Pov: Lina
His vocal cords were almost burned, but he still held my hand. Before I could say anything, he put a device on my wrist. I don't know what he did, but the next thing I remembered was a pale blue light wrapping around me. Then a large ball of purple fire shot toward my father, engulfing him. Before I could run to him, my whole body was teleported. I found myself in the back alleys of an unknown city.
I was lost in this new city. What haunted me most was the realization that I had forgotten some memories. I could not recall the earlier incident when my family estate was attacked. I only remembered that I had somehow teleported to this city and needed to get back to my family.
So, I kept roaming around the city, sometimes approaching authorities and sometimes nearby people. However, no one believed me because of my dirty clothes and appearance. Apparently, I had been teleported into a dumpster, which explained my state.
I also had no money or valuables on me, and I could not use my cultivation and powers. It felt like I had forgotten everything about my abilities. It was as if I couldn't access my computer because I had forgotten my password.
Then I received help. I was standing at the gate of a cheap restaurant, looking at the food because I was very hungry. I hesitated about whether to eat there.
Some people mistook me for a beggar and tried to give me food and money, which led to an argument. In the middle of the commotion, a white-haired man first thought I was just a bullied beggar, then he wondered if I was some kind of mental patient.
But after a while, he recognized me as Lina Rosewell. He was kind and, upon realizing my identity, gave me some money to contact my family. Not wanting to stay there any longer, I walked away and soon reached a phone store. I bought a Myphone. It was cheap, but with what I had, it was the best I could do.
After buying the phone, the first thing I did was call my father. Unfortunately, I could not remember anything about him, not even his number. There was something wrong with my memory.
Fortunately, I remembered the phone number of my family estate, so I called it. However, all my efforts were in vain; no one picked up no matter how many times I tried. Then I recalled the number of my father's secretary. I called her, and this time someone picked up.
With excitement, I said, "Hello, Rita, can you hear me? I got lost in an unknown city. Can you please ask someone to pick me up? Also, please inform my father that I am safe and he doesn't need to panic."
But the voice on the other end was not Rita. It was a man who said, "Miss Rita is dead. I am Nathan, chief security officer of this kingdom."
I was stunned and asked, "What happened to her?"
Nathan replied, "It was an unfortunate incident. She was present when the Rosewell family was attacked."
I don't know why, but hearing about the attack on my family made my head throb as if someone were hitting it with a hammer. Still managing the pain, I asked, "Sir! What happened to the Rosewell family?"
Nathan said, "It was a massacre. All the people present at the Rosewell family estate were killed. Even the children and animals were not spared."
"Why? What about Jason Rosewell? Who did it?" I pressed.
"Ma'am, Jason Rosewell is dead. Only his half-burned corpse was recovered. As for who did it, earlier proof and investigation suggest it was perpetrated by his daughter, Lina Rosewell. Apparently, she colluded with some foreign beings to gain power."
I dropped the phone as it slipped from my hands. I didn't hear much after that. The news of my father's death and me being framed was
overwhelming and made my head spin.
Memories began to flood back, some hazy, but I recalled the attack on my family estate by an unknown power. I couldn't even remember the faces of the attackers.
Then I remembered finding my father buried under the debris of the destroyed building. I could still see his half-burned face and how he used his last card to teleport me.
Tears flowed from my eyes as I cried silently. My father sacrificed himself to save me. He could have used that teleportation to save himself. Why did he have to use it on me?
Why was I the only survivor? After crying for about an hour, I tried to regain my sanity and picked up my phone again. This time, I was in an alley in the city.
I tried calling that number again, but no one picked up. I searched for news about the Rosewell family and found photos of my estate in ruins, as if it had been bombed for a whole day.
More than that, everyone claimed that the mastermind behind the massacre was Lina Rosewell. But I hadn't done anything; my memory was too unclear. I couldn't even remember the events of that day.
I cried more when some tough-looking people approached me. They used some kind of drug on me, and I fell unconscious. I drifted into a dream where I got injured on my leg while chasing a pony. My father was so scared that he wouldn't let me walk.
I remembered him carrying me in his arms when I said I wanted to visit the garden or anywhere else. Slowly, I regained consciousness and realized someone had carried me. I unconsciously thought it was my father.
After that, I became drowsy again, but when I woke up, I found myself fully conscious in some kind of manor. I was on a sofa, and in front of me was the same white-haired man who had given me money to contact my family.