Zixin woke up, only to be met with the sight of a girl, around the same age as him. She quickly held Zixin's hands as her hazel eyes gleamed with joy.
She muttered, her stress dissipating into relief, "Thank goodness… the mountain herbs helped me again!"
Zixin rubbed his eyes, still feeling a little weak. He asked, his tone a little unclear, "Where am I?"
A hint of light flashed in her eyes, she readied her reply. She tucked a strand of her scarlet hair behind her ear and formally answered, sounding somewhat inexperienced, "We're currently in the Second Layer of Mount Lorebale or to put simply, the middle section. Um… you're currently staying in my home, a small cabin."
Mount Lorebale… oh, so that wasn't a dream… This sucks, forget it–move on. A small cabin, huh? Zixin thought before scanning the area.
The room wasn't grand but it made him feel a sense of comfort and warmth, something he rarely ever felt these days. The ceiling, floor, and walls were made out of wood. It almost made Zixin wonder how this place is still standing. There were a few windows, the most prominent one was on Zixin's right. He was sitting on a soft mattress, with a bed frame of minimal patterns. A few steps across from him was a desk with a mirror atop it.
This place is clearly not 'small.' He thought silently.
He cast her a wary glance before asking with an oddly formal tone, "I see… may I ask who you may be?"
Her grip on Zixin's arms tightened as she answered, "My name? Uh… My name is Hope, a Nameless and the… village Doctor."
Doctor? No wonder she managed to–wait a second… how did she even manage to heal my wounds? I barely feel anything now. Think… think… think… hmm? I got it. Zixin's thoughts raced wildly.
Zixin sounded curious when he questioned her, "You mentioned that you used herbs. I don't remember Mount Lorebale having such potent herbs."
A smirk formed upon Hope's lips, as she kindly explained, "Mount Lorebale doesn't usually produce such herbs but when it does, they tend to be kept hidden by my family. And when the time to use it does come, it usually means that we are at our last resort."
Zixin probed, "That sounds very useful."
"And that's exactly why my family has kept it a secret for generations." She added.
That sounds exaggerated. Zixin thought.
"Then, why are you willing to tell me?" Zixin probed again.
"Because you owe me your life. You wouldn't tell anyone would you?" Her smirk widened.
Zixin responded with silence, not wishing to tell her more than she needed to know.
Suddenly, a loud growl was heard. Tension rose for a moment before both of them realized where the sound came from–Zixin's belly.
Hope placed a hand on her lips, trying to hide her chuckle. She rose to her feet, and told him, "Give me a moment, I'll go bring you a meal."
She soon left Zixin alone, and Zixin used this opportunity to try to better understand his current predicament. He slowly stood up, feeling the weakness in his legs. Thankfully, it wasn't enough to hinder him.
He walked over to the nearby mirror and made sure to inspect his appearance. His white hair was a mess but it was something that he could fix on his own. His eyes seemed lighter than they once were, perhaps a sign of a better future. He wore the usual shirt and pants but what caught his attention was a small detail–they were not tattered.
Are these clothes not mine? If that's the case, that means that Hope must have changed my clothes while I was unconscious… uh, why do I feel embarrassed? Oh right, if she changed my clothes, that must mean that she… saw me naked… forget it, I shouldn't affect how I treat her–with gratitude. Zixin wondered for a moment.
He took off his shirt, seeing bandages on his chest. He touched it, feeling a little sting.
He sighed, his thoughts wandering back to last night's incident. Last night was a disaster. I… killed someone… Now that I think about it, it doesn't matter that I killed someone anymore, what matters is that horrendous flood of memories. Like, what in the actual–wait, no cursing…
His thoughts continued, I experienced seven years' worth of memories and the only thing that could allow me to do that must have been my sub-ability. Goodness sake, why is my first sub-ability so terrible?
He then thought about Elmer, As for Elmer, well… those memories would probably continue to mess me up. I already feel more emotional than before. Keeping my composure would be critical.
Soon his thoughts wandered off into Cael, Just thinking about him annoys me to no end. Why did he betray us? Oh… didn't he tell both Elmer and me that he had a Master? And he also acted weirdly in Elmer's memories when he started working on the so-called 'plan.' Thinking about this only continues to confuse me. This should be a topic for another day.
