with a bright hole at the top that allowed the sunlight to illuminate the interior. Several pieces of furniture filled the room, including a shelf with many scrolls.

The refreshing smell of flowers placed by the window filled the room and gave Oscar a feeling of peace, and he unconsciously smiled. But soon, he shook his head to snap out of it.

This place was not right. Oscar knew this was wrong, and his head began to sting as his recollection strengthened. His confused obsidian eyes regained clarity and shone like dark jewels in the sunlight. "That's right. We were in front of the dragon gate, and a bright light spilled out."

With his memories fully back, Oscar snapped to his feet, and his face tensed as his eyes darted around warily. Peering outside the window, he saw many other stone houses, then checked himself and saw he wore a loose white tunic that extended to his ankles called a toga with a thin black belt wrapped and tied around his waist, black leather wristbands, and leather sandals.

"This is wrong!" Oscar shouted. He should be in the fortress cellar with Austin and Erik, not sleeping in some peaceful village wearing these clothes. Something must have happened to him after being struck by the all-encompassing light. "Either I was dragged here by something, or this is an illusion."

His obsidian eyes focused on activating Eliren Breaker, but Oscar staggered in shock as he rubbed his eyes. He could not feel a hint of Ein, unable to enter his meditative state to see his core, anima, or astral self with the third eye. A hollow feeling crept up in Oscar as he realized none of those things existed in his body, not even his physical power and ability to draw Reis.

A normal person. Oscar gripped his hands tightly, realizing he had been stripped of everything he had built as an Exalt. "Maybe it's an illusion like Frederick was in. But these are not my memories, and I don't think I have the qualities to be a Wraith's host."

As he pondered, the door swung open, and a soothing voice called out for him. "Oscar!"

Oscar trembled for a moment as disbelief filled his face. With a pair of raised eyes, he turned around to see the impossible scene, but his eyes widened even more at the wondrous sight in front of him.

There, before him, stood Celestina with her bright silver hair tied in a side braid, revealing the nape of her neck. Her emerald eyes looked softer than her usual self, and fixated on Oscar as a bright smile filled her usually indifferent face. She also wore a toga that reached down to her thighs with a gold band around her waist and a low cut that exposed her neck and upper parts of her chest.

"Y-you?" Oscar took a step back as seeing Celestina in such a demeanor that differed from her usual proper self took him off-guard. "Why are you?"

An illusion! Oscar heaved a sigh and calmed down. There was no way the real Celestina would be here since she was fighting in the inner regions of Ashen Grove.

This Celestina in front of him had to be an illusion built from his memories, as was the entire world around him. But now he was stuck and wondered if there was a way out. No matter what, he had to find it.

"What do you mean why am I here?" Celestina blinked in confusion while tilting her head and approached Oscar, who was still gathering himself together. "I went out to get something."

Oscar wanted to sidestep Celestina and leave, but suddenly her arms wrapped around his neck, and her rosy lips touched his. His mind exploded from the immense pleasure of this kiss, the soft sensation from her lips, and her eyes closed in longing, and Oscar tried to back away, but her arms tightly locked around him. Slowly, his eyes dulled, and he responded to Celestina's kiss, hugging her closer, feeling her soft body in his arms.

But his eyes soon snapped open as he remembered this was all fake; Celestina was fake. The soft feeling of her lips, the warmth of her body, and the love laden in her emerald eyes were all fake. He pulled himself from her long kiss, both of them panting to catch their breath.

"Did you wake up, sleepyhead?" Celestina smiled and licked her lips, relishing the taste.

'Calm down.' Oscar clutched his heart, which was beating out of control. 'This is all an illusion. That kiss isn't real. It might not be comparable to the real thing. Think of it like that. This kiss is defective to how it might feel in reality.' Oscar thought the notion to himself multiple to drive the idea in so he wouldn't be stuck in a daze the next time this might happen.

