Blocked Consciousness.

"What...what happened?" Diellzain glared intently to the magician, who just placed Alina on her bed. The Emperor, and all the Princes are within her room. Asher ignored Diellzain's words. This is most likely the very first time that he's showing his face to them again, because he tends to use magic and make himself invisible around these people.

"Astra, I believe my son has asked you a question," Orpheus spoke. His voice sounded really serious and the way he looks at Asher proves that he didn't like Asher's choice of ignoring his son.

"Why? Would you actually be able to do anything if I were to tell you?" Asher replied, not even glancing to the Emperor. He spread his hand, and his palm starts glowing gold.

"That's rude, Astra. We simply want to know what's happening to our youngest sister. Don't you think we deserve to know about it?" Aelius asked. Helios stayed quiet as he stare at Alina's pale face and weak complexion. She's even groaning while sleeping, as if she's having a bad dream.

Asher grits his teeth.

'You're making a mess again, huh...jerk,' Asher thought, referring to a certain someone.

"A dark magic...her consciousness is being attacked by a dark magic," Asher answered. He stared at the sleeping Alina and placed his hand on her forehead.

'Her temperature is not decreasing. I'm sure he targeted Alina's consciousness all because Clara's mind is weak,' Asher took a deep breath before closing his eyes while his hand still on Alina's forehead.

"Dark magic...?" Diellzain mumbled. His eyes widens in shocked.

"How did that happen? No, the black magician, Athalia should be sealed, right?" Aelius asked. Orpheus and Helios stayed silent as they watch the Astra do his thing.

Asher released a divine magic and planned to let Alina absorb the magic. However, just when he was about to distribute it to Alina's body, his hands was repelled by some strange force. The four guys behind him were surprised to see what happened.

"Astra, what happened?" Helios finally spoke. Asher stared at Alina as he smirk.

"That jerk...so, he blocked me from Alina's body, huh?" Orpheus furrowed his brows as he grits his teeth. Ignoring the fact that Asher called Alina by her name without any prefix, he spoke.

"Astra, what do you mean 'he'?" Because they all know that the black magician is not a male, but a female. Asher took a deep breath.

"Athalia? Yeah, she's a black magician, but she's never our enemy," Asher answered. All of the people within the room except Asher are confused. However, Orpheus got some ideas within his mind who could be their real enemy is.

"What are you saying? It is clearly written in the Odilia book--"

"Odilia book? The book that is written by the people of the sixty-sixth's emperor?" Asher scoffed. And that only confirmed Orpheus' bad feeling.

"Enough of that. How is my daughter? How can we save her?" Orpheus asked. Asher stayed quiet as he narrow his eyes while looking at Alina.

"Hmm, my hand was repelled by the dark magic within her--tsk, how did that jerk even cast a dark magic to her? Anyway, only divine magic can defeat the dark magic. However, it's impossible for me to do it because my magic's being forced away..." Asher sighed and closed his eyes, he pressed his index and middle finger to his right temple.

'Abel, you there?'

Abel, on the other side, paused with his experiments after hearing Asher's voice within his mind. He closed his eyes and used telepathy to reply to his brother.

'What is it, brother?' Abel replied.

'Can you come here? We've got some problems. Alina fell unconscious, and I can't seem to do anything about it with my divine magic, come here and try yours,' Asher said. The four guys behind him stayed quiet, as they know that Asher is communicating with someone.

After Asher said those, Abel nod his head despite not being seen by his brother.

'Understood,'

Abel replied, and not just a second when he suddenly appeared beside his brother. Orpheus and his sons were surprised to see the Tower's Magician in front of them. Helios grits his teeth as he realizes something.

'Having two Astra's here means that Ali's condition is really dangerous' Helios thought. Aelius, Diellzain, and Orpheus have thought the same thing. They are all feeling the tension, given that their youngest princess might be in a risky situation.

"What do you think?" Asher asked. Abel nod his head and placed his hand above Alina's forehead, not pressing on it at all.

"I'll try..." Abel replied. He gathered enough divine mana to his palm, producing golden light in a form of round shape.

When Abel was about to pass his divine mana to Alina, his hand was also driven away by a certain unknown force.

"Sorry, brother. I can't do it either...it's blocking divine mana from entering the body. Also, the dark magic within her is spreading all over her mana core" Abel spoke. Asher sighed and looked at the four guys behind him, who are all surprised because of Abel's words.

"We have no choice then. Come here, all of you,"

---

"Themis?! W-where are you!" Clara called. Her face shows the fear she is currently feeling being in a dark place that she is unfamiliar with. There is nothing anywhere she turn her head into. However, she noticed that her body, as Alina, is transparent and is glowing. As if she's a soul that's wandering around an unfamiliar place.

"W-what's happening..." She mumbled, roaming her eyes around to find anything that is familiar to her, but she failed. There was nothing, there was no one. She's alone, in the middle of darkness.

Because of those thoughts, Clara felt really nervous. She can feel her heart beating despite the appearance of a soul.

"Asher! A-are...are you there! Please help me!" She yelled from the bottom of her lungs. Her body feels weak just by thinking about what could happen to her in this darkness, when she is alone and no one to help her.

"Asher..." She mumbled.

"Themis! Ryna!" She called. However, her voice just echoed within the dark place. With no one answering her calls, a tear drop on her cheek.

"Themis...Asher..." She called. Walking around to try and find a way out of the strange place she's currently in.

Clara stopped walking and bend her knees as she hug it. She sniffle as she prevent herself from letting out sobs. She can't feel anything around her at all, there's no breeze of the wind, and she don't feel hot as well. She's not even sweating. All she can see is her glowing and transparent body, which caused her great fear.

