Through a series of transformations and reassemblies, the carpet of flesh swiftly became Kardashian once more. With her black hair, pale skin, and strikingly exotic beauty, she reappeared in the room, her bare feet resting on the floor where flames still danced.
Her long dress of flesh was whole again, and her burned chest had returned to its pale, unblemished state. She looked at Sifa, then at the scepter in her hand, before speaking in a magnetic voice with a peculiar cadence. "You can wake up now."
Wake up?
Sifa felt briefly dazed. When he came to his senses again, he found no flames on the floor, no damage to the room, and no captain's corpse in the chair behind the desk.
It was as though everything that had just happened had been nothing more than a dream-a "dream" guided by Kardashian.
Sifa broke into a cold sweat. He had thought he had handled himself well and acted decisively, but now it seemed he had probably been hypnotized and manipulated from the moment he entered the room.
Kardashian clearly held the advantage. Why, then, had she willingly relinquished it and released him from her hypnosis?
Sifa's gaze fell on the Feathered Serpent Scepter, and realization dawned. "You still have your memories? You still have your reason?"
Kardashian must have recognized this golden scepter and known it was connected to that Underworld Emperor's Descendant. Since I had the scepter, she guessed I knew where that descendant was. That was why she gave up her advantage and didn't try to kill me. Sifa sorted out his thoughts and realized he was safe for the moment.
"You know what this is. Where did you get this scepter?" Kardashian raised the Golden Feathered Serpent Scepter, Sifa's figure reflected in her amber eyes.
"The Styx