The happiness in Valley No. 4 didn't last long.
Bai Ling had planned to return to his residence in the Hub District, but it was obvious Angelina needed to stay with Jelperta.
Bai Ling wasn't sure whether, across such a great distance, something might go wrong if Angelina wasn't accompanied—so in the end, he returned to the Dijiang.
Now he sat on a sofa in the reception lounge, two freshly poured cups of hot water set on the table in front of him.
Across from him, Angelina and Jelperta sat side by side—two pairs of identical, wine-red sparkling eyes staring at him in perfect unison.
For some reason, the scene reminded him of an interrogation room.
Though a normal interrogation room probably didn't come with such pretty foxes as its judges.
"So…" Angelina leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "Mr. Bai Ling, you can tell us now, right? What's the deal with this summoning?"
Bai Ling went silent for two seconds, then lifted his cup and took a sip.
"Why are you asking?"
"Curiosity." Angelina blinked. "I got yanked from Terra straight to here. I opened my eyes and saw you and Jelperta, and a girl who looked a lot like Eyjafjalla—only then I found out it was Eldera. If that happened to anyone, they'd want answers."
Bai Ling glanced at Jelperta. She wasn't speaking, but her eyes held the same curiosity.
"And," Angelina continued, "didn't you say you were the one who summoned me? Then I want to know how you dragged me over. What if next time you accidentally drag something terrifying here?"
"…That's a pretty weird train of thought," Bai Ling said.
"Thanks for the compliment."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Jelperta spoke quietly beside her. "Mr. Bai Ling, actually… I want to know too. Miss Eyjafjalla and Miss Talulah both came the same way, and then left the same way. Can this ability… really be controlled?"
Bai Ling set down his cup and considered how to explain.
"Simply put—" he raised his left hand. The fox-shaped mark on the back of it was clearly visible under the light. "This command seal is the connection. It can pull the 'original body' from Terra to Talos-II, provided that…"
He paused, looking at Angelina.
"Provided that?" she echoed.
"Provided I've made contact with a 'Returning Traveler.'" Bai Ling continued, "Earlier, Eldera summoned Eyjafjalla through me. Jelperta summoned you. As for Talulah… she had additional conditions, so her case was different."
Angelina tilted her head. "So I came here because of Jelperta?"
"Right."
"And if I go back… can I come again?"
"In theory… yes." Bai Ling thought it over. "As long as after you return, Jelperta touches me again."
Jelperta's ears reddened slightly.
Angelina's eyes, however, lit up. "Then let's test it now!"
"…Test what?"
"Test me going back, and then having you summon me again!" Angelina sprang to her feet, buzzing with excitement. "That way we'll know whether your ability is actually reliable!"
Bai Ling stared at her in silence for three full seconds.
"You're serious?"
"Of course!" Angelina said as if it were obvious. "One of a courier's principles is… if something's uncertain, try it first."
"What kind of principle is that…"
"I just made it up."
Jelperta tugged anxiously at Angelina's sleeve. "Isn't that too risky? What if you can't come back?"
"You'll be fine." Angelina patted her hand, confidence overflowing. "Look—Mr. Bai Ling said I came because of you. That means you're my anchor point. If my anchor is here, how could I get lost?"
Jelperta froze, then fell silent.
Watching them, Bai Ling suddenly felt… maybe it really wasn't that big of a deal.
If she wasn't afraid, why should he be?
"Fine." He stood. "If you want to try, we'll try—but not here. We'll go to the training hall. If anything goes wrong, at least we won't blow up the reception room."
"Okay!" Angelina grabbed Jelperta's hand. "Let's go, let's go!"
It was called a training hall, but it was really just a wide open room—reinforced walls on all sides, shock-absorbing materials laid across the floor. Operators used it to practice Originium Arts, and sometimes to spar.
Bai Ling stood at the entrance. Eldera had appeared at some point as well, quietly taking her place at his side.
In the center of the hall, Angelina and Jelperta faced each other.
"Ready?" Angelina asked.
Jelperta nodded—then shook her head. "What… do I need to do?"
