When Zixin opened his eyes, he was met with the gaze of the soft moonlight. He rubbed his eyes then looked around; he saw Elmer sitting near a campfire and a tent.
He asked, still tired but slowly recovering, "Where are we?"
Elmer gave him a deep and profound look, it neither looked like resentment nor pity–only regret. He answered, sounding calm, "We're currently at the Second Layer of Mount Lorebale."
Still standing up, and asked, his mind still fuzzy, "So, where is Cael?"
Elmer sighed, clearly becoming more annoyed by the second, "He should be with his master if he followed the plan…"
"Huh? But, why are you here?" Zixin slowly regained his composure, the truth behind the situation slowly sinking in.
Elmer stood up, his expression sorrowful but Zixin didn't understand why he would be like that. Elmer walked towards Zixin, never moving his gaze away.
Zixin instinctively began moving backwards but hit his foot on a rock, making him stumble and fall on his back.
He groaned, not used to this pain. He wiped his lips, just as a hook flew past centimeters above him.
The hook wasn't big, it was clearly not meant to be used for sailing. It was about the size of an adult's arm. It was made from a black metal that Zixin knew nothing about. Its curves were elegant, a stark contrast to the sharp points. The most eye-catching part was the handle, a clear sign that it was made to be a weapon.
His thoughts began to race like a storm approaching from the horizon, Am I going to meet my… end here? This turn of events is far too fast. Don't tell me that Cael acted as a friend only to make me die here. Why… why did I even trust? Shouldn't I have learned by now?
He then remembered Jinhua's warning: I hope you will never regret your actions.
Zixin's heart sank, beginning to understand Jinhua's words.
I was indeed an idiot.
Elmer let out another deep sigh, explaining, "The plan doesn't really allow me to tell you anything more than I should but I am at least satisfied to know that I can tell you that none of this is something I would do otherwise."
He raised the hook and swung it down in a quick and swift motion. Zixin's body, not wanting to perish, moved on its own, dodging the hook.
Zixin turned to look at the ground, only to see the rock be so easily destroyed.
He quickly stood up, running in a random direction.
He ran and ran and ran and ran and ran until he could no longer hear anything besides his footsteps, the midnight breeze, and the crickets singing to the moonlight.
His thoughts ran like him, racing to deduce any way to survive, I… I can't fight a Holder, and one with a weapon. But running away won't work either, my stamina has a clear limit, and I can't go past that.
As he ran, his thoughts moved along with him. What about hiding? Does it sound like a good idea? No, just like running, there's a clear limit to hiding. And if they want me dead now, they have probably already set traps to stop me from leaving even if I hide.
Zixin sighed, not stopping his thoughts, So, how about fighting? No! That's a death sentence! Am I already running out of options?
Then, the last thread of hope came to his mind–a cruel one, How about entering the Hex Zone? No… no… no… no… I can't do it. If I fail, it would cost me all of my remaining mental energy. And if I do try, failure is inevitable. How many times have I tried only for it to end in failure? I highly doubt that I would get an epiphany at death's door.
While he ran, a hook flew past him, scraping his side. He bit his lip, trying not to fall from a mere scratch. The hook's trajectory changed, taking a hard turn back. This time, the speed was far too fast for Zixin's body to react fast enough.
The hook hit him in the chest, sending him flying backwards.
Crack
His ribs broke, it was clear that he was at death's door.
He fell back to the ground, trying to stand back up as he gritted his teeth.
Elmer went up close, grabbing Zixin by the collar. The hook flew back to his hand and he immediately stabbed it at Zixin's heart. Zixin puked out a mouthful of blood, his grip on life never wavering.
Elmer apologized, his once sorrowful eyes now cold–acceptance, he had already accepted it, "My deepest and sincerest apologies Zixin. But, thank you for saving me."
But at this crucial juncture in his life, what Zixin saw was not Elmer's cold expression nor his life flashing before his eyes, but the cold and near-empty gaze of the white void–the White Palace. At the center of it all was a rusted key. Immediately, he grabbed forward, his doubts no longer hindering him.
He grabbed both the key and Elmer, as a flood of memories began to attack him.
He smiled, thinking to himself, I shall not die today. I still wish to see the end that this world has kept as a secret.
