Darren shot a glance at Hobson. One stream of blood traveled all the way from Hobson's neck to his fingers, dripping continuously.
"What happened?"
"I, I just looked at the portrait on the wall, and then I became blind," Hobson hissed in pain and stammered.
Darren turned his head back and narrowed his eyes at the scene. He could see a portrait of two people, and every part of it felt surreal. In Darren's eyes, the picture was too vivid. The person making this image must have been a professional, and he didn't feel anything uncomfortable about the portrait.
"I've seen this portrait, and it should have affected me just like it happened in your case." Darren turned to look at Hobson. "Why don't I feel anything?" His eyes landed on the trembling fingers and blinded eyes of Hobson. "You should refine some magic herbs to heal yourself first," Darren said.
Hobson nodded only to find some magic herbs. "I just used my spiritual sense to probe. I don't know how, but I suddenly felt immense pain in my eyes, and I became blind." If Hobson's eyes were fine, he would've looked at Darren with eyes full of worry. He pursed his lips and continued to do his work. He knew Darren would check the portrait too. "Darren, if I were you, I wouldn't try to repeat what I just did." Hobson went silent and began to refine magic herbs to cure his eyes.
Darren looked at the wall again.
The portrait had two figures. One of them was a young man in white with a ruler engraved in ancient runes in his hand.
On the other hand, the second person in the portrait was an exceedingly beautiful woman. Every limb of the woman felt like it was animated and moving in front of him. Darren's eyes fixed on her, and his mind became blank. It felt almost as if she was alive and could jump out any minute.
The woman in the portrait tempted Darren to unleash his spiritual sense to scan her.
He felt a lump in his throat.
The portrait released a strong aura. It sent a chill down Darren's spine. Dizziness washed over him for a moment as if he was drowning in the deep water. His ears could hear nothing but the beep sound.
His mind was utterly absorbed in the portrait of this woman. The more he looked at her, the more she started to allure him. Darren's heart started thudding wildly in his chest. The beauty of that woman seemed to increase ten-fold, and he was unable to look away. It was as if someone had nailed his face on the wall, and his eyes could only see her.
Even if he missed one second, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Her purple clothes felt like waving back and forth in the air. Darren could almost see her smiling that made his heart jump. He had not felt this comfortable and warm since forever. Who would have thought that this happiness was only a small fleeting cover for the portrait to act against him?
"Ah!"
The piercing pain in his eyes brought him back to his senses.
Darren covered his eyes and squatted on the ground. His hands started to tremble because of immense pain. He felt a drop of wet blood streaming down the back of his hands.
"She's so charming." The pain in Darren's eyes increased. "It has affected me too."
Darren was like a drowning child only to breathe faster as if he was going to die.
"Who is the woman in the portrait? Why couldn't I free myself?" Darren brought his trembling fingers down. "Why did I become blind?" Now that Darren was back to his usual self, he was shocked at how he felt for the woman in the portrait.
He had never been so obsessed before. That kind of unworldly and ethereal feeling was so fascinating.
It took Darren a long time to calm down. He sat on the ground and assimilated the spiritual energy to heal his eyes.
Darren took a deep breath and blinked his eyes several times. When he felt like his eyes were back to normal, his shoulders relaxed. He stood up and narrowed his eyes at the portrait.
"Oh my God! That man is so fierce! My eyes exploded just because I took a glance with my spiritual sense." Hobson also looked towards the portrait and shivered. He didn't even want to remember that frightening moment.
"Then you should go to see that woman. I'm sure you will be stuck." The corner of Darren's mouth lifted.
Hobson chuckled and shook his head. "I don't dare. Even your eyes exploded. I would be foolish if I went to see it." He averted his eyes from the portrait and grinned.
"Let's fly along the wall to see if there are other portraits."
"Okay."
Darren and Hobson flew along the wall, one on each side. After two hours, they returned to the place where they had been.
"I just saw one portrait over this side. Beyond that was a dark world, and I dared not to march past the portrait." Hobson shuddered, remembering the portrait. It was good that he returned rather than going forward.
"I also found one, and there was no path ahead." Darren found the same situation.
"Darren, who do you think had been engraving the painting on the wall? The figures in the portrait are so vivid and ethereal, like real people. Just a portrait is so powerful. Who are the people on it?" Hobson couldn't hold on anymore. He had so many queries in his mind that he felt like he would go mad.
Darren was silent for a moment. He wanted to know more about those portraits too. Just who were those people?
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