"Nothing." Angelina smiled. "Just stand here. Watch me."
Then she turned to face Bai Ling.
"Mr. Bai Ling—if I disappear, try summoning me with that command seal, okay?"
Bai Ling lowered his eyes to the back of his hand. The fox mark was still there, faintly glowing.
"…Should be fine."
"Good!" Angelina took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
The hall went quiet for a few seconds.
Then her body began to glow.
It was a gentle light—pale gold, like the sun at dusk. The radiance spread outward from her, slowly wrapping her whole form.
Jelperta unconsciously took a step forward—then stopped, forcing down the urge to reach out.
Angelina opened her eyes and smiled at her.
"Don't worry. I'll be back in—"
Before she finished, the light snapped inward.
Angelina vanished from where she stood.
The training hall was silent enough to hear a pin drop.
Jelperta stared at the empty space, her hand still half-raised as if trying to grab someone.
"…Angie?" she whispered.
No response.
Bai Ling strode forward and raised his left hand. The fox mark remained, but its glow was far dimmer than before.
"How is it?" Eldera stepped up beside him, asking softly.
Bai Ling fixed his gaze on the mark, sensing carefully.
"It's still there," he said. "The connection isn't broken—just… she's far away."
"Far?"
"Like there's something in between." Bai Ling frowned. "Farther than when Eyjafjalla or Talulah returned. Much farther."
Jelperta turned, eyes rimmed faintly red. "Mr. Bai Ling… she—"
"Don't panic." Bai Ling cut her off. "I'll try."
He closed his eyes and focused on the fox mark.
Summon.
The word surfaced in his mind like instinct.
The mark flared, its light far brighter than before.
An invisible force surged out of the seal, stretching toward some distant point…
And then the light detonated.
Bai Ling's vision swam for an instant.
When he came back to himself, Angelina was standing in the center of the hall again.
She held the same pose as before she vanished—her expression blank with confusion.
"…Huh?"
Jelperta froze—then rushed forward and hugged her hard.
"You're back!"
Angelina nearly lost her breath, but still laughed and patted her back. "See? I told you I'd be back soon."
Jelperta said nothing—only tightened her arms.
Bai Ling stood aside, watching, and quietly tucked his left hand behind his back.
When the light exploded just now, he'd clearly felt the command seal consume something—along with a strange sensation he couldn't quite name.
He glanced down.
The fox mark was still there, but all its luster had faded. Only a final pinpoint of light remained at its center—barely maintaining the connection.
Eldera noticed his movement. "Senior… are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Bai Ling shook his head. "I just realized something… interesting."
Over there, Angelina finally wriggled free of Jelperta's embrace and walked up to Bai Ling.
"Mr. Bai Ling!"
"Mm?"
"When I went back just now, I saw something."
Bai Ling blinked. "What did you see?"
For once, Angelina looked genuinely serious.
"Rhodes Island. I saw Rhodes Island—and it wasn't the Rhodes Island from when I left."
She paused, organizing her thoughts.
"It was Rhodes Island from some period. Lots of people. Very lively. I saw Doctor Warfarin writing something. I saw Amiya running down the corridor, and I saw…"
She looked straight at Bai Ling.
"A person in a black robe. He had his back to me, so I couldn't see his face—but it felt like… he noticed my gaze."
Bai Ling fell silent for several seconds.
"I don't know who he is," Angelina said, shaking her head. "But I feel like… he might know something."
The training hall quieted.
Jelperta stepped up beside Angelina and gently held her hand.
Angelina smiled at her, then turned back to Bai Ling.
"Mr. Bai Ling… your Originium Art might not be as simple as 'summoning.'"
Bai Ling didn't answer.
He lowered his eyes to the fox mark on the back of his hand—and remembered the contents of Warfarin's letter.
Rhodes Island, main ship—inside an archive room.
Eyjafjalla set down her pen, lifted her head, and looked toward the window.
Just now, in that instant, she had felt a familiar fluctuation.
Very faint—but undeniably there.
After confirming it, she smiled, lowered her head, and continued working.
....
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