Chapter 16: The Witch and the Moonlit Nightmare Carriage
A bright blue moon illuminated the cold, steep mountain peaks.
A carriage emerged from the depths of the mountains, traversing a narrow road along a cliff face.
Clatter… The rough wheels rolled along the edge of the precipice, bouncing and jolting violently, sending loose stones tumbling into the abyss below.
The mountain road was extremely narrow and treacherous, yet the carriage sped along.
The carriage, dark and old yet exuding a noble aura, was pulled by two muscular nightmares with strangely terrifying heads. Even more surprising, there was no driver.
Yalan Diye sat in the carriage, which felt spacious for one person. Outside the fluttering curtains, the sharp peaks of the mountains under the night sky resembled a place where demons hid.
She pulled the curtains tighter, and the carriage became a little quieter.
In the elegant yet old-fashioned carriage, her large suitcase rested on the dark red velvet seat opposite her.
She sighed softly, raising her hand to look at the ring on her left ring finger.
Legend had it that a demon lurked in a woman’s left side, and the ring on the left hand was meant to seal it.
“Why must I wear it on this finger? I’m not a woman, and I don’t have any inner demons to seal.”
Yedi wasn’t afraid of demons, not even a great demon like Cerise! Reflecting on her situation, the real challenge was to overcome the wavering and despair in her heart.
A firm heart would allow her to maintain a man’s strength.
Even if… she was about to return to her past in this contradictory identity, to face everything, to face her.
“The Night Ring…” Diye’s golden eyes gazed at the black gem. She recalled Shartha’s words before she left.
The Night Ring must be worn on the left ring finger at night to absorb the power of the night. It didn’t matter whether she was indoors or outdoors, as long as it was nighttime.
After absorbing the power of the night, she could transform into her desired appearance during the day. But at dusk, before the sun set, she had to return to a completely safe and secret place, because after sunset, she would revert to her female form, and this transformation couldn’t be stopped or delayed.
Only a witch could use the Night Ring.
If she wanted to become a man, the consumption of night power would be greater. Furthermore, for a few days each month, when the yin attribute of her body was too strong, she couldn’t transform.
Approximately twice a month, she couldn’t transform into a man: during her menstrual cycle, and… during her most fertile days.
These limitations and risks posed a considerable challenge to Diye’s return to the Holy Academy, but it was far better than nothing. With this ring, Diye could essentially return to her past and, she believed, accomplish many things.
“I will eventually use this ring as an opportunity to reclaim everything I’ve lost. This is a good start, the beginning of my return to the path of manhood and honor.”
Diye touched the incredibly hard and smooth ring, feeling a mix of excitement, wonder, and irony. This ring, so alluring to witches, so feminine in its design, so beautiful in its extreme blackness, was the very thing that could turn her back into a man.
However, the Night Ring couldn’t be used to transform at will.
Under Shartha’s guidance, Diye had already infused her past image into the night-colored gem through magic. The Night Ring could only transform her into Yedi.
She couldn’t become anyone else. Of course, that was enough. Diye had never wanted to become anyone else. For her, this wasn’t about hiding her identity.
It was about returning to the past, reclaiming her life.
“Right, there’s one more thing…”
Before she boarded the carriage, Shartha had told her a secret, something only she, Shartha, and Diluowei knew. There was another witch hiding in the Holy Academy, who would assist Diye’s actions.
However, when Diye asked who it was, Shartha only said that she would reveal herself and contact her when the time was right. The password was…
Shartha didn’t reveal the password, which meant that if there was one, it had to be a secret known to both Diye and the hidden witch.
Diye sat alone in the dark carriage, the wall-mounted oil lamp swaying, its shadows flickering across her face.
She opened a map, took out her pocket watch, and estimated her current position and arrival time at the Imperial Holy Academy.
“A few more hours. It will be dawn by then.”
Diye’s eyes were firm.
The Night Ring possessed incredible power, but it wasn’t omnipotent, just as the followers of the Goddess of the Night described their deity.
Among the ancient, nature-based gods worshipped by the witches, this goddess, one of the most prominent, wasn’t omniscient or omnipotent.
Unlike the Holy Lord of the Holy Church.
The Night Ring could only change her body (including hair and other physical parts), but not her clothes or belongings.
Diye opened the large suitcase on the opposite seat. Inside were various items she needed for her mission, including Yedi’s male attire.
Diluowei had arranged for it to be made according to Diye’s requests and descriptions.
As dawn approached, Diye looked around the carriage. Although she was alone, she didn’t want to transform while naked.
“Besides, those two horses, they’re probably male, right? What if the carriage jolts violently, or the wind blows the curtains open, and those nightmares look back…”
“Eh? Wait, what am I thinking? Male is good, right? Why am I instinctively wary of being seen by males? This… is probably just out of propriety and to avoid trouble. It’s not like I’m really developing a female consciousness.”
Diye shook her head, feeling like she was creating her own problems.
She decided to change into men’s clothes a few hours early, in case of any unexpected situations. Of course, it was also possible she was just too eager.
So, after checking that the doors and windows were locked, she began to change in the jolting carriage.
She sat up, her hands now quite skilled at undoing the buttons and corset strings at her back. Then, she stood up and slowly let her long dress fall from one side…
As she dealt with the thin garter straps below her smooth waist, she felt a deep sense of shame. Was she really a man? Wearing this kind of thing before transforming…
She felt her stomach and full hips tremble with shame…
Finally, she was dressed in Yedi’s clothes. Although they were newly made, the style was identical. The patterns Diye provided were flawless.
But…
“Ugh, I can’t breathe. My chest is so tight…” Diye had to unbutton the front of her shirt completely. Otherwise, even with her strength and constitution, she might not actually faint, but she could very well rip the shirt.
The pants were also incredibly tight. Her hips, squeezed into the narrow men’s trousers, were completely constricted, creating an even more alluring shape.
She wasn’t a man at all, just a curvy woman forced into men’s clothing.
It was all because Yedi used to be so thin and slender. At least their height was about the same.
Diye began to regret changing into men’s clothes so early. She was afraid that with the slightest movement, the back of her pants would split, and she would be done for.
“I thought changing into men’s clothes would make everything better, but who knew it would just add another layer of shame!” Diye shook her head, her face red.
Changing back would be another self-inflicted humiliation. And if she waited in the carriage naked, what if they encountered bandits?
She had no choice but to sit as still and relaxed as possible, in this awkward state, until… dawn approached.
The first rays of sunlight pierced through the towering mountains.
Diye could finally use the ring, now full of night’s power, to turn back into a man.
She could finally return to her former life!
…
The Imperial Holy Academy, an ancient, vast, and noble institution, was nestled amidst a range of mountains.
Warm, purplish-pink morning light filtered through the tall pines and cypresses, casting bands of light on the solemn and elegant academy gates, located halfway up the mountain.
Diye, no, it should be Yedi now, looking like a handsome, slender, and carefree young man, carrying a large suitcase, arrived at the school gates.
He looked up at the tall, silent, wrought-iron gates, with a few roses climbing them.
“The Imperial Holy Academy, the place where my dream began and ended. No, perhaps the place where the dream ended before it even began…”
“The Headmaster, the elite teachers and students of the Empire, and her…”
“I’m back.”
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