"If you're up, then let's go to mother and father's." Celestina tugged on Oscar's hand.

"Mom and dad?" Oscar looked confused.

Celestina turned with worry on her face. She got close to Oscar and felt his forehead. "Are you sick? Did you forget we're spending the day at your parents' today? Or should we reschedule?"

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"No, it's fine." Oscar wanted to go out to see what exactly this illusion world was, and agitating the illusions might not be a good idea.

Celestina's side braid twirled around as she happily spun her body around to move toward the door, picking up a basket by the entrance. Her hand locked tightly on Oscar's and pulled him toward the entrance. The forceful way she handled him was like the real Celestina, making Oscar lift the corners of his lips.

As they exited the house, Celestina wrapped her arms around his left arm, hugging it into her chest. Oscar blushed terribly from her loving actions and bit his lip to force the pain to pierce through his rampaging thoughts. 'Calm down. I endured tortuous training and made it this far. I can't let an illusion take me down. No matter how beautiful and lovable it is.'

He stared down at Celestina, who was resting her head on his shoulders. She noticed his glance and stared at him with upturned eyes adorned by her long eyelashes. Her face was too destructive, and Oscar forced a smile back while his mind cursed at himself for being so affected by an illusion.

His attention turned to his village as he and Celestina walked. The stone buildings were of a deep coal color that reminded him of the ruins they had found under the tree. Then his eyes locked on the fortress in the distance. "That's…."

"Oscar?" Celestina asked. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Oscar shook his head. The fortress matched the one atop the large tree where the strange dragon gate existed. If he understood this place correctly, it should be Ashen Grove, but where were all the trees and the large one that pierced the fortress? 'Is this place a recreation of a long past? The trees and plants were strange in that they seemed to uproot the buildings.'

Along the way, many others greeted Oscar and Celestina. Playing his part, Oscar waved back and greeted his neighbors. Everyone seemed so clear, unlike what Emily mentioned about her time in Frederick's illusion.

According to what he read about illusions, an interest he gained after the Elire Mansion affair, an illusory world was either a one-way or cross-way connection. In some instances, the user is the sole origin of the illusion, entrapping everyone in a world of their making, or the one trapped in the illusion is the sole source of what makes the illusion like Frederick's, guided and maintained by the user. But other illusions could be a cross between the user and those trapped in the illusion, building a world based on their collective minds working together.

This illusion did not only come from his memories; only a few characters like Celestina and his supposed parents spilled into here from him, but the location, everyone, and everything else was definitely from whoever made this illusion. He was locked in a cross-way world illusion with an unknown enemy.

'How do I get out?' Oscar thought until the voices of his parents called out for him.

"Oscar!"

Up the path, his parents stood by the door to their home. Gwen and Henry cheerfully welcomed them.

"Mother! Father!" Celestina pulled Oscar, who was in a daze. "I hope we haven't made you wait long."

"Hmph!" Henry crossed his muscular arms. "If you're late, Celestina, then it's surely the fault of this ungrateful fellow here." He stared teasingly at Oscar with a hidden meaning behind his smile.

"Father!" Celestina blushed down to the base of her neck, realizing his meaning.

"Enough jokes." Gwen pulled on Henry's ear. "Come in and enjoy!"

Inside, Oscar ate the familiar stew he always loved. He couldn't help but feel thankful to whoever made this illusion for letting him taste this during these trying times.

Time passed as they chatted away until leaving for their home at night. People started to clear away from the streets and rest in their homes, allowing Oscar and Celestina to walk peacefully under the moonlight. He couldn't help but look at the Celestina next to him, her hair shining from the soft beating of the lunar beams.

Finally, after an awkward walk home, Oscar heaved a sigh. In the end, he couldn't do anything today. But he wasn't prepared enough for what came next.

"Let's go to bed," Celestina plopped on the bed and patted the other side of the bed, welcoming Oscar in.

Oscar stiffened and stared blankly at her. "What?"

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