Chapter 243: Soul Shifting Theory

In one of the castle’s picturesque courtyards, a lavish pavilion stood proudly under the clear, azure sky. Under its sheltering roof, four individuals had gathered around a polished wooden table.

Seated at the table were two couples, Ethan and Vivian, Edith and Julian.

News inside the castle had spread fast, and the people who were involved with Lauren wanted to know every bit of the story. Julian became the storyteller for the three, as Darius had been summoned by the King. But he doubted if the man would rather stay to be the storyteller. Darius had always been aloof and cold, preferring to stay out of chatting circles.

Near the pavilion, two young children played joyfully amidst the colorful flower beds. They were Lily, the head maid’s daughter, and Jeremy, Ethan and Vivian’s four-year-old son.

Julian, his expression serious, had just recounted the events that had transpired in the dining hall and the information he had gathered from the maids who had witnessed the baffling scene.

He leaned forward, his voice low and contemplative. "There hasn’t been a case where two people look so similar, and even their voices sound exactly the same, unless the other one is a replica created by the spell of replication. Not even twins can bear such similarities."

Ethan, with his sharp mind and a hint of skepticism in his eyes, raised a brow. "You said she doesn’t have blue eyes and has a slimmer body. That doesn’t sound exactly the same to me," he replied. His protective instincts for Lauren kicked in, and he couldn’t help but doubt the authenticity of the woman who had mysteriously appeared. "I better take a look later. After all, it was me who grew up with Her Majesty."

"And you mentioned her scent belongs to a human according to Darius, and he can’t feel any magic in her, so she can’t be a mage like Lauren," said Vivian.

She was Lauren’s closest female friend, and to hear that someone was found to have a striking resemblance to her made her feel mixed emotions. She was so devastated when she heard of her death five years ago. Everyone was mourning. Everyone couldn’t get over it.

The memory of Lauren’s death five years ago still haunted them all. The entire kingdom had been plunged into mourning, and the loss had been felt deeply by everyone. Vivian couldn’t help but think about the possibility of having her dearest friend back in some form. The idea was both hopeful and unsettling, like a long-buried dream resurfacing. She wanted to hope for Lauren to come back, but it sounded so impossible. Still, it was not wrong to hope, wasn’t it?

"What if she is not an impostor? The woman refused to say anything, even her friends did not expose anything suspicious when the King interrogated them," said Edith, her thoughts running deep.

"What do you mean?" Julian asked, his brow furrowed in confusion, unable to fully grasp the depth of his wife’s words.

"What if her soul was transferred to another body and some spell molded it to become Queen Lauren’s body?"

A hushed silence fell over the group as they contemplated Edith’s theory. The idea of a soul transferring from one vessel to another was an unfamiliar and eerie concept, one that raised more questions than answers. None of them had witnessed it before, so they found it hard to believe. They all knew that magic existed, but the extent of its capabilities was largely shrouded in mystery.

"How is that possible?" Ethan mused, his voice reflecting both skepticism and curiosity. "I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such an occurrence. My family is an old family of mages. We have countless books stored in our mansion, all about magic. We even possess ancient books that were not accessed by many. I’ve read most of them, and never did I come across any information suggesting that a soul could transfer to another body."

Ethan’s words carried weight, for his family’s knowledge of magic was renowned. His lineage had preserved the secrets of magic for generations, just like any old mage family. He was not a sage who carried so much knowledge, but he knew enough.

He continued, "There’s a concept of soul shifting in sorcery, but it wasn’t widely known. From what little I know, soul shifting is a very dangerous sorcery that doesn’t guarantee a hundred percent success."

Edith nodded in agreement as she shared her own knowledge, "And it only allows the soul shifter to take the form of the person they are transferring their soul to, not their true form."

The idea was as unsettling as it was intriguing. The notion that someone might have harnessed a power so rare and dangerous to bring back a lost loved one was a concept that defied the laws of the natural world.

"But isn’t the sorcery done by the soul shifter himself? In Queen Lauren’s case, there was no way she could have done it. Besides, according to the council doctor, he has witnessed how the Queen’s body turned into ashes in the King’s arms," said Julian. Thinking of the scene brought a somber expression to his face. The loss had left an indelible mark on his heart.

Edith, her eyes filled with empathy, gently reached out and placed her hand on Julian’s clenched fist that rested on the table. She knew the Queen had been like family to him, and the pain of her absence still cut deep.

The King had remained resolutely silent about the events that had transpired in the council laboratory. It was a moment shrouded in grief, witnessed by only a few, and its details were known primarily to Dr. Bentley, who had been present when Alec had brought Queen Lauren to the laboratory.

The memory of that fateful day weighed heavily on all who had cared for Lauren as their friend and as the Queen, and the profound sorrow it had left in its wake was a heavy burden they all shared.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read