'Seriously...Alina's so unlucky. Just what is happening now?' Clara thought. Even closing her eyes feels scary, because of the thought within her that something might suddenly appear in front of her, like what happens to those horror movie she watched in her previous world.

'Won't Asher come and find me here?' Clara asked herself. Despite being just a soul-like form, she can still feel her body weakening because of fear. Regardless of the panic within her chest, she stood up and took a deep breath. She wiped her tears away and starts walking again. 

"Themis...no, Asher! Miss Ashley...Mister Magician!" she yelled, but once again, her voice just echoed to the whole place even though she can't seem to figure out where the end of this place is. 

"Bad...this is bad..." Clara mumbles and starts running.

'My appearance here is strange. I am still Alina though, but this form is like a soul or something...I'm transparent, and despite the glow on my body, I can't seem to see anything around me...also, I am still wearing the same dress I was wearing earlier,' She continue running straight. She figured out that the dark place is empty, with only her in it. She continue running while still roaming her eyes around the place. 

'There might be a way out of this place. No, I'm sure there is...I just need to find the end of it,' She kept running, and she's not feeling tired at all, she can even breathe properly. She made sure not to change the way she's going, because her goal is to reach the very end of that dark place. 

Meanwhile, on the other side. Asher and Abel asked Orpheus and his sons to gather around Alina. They moved Alina to the Tower of Magic's basement, where there's only a small bed, wooden side table, and lamp. 

Orpheus stands at the upper edge of the bed, where Alina's head is lying. Helios is at her feet, while Diellzain is on her left side, with Aelius on her right side. Asher folds three of his fingers, leaving just the index and pinky fingers. He mumbled something, and suddenly, a golden light appear above Alina's body. It's like a ceiling light within the previously dim basement. 

"Your Majesty, please release light magic, with your palm facing the Princess," Abel requested. Orpheus nod his head and did as what Abel asked. 

"Your Highnesses as well, please," Abel spoke. The three princes did the same thing without giving him a respond. 

Abel looks at his brother and took a deep breath before creating a palm sized ball of divine magic on his palm. He gently pushed it towards the golden light that Asher made, causing it to slowly float towards Asher's magic. 

When it touched the golden light produced by Asher, it both exploded together and created a barrier that keeps Alina within. The light magic that the imperial family releases attached to the golden barrier, and it passes through it. Transforming their light magic into a divine magic. 

Asher opened his eyes and sighed as he walk towards the edge of the bed. 

"What's happening? Why is it changing colors when it passes the barrier?" Diellzain asked, confused. 

"Since we can't use our divine magic, let's use yours," Orpheus creased his forehead. Even the three princes exchanged looks after hearing Asher's words. Orpheus have been living for over 40 years, and he never once heard about the Odilia or Ciera having a divine power. Only Felicia Odilia was blessed with divine mana before. However, there's no one within the Odilia Family that received the same blessing again.

"We never knew about having a divine mana however," Aelius replied. Asher shook his head. 

"Of course. You don't have divine mana after all. Your magic are just being transformed to a divine magic once it passes through the barrier that is covering the Princess. It's still considered as your magic, that's why the body of the Princess is accepting it. Meaning, that jerk has blocked Abel and my magic from touching the Princess," Asher spoke. He looked at Alina and felt a relieve when he saw her slowly calming down. Unlike earlier when she was groaning as if she was in pain.

"W-what's going to happen now?" Diellzain asked. His expression, despite trying to calm himself, shows distress and panic. 

"Just keep releasing magic for now. If you feel like your mana's weakening, I'll restore it--but I believe that the Imperial Family have more mana than normal humans. What's more if it's of Ciera and Odilia blood. I'm pretty sure the Emperor won't have a problem as well," Asher spoke. Abel smiled and nod at the family of the Princess. He's also kinda ashamed of his brother as well because he refused to answer the Third Prince's question.

"Once her body absorbed enough mana. Brother will control it and use the divine mana within her to disperse the black magic that's eating away the Princess' mana core," Abel spoke. Asher stayed quiet as Abel answer Diellzain's question. He couldn't gather the right words to explain it properly after all. 

"The enemy you said. Was it him who did this to Ali?" Helios asked. He grits his teeth, with his brows furrowed, and stayed staring at the magic he's releasing. 

"Yes. Heh---that jerk should be rotting in hell already. But it looks like he still have some plans above here," Asher's face darkens as he smirk. Even Abel's expression changes. It's like a rush of bad memories entered his mind. Recalling what happened to the fourth Astra, who's supposed to be guarding the human realm. 

"I doubt he's the only enemy, brother," Abel spoke. 

"He's the only enemy. I'm not referring to 'him', but the demon within him that took control of his body," The Three Princes confusedly looks at Asher and Abel, while Orpheus narrowed his eyes after realizing what the two are talking about. He's got idea on who is the person they're referring to. 

"You mean..." Asher nods his head. 

"Pretty sure he don't have a compatible body right now, and he's trying to take over Alina's body as well," Orpheus grits his teeth, and a vein can be seen on his temples. 

"For now. Let's focus on the Princess," Asher added. 

Alina's family are all tensed because of the information they heard from the two Astra's with them. They realized how dangerous the enemy is, and what it can do to their family. Orpheus had an idea about the person, but is unaware about the demon that Asher mentioned. This demon is trying to take over Alina's body, and what annoyed Asher more, was it was able to slip past his daily monitors. 

'Is it because I'm still weak after coming back in this world? That asshole really took his chances very well,' Asher smirked as he glare down to Alina. However, it wasn't his intention at all. It's because of the thoughts within him.

'I'll make sure to end your immortality this time, sucker...' Asher grits his teeth and clenched his fist. 

Abel and Orpheus noticed it, but chose to ignore it. They know that Asher's anger right now is something that won't be quelled just by a few words of encouragement. Because like Asher, they are also angry. 

***