[Chapter 51]
Jin was floating. He didn't know what was below him or what was above him. All he could feel was the chilling water, swallowing him whole. There was no source of light, yet he could see everything clearly. He was unconscious, yet deeply conscious at the same time.
He remembered this place vaguely, or at least what it used to be.
The inner realm...
The thought sent a ripple across the vast ocean.
By the time the thought occurred to him, more coherent thoughts came to him.
Did I fail?
No, this is not my inner realm. Then...
Suddenly, the water rippled again. Countless tiny organisms emerged from the ocean. They were locusts, their bodies tainted with a dark, musky hue.
...What?
Spreading their translucent pairs of wings, they flew toward him and then into him. Each insect had a memory from a different day. Some contained an echo of happiness, while others had nothing but misery. But not a single one of them hurt him.
Instead, he could feel himself becoming whole again, as if he had been just a part of a larger puzzle.
He opened his eyes, only to find himself in a half-destroyed building. The concrete hung off the deformed steel bars, shielding his family from the Surge creature outside.
My family?
He turned to the person sitting beside him. There, a young man, near Lian's age, sat with his knees to his chest. Riddled with small cuts, his face was covered in soot and dust. Just a look at him told Jin how horrified his brother was.
Brother?
Boom!
The ground shook intensely. Before he could react, the woman on his left pulled him and his brother in a warm embrace, shielding them from the falling debris in the distance. A cloud of dust rose, making him sneeze profusely. Using the end of her sleeve, his mother wiped the snot off his nose.
Looking down at his trembling figure, she spoke with a wavering smile.
"D... Don't worry, Lian. Yes... Your dad will be here soon. Just... hang in there."
But Jin knew it as well that his mother was just as scared as he was. Perhaps even more, since she was aware of their situation.
These are not my memories... they are Lian's...
The scenery changed.
He was sitting in a small room now. A thin sliver of pale gold cut through the suffocating darkness. It crept across the cold stone floor, a fragile blade of light born from the gap beneath the door.
"Are you insane?! That boy has already lost his mother. You want him to let go of his father, too?"
Jin had never heard Oliver this enraged before. He lifted his puny hands to cover his ears. However, he could still clearly hear the conversation outside.
"I don't have a choice, Oliver. Running away now will only make things worse. Where can we even run off to? There's nothing outside the city, and as long as we're inside, there's no place where they won't be able to find us."
His father spoke in a subdued tone. The thundering sound of a table breaking in two sent a shiver down his spine.
"You think attempting the fourth trial is any better? What good would it do the boy if you're already dead, huh? For god's sake, you just came back from the third floor."
After a long moment of silence, his father spoke again.
"I know. I was too late. If I had never entered the third trial, or if I had been able to clear it any sooner, Lian's mother... she'd still be alive. He wouldn't have to wake up every night looking for a brother who isn't there anymore. It is all my fault..."
Oliver clicked his tongue.
"Words won't help him recover from what he has endured, you half-wit. He needs his father now of all times."
Lian's father replied in a calm tone.
"That's why I'm asking you to take him in. I can no longer be his family. Even if I ended up going against the government, I won't be able to fill the gap his mother has left behind. I—"
The scenery changed once again.
Huff... Huff...
He was running.
What? Wasn't I—
Out of nowhere, someone pulled him into a narrow alley. He was about to scream, but a calloused hand covered his mouth.
Looking behind, he found John shaking his head, as if telling him to stay quiet. Jin complied, pulling John's hand down to catch his breath. Drenched in sweat, he pulled on the collar of his tunic, letting a little air cool him down.
John whispered in a low voice.
"So, did you get it?"
Glancing at him briefly, Jin pulled a wooden box out of his back pocket. An intricate set of runes was etched on its surface, the material itself far more than just durable. Handing it over to John, he spoke in a weary tone.
"What... What do you think it is?"
Examining the box thoroughly, John replied nonchalantly.
"Who gives a crap about what's inside? All I know is that once we get this to the boss, we'll be set for life."
Jin squinted his eyes, studying John. The last few days had put a lot of pressure on him. Not only had he been living like a rat for another gang, but he also ended up stealing something that could possibly cost him his life in the future. Meanwhile, all John cared about was whether the item was still in one piece, which was rather disheartening.
Noticing his gaze, John raised a brow and asked.
"What's up? Oh, I completely forgot about this."
John threw a loaf of bread neatly packed in an old newspaper.
"Eat up. That's going to be the last damned bread you'll ever eat in your life. From now on, we can eat whatever we want. Just imagine it, soup on Mondays, then dessert on Wednesdays..."
Jin smiled unconsciously as he followed behind John.
Huh?
Jin was sitting on top of a two-storied building. He could remember the place being an office that managed the affairs of the industrial district. He raised his head, examining the dozens of factories that sprawled in front of him. He had no clue what was happening in any of them, but he had no other choice but to find his place in this concrete jungle.
That was if he still wanted to leave his previous life behind and earn an honest living.
"It has been a while, Lian."
The sound came from behind. He knew who it was without even looking. Standing back up, he dusted off his clothes and turned to leave the building.
Oliver blocked his way.
"You don't need to keep running. Just come with me."
Jin avoided his gaze.
"Why are you doing this? I was the one who left."
Oliver smiled.
"That's exactly why I'm doing this, Lian... Lian... Lian..."
Jin winced.
"What?"
Slowly opening his eyes, he found Lian's grandmother looking down at him with a distressed look.
"Are you sick? Do you feel like throwing up?"
Jin frowned deeply.
"What? Why would I..."
It took him some time to gather his bearings. Seeing the familiar room, he began to recollect some things. He remembered going to sleep, but there was still no light outside the window.
Lian's grandmother rested the palm of her hand on his forehead.
"Son, you've been asleep for an entire day. Are you sure you're fine?"
Jin felt like his head was about to burst. But as time passed, the pain subsided, allowing him to think coherently. It didn't take him too long to regain his calm.
In the real world, it had only been a day, which was still abnormal. But in his inner realm, it felt like a decade had passed. He remembered a few things, while the rest was a blur.
Constantly overusing the Demonic qi and then suppressing the side effects solely with his will had finally ended up costing him. The mental strain had been more than he could have ever imagined. Lian's memory had crashed onto his consciousness like a tide. All his efforts to keep the two existences away from each other had gone down the gutter.
But now was not the time to think about it.
Shaking his head, he asked in an even tone.
"Is it already dinner time?"
His grandmother nodded with concern glistening in her eyes.
"You missed both breakfast and lunch. I came in to check if you were fine. Can you try standing up?"
Using the desk beside his bed as support, Jin pushed his body against the floor. It felt as if there was no strength in his legs. But soon, his senses returned, letting him move his body freely again.
Scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment, Jin spoke.
"Um... Can you have dinner without me? I have to go somewhere first."
Hitting his legs with her cane, she spoke furiously.
"What the hell are you talking about? Whatever you have to do can wait for later. I'll be downstairs, don't you dare leave before having dinner. And put on a shirt for god's sake."
It was only then that Jin realized he wasn't even wearing a shirt. Pulling the towel off the window behind him, he covered his torso.
"I... understand. I'll be down in a minute."