Not long after, he put back the shirt and thought about Hope, Hope… what an odd name. She said that we're currently on the Second Layer of Mount Lorebale, so that fits the definition of those who are called Mountain Dwellers. I'm still puzzled by why someone thought about making a whole term for people who just live in the mountains. But… why does she even live here? If I remember correctly, Mount Lorebale was branded as a hunting ground due to the population of monsters living here.
A new realization came to him: Hunting grounds… and Cael invited me to do some 'mountain climbing?!' The worst part was that I even accepted it. I suppose that's another reason to call myself an idiot. I mean, I was very tired when he did so he… took advantage of me… That's annoying.
His thoughts came to a halt when he heard his belly growl. He waved his hand dismissing all these thoughts for now and headed back to his bed.
And just in the nick of time, Hope steps into the bedroom with a bowl of porridge in her hands. She carefully walked over and when she was close enough sat down. She placed the bowl on the desk beside her and told Zixin to dig in. She handed him his spoon with a gleeful smile.
Zixin thanked her, "Maybe I should have said this earlier but thank you for saving me. Taking care of me while I was unconscious must have been problematic to say the least."
Hope waved her hand and replied, "You don't have to say that. I was taught by my Father that the happiness of others mattered more than us."
Zixin's suspicions rose when he heard that so he commented, probing, "But others may not do the same."
Hope's smile brightened, as if she was expecting Zixin's reply. She spoke, "If things lead to such a scenario, then I will be helping myself."
Zixin finished his meal, gave Hope a deadpan look, and felt sleepy.
Hope noticed and advised him, "The wound is still healing so you should rest for now. Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you."
Zixin's eyes drooped down, eventually closing themselves.
…
Zixin was walking down the bustling streets of Dawn Heart, but he suddenly stopped when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
When he turned to look, he saw a bookstore with two workers.
One was a brilliant young man with short blond hair and fiery red eyes. He was fast and efficient with his job.
While the other was a young lady with long pink hair and soft pink eyes. She was captivating beyond belief.
Suddenly, his eyes opened as he immediately sat down. Sweat dripped down his face as he placed a hand on his head.
His thoughts wandered back to his dream, Charlotte and Michael… those two were Elmer's found family. It makes sense why I had a dream about them. After experiencing those cruel seven years, how could they not have become a part of me? Sigh, Charlotte… it seems that a portion of the emotions I felt when experiencing those seven years still remain with me. It'll fade and that's for the best. I should probably search for them when I get back home.
He wiped his sweat and stretched on the bed. He calmed down his mind, wishing to enter the Hex Zone and test whether he could successfully use his ability as he pleased. He closed his eyes, his thoughts completely still. He tried splitting them into two, hoping to see good results.
First attempt, failure.
He took a deep breath before going for his second attempt. He wondered if the past would repeat itself but he cleared such unnecessary thoughts aside and turned his full attention to entering the Hex Zone.
Second attempt, success!
Zixin felt his mind being transported into a whole different realm and before he knew it, he was inside the White Palace!
His thoughts raced, trying to grasp the situation, I finally did it… I suppose it was also thanks to Elmer. Ok, let's see if I remember the basics. The Hex Zone is a state of mind where the mind is split into two and the White Palace is an astral realm that holds the abilities. Ok, at least I know I won't confuse myself when I think about it now.
He scanned his surroundings, finding a near-empty white void. The reason it wasn't empty was because of an object that floated a few steps away from Zixin. After heading closer, Zixin inspected the object.
It was a rusted key, one that seemed ancient. The rust covered it whole, so Zixin wasn't able to make many guesses on what material it was made out of.
He commented, lowering his head, "Why is my Heart rusted? This is the object that's supposed to allow me to use my abilities. Is this bad luck?"
When he lowered his head, he saw that he was dressed up in a white robe with golden ribbons and accents all over.
"I clearly remember that when Elmer's consciousness enters the White Palace, it would just be a white humanoid figure so how come I am dressed up in such fancy clothes? There are too many things to think about." He unknowingly muttered his thoughts out loud.
He soon raised his hand, taking hold of his Heart–the key.