I poured every ounce of my strength into a desperate sprint toward my room, my heart hammering against my ribs as if it wanted to burst out of my chest. Yet, something bizarre - almost nonsensical - happened: there were no pursuing footsteps, no looming aura of malice closing in. Those two didn't seem to care in the slightest; they didn't even bother to move from their spots. Everything was so deathly still, it felt as though that horrifying conversation had never even existed.
I lunged into my room and slammed the bolt shut, my breath still coming in ragged gasps. Escaping so easily didn't bring me any relief; instead, it acted like a spark igniting a fuse of extreme anxiety. Truly, the things that defy expectation - the enemies who treat your very presence like a mere joke - are the ones to be feared most.
I softly pushed the door fully closed, but the room suddenly felt suffocatingly cramped. Collapsing onto the bed, I felt my head burning like there was a charcoal furnace inside. A barrage of questions swirled: Who is this "Lord"? What on earth is the "Evernight Sovereign"? And that fragmented nightmare... were they pieces of a terrifying conspiracy aimed directly at me?
Suddenly, my mother's image surfaced in my mind. I tried to recall her smile, her eyes, desperate for a sliver of comfort, but my heart suddenly constricted. Her face... why was it so blurred? Like an old photograph smeared by rainwater, I realized with a jolt that I could no longer remember the fine features of my only kin.
A violent, splitting headache struck like a hammer blow, forcing me to clutch my temples. This sensation... it was exactly like the wretched ailment I suffered from a year before my reincarnation. I thought it had vanished after countless treatments, yet here it was again, gnawing at my consciousness amidst the encroaching darkness.
I pressed my fingertips firmly into my temples, trying to dispel the throbbing pain that spread like needles. After a few minutes of struggling, the ache gradually receded, leaving behind a silence so hollow it was chilling.
But as much as the physical pain faded, the unease in my soul only surged. Consequently, I fell once again into the state of a sleepless "white night."
Tossing and turning on a bed that should have been comfortable, eyes glued to the shadows on the ceiling while my brain spun in circles - it was a true form of torture. I wished I could be more carefree, that I could simply drift into a deep sleep without a single thought. But how could I rest after escaping the gaze of those two freaks? How could I find peace when so many mysteries regarding my mother and myself remained an inescapable labyrinth?
I decided to utilize every second of the stillness to piece together the scattered fragments of information. My mind worked at full capacity, revolving around the authoritative title of "Evernight Sovereign" and the leader known as "Yue." I told myself I had to stay sharp; I had to understand exactly who the enemy was so I could share the burden - and protect Yashu from the invisible traps lying ahead.
And so, the long night dragged on in a silence that was... haunting.
After the moment I had detected them, it seemed Manager Ming and that stranger had quickly dispersed or moved to a more secluded location. No more murmurs, no more creaking footsteps. There was only me, with sunken eyes and endless speculations, silently waiting for the bizarre dawn of this world to break.
Finally, the strange rays of dawn began to seep through the cracks in the door. Just as the morning sun touched the floor, a familiar knock echoed. Yashu, completely unaware of the horrors of the previous night, called out in her usual melodic, energetic voice:
-"Tianxia, are you awake yet?"
Normally, I would make her wait a good while before sluggishly opening the door. But this time, the door swung open almost instantly, causing Yashu to startle slightly. The smile on her lips froze. As she looked up to face me, her eyes widened in shock. Standing before her wasn't the usual sleepy Tianxia, but a man with bloodshot eyes and heavy dark circles - the mark of a white night filled with schemes and fear.
Qing Yashu stared at my haggard appearance, her voice rising in alarm:
-"Did you stay up all night again? Did something happen?"
I only gave a faint nod, feeling as though the long night had drained every bit of my vitality. Seeing the gravity of my expression, Yashu immediately lowered her voice to a worried whisper. Realizing the staff hallway was no place for serious matters, she quickly slipped into my room and carefully bolted the door behind her.
Only then did I finally dare to relax, even if just a little. As if shedding a heavy burden, I recounted everything I had overheard last night: from the "kindly" Manager Ming's clandestine meeting with the man who had been stalking us, to the existence of the "Evernight Sovereign" organization and the powerful "Lord" named Yue. However, regarding the soul-shredding headache and the fading memories of my mother, I chose to remain silent. Some secrets, perhaps, are meant to be carried alone for now.