…
I ran and ran and ran and ran and ran from the cruel thugs who hunted me down. But my efforts became a waste the moment they took hold of me.
One of them, a tall brown brown-haired man, held me by the collar.
"Kid, were you looking for a death sentence?"
I shook my head, fear crawling beneath my skin.
The man snorted, tossing me to the ground and telling his subordinates, "Teach him a lesson."
They smiled, ready to beat me to a pulp. They first started by kicking me, and I puked out blood. My body felt numb, already wanting to give up.
They then took hold of me, punching me relentlessly.
These cruel and evil thugs continued to beat me until I fell unconscious.
After who knows how long, I woke up, rubbing my eyes. Tears started to pour, my heart heavy.
My body was too weak to stand up which made me cry even more.
With each tear drop, I felt my heart drop lower and lower. I cried and cried until I slowly regained my strength.
I rubbed my eyes, taking deep breaths as I stood back up.
I walked until I saw an abandoned cabin. I smiled dryly, continuing to move forward.
I opened the soft wooden door and was met by Charlotte, the pink-haired girl who always made food for us.
She hugged me, then looked at my beaten body. She asked, concerned, "What… what happened, Elmer?"
I smiled, happy to see her.
"Don't worry, I just fell over!" I replied sarcastically.
"It must have been those thugs right?"
I turned to look and saw Michael, the blond boy with fiery red eyes. I always thought that he might secretly be an important person.
I laughed awkwardly, not knowing what to do after having my lie be seen through.
Michael stomped his foot, fury raging in his eyes, "I'm ready to beat those thugs!"
Charlotte then took his arm, and tried to explain to him, "Come on already! There's no way you can do anything against them. They're adults, we're only kids, it's unreasonable to even have the thought of fighting. Even if we do want to fight, we're not Holders who can change the tides just by existing."
She added, "What we should do is to learn if we can. Knowledge is the indisputable answer to everything."
Michael sighed, replying with a defeated tone, "Fine, I just got a little heated up."
My smile slowly widened, whispering to Charlotte, "Thank you."
A small blush appeared on her face as she said, "Dinner is ready!"
…
Two years passed by in the blink of an eye.
I was taking a stroll around the Plaza, and I saw a Magician performing tricks on the streets.
Their face were hidden behind a white clown mask. They were dressed in proper attire of black suits, black pants, and black shoes.
I walked closer, wondering if they were a Holder–an ability user chosen by the world itself.
"Trickster." One of the men in the crowd proudly proclaimed.
The Magician laughed, questioning everyone who called him a fraud, "How can all of you be sure that I am nothing more than a fake?"
Another man in the crowd, answered proudly, as though he were a genius, "If you truly are a Holder, what reason would you be performing magic for common folks?"
The Magician laughed once more, but it sounded deeper, more–ominous, "What a bunch of fools. No wonder we continue to stumble."
The Magician snapped his fingers, and a loud screeching sound echoed in my ears. I fell to the ground, feeling out of breath.
I felt my head was about to explode but my consciousness persevered, splitting into two.
One of them entered a near-empty void dyed only by light. Inside, I saw a hook, and for some reason, I grabbed forward without hesitation.
The moment I grabbed the hook, the consciousness that stayed in my body felt like it knew what to do. I waved my hand, creating strange marks that I soon placed all over my body.
Despite my body losing strength, I felt like I could still control it using these marks.
But these didn't last long as I fell unconscious.
…
I woke up, feeling the soft mattress behind my back. I turned to look around and saw Charlotte and Michael discussing something.
Charlotte looked worried, perhaps too worried as she said, "We can't stay in this cabin for much longer."
Michael was about to reply but when he saw me awake, he immediately ran towards me and hugged me.
Charlotte walked closer asking, "Are you fine Elmer?"
"Yeah, I feel fine. It's just that…"
Charlotte sighed, asking, "I see. Can you tell us what happened?"
I told them what I remembered, trying not to leave out any details.
"I probably awakened and that Magician might have caused it."
"I see… You should rest for a little longer and then we'll… move out."
"Huh? What happened?"
"Apparently, someone from the Existence Bloodline has bought the land and cabin we are currently staying in," Michael explained.
"But why would anyone purchase an abandoned cabin of all things?" I asked, confusion spreading across my face.
"We don't know either but we have to move."