The undead had been completely subdued. When the flames around them vanished and Shade landed back on the auditorium floor, the curled-up noblewoman trembled as she tried to stand. Her mind had returned to clarity, but the agonizing pain that seemed to arise from within her soul had not faded:
"This pain... It has been so long since I was this lucid, so long, so very long since I felt my soul's existence so vividly."
Her eyes gleamed slightly as she looked at Shade. Shade understood this "symptom" well; Megan and Audrey had expressed similar feelings when their souls had been muddled by Chaos.
"Could you do that to me again?"
The noblewoman's soul made the request, but the cat refused on Shade's behalf. She felt that the other party was taking advantage of Shade. It was one thing for Witches and Witch Apprentices to take advantage of him—they were their own people—but this soul was not:
"What are you thinking? It's been a long time, but according to our promise, we came back here to see you after sixty years. I'm glad you've retained your sanity."
The cat tried to steer the conversation back on track:
"This time, we'll help all of your family find release. But over these past sixty years, did you gather the information we needed?"
The noblewoman finally managed to stand upright with the support of the wall. The Bronte Family tree was on that wall. Though it had become even more dilapidated, every name remained clear:
"Yes, sixty years. They all lost their minds. If I had not made a contract with this gentleman and let my soul experience his aura, I fear I would never have awakened again, just like the rest of my family."
She tried hard to stop trembling. The cat