‘Sure,’ said Zhe in a rather indifferent tone which left Li mildly annoyed. The two of them walked out of the courtyard (the exit was obvious, since it was a large door right in front of them) and Li took him to his room.
It wasn’t huge, but compared to his old apartment, it felt like an entire building. The room was empty, with a circular window on the opposite side with wooden window grids shaped like a plus sign. The floor felt like it was made of wood, with a jute layer on top making it a little comfortable to sit on.
‘Enjoy your stay, I guess,’ said Li, leaving the room.
The door closed, and Zhe was left with himself and his own thoughts. He laid down on the floor.
Sigh.
A lot had happened over the past few weeks, too much in fact. Should he be grateful to her? He should, but he wasn’t sure. Perhaps death would have been kinder? Why did I come here, again? He stared blankly at the wooden ceiling above, at the lamp in the centre illuminating the entire room. It radiated a bright, warm glow.
Honestly, he didn’t know how to feel. He should be happy, grateful that he survived, that he was saved, or perhaps he should seek vengeance, be in a state of constant rage and sadness, vowing to bring destruction and despair to those who did him wrong, yet he simply felt numb.
‘I’m tired.’
He heard a knock. ‘Come in.’ She slid the door open (it was one of those sliding paper doors common in East Asia).
‘Look homeless,’ said Li.
‘Sorry?’
‘Look homeless.’
Zhe was confused as to what she meant, wondering if he heard her wrong.
She then sighed, took out a pair of scissors, and started cutting holes in his t-shirt.
‘H-hey!’
Zhe tried to retaliate, but she simply ignored him, and after she was done, she took out some dirt and rubbed it all over him.
‘What the—!’
‘Don’t tell anyone that you’re from a different world, got it?’
Zhe, now finally free from her clutches, coughs out the little dirt that went in his mouth.
‘You said that before,’ he said.
‘And I’m saying it again. Now, follow me.’
‘Li-like this?’
‘Exactly like this.’
Zhe had a bad feeling about this. At a glance, Li would appear quiet and composed, but she was rather playful and clever. She wouldn’t do anything to harm him, but she did like to amuse herself at times.
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He followed her, wondering what stunt she was about to pull off.
The two of them eventually stopped in front of a huge door. She knocked. ‘I’m here, father.’
Father? That would mean the person on the other side was the current head of the Qing Huan Alliance.
Zhe gulped at the thought. He knew he would meet him eventually, but not that he would so soon. What was he even supposed to say? He couldn’t tell that he was from another world, so what else? Think! Think! Damn it! You should have told me that we were meeting your Dad. He was from a different nation? Which one? Artir, yes! He came up with the name on the spot, there is no way that a nation by that name would exist. He needed to simply say that he was from Artir, a nation that is far, far away from here, and had lost his way. He had nothing there, so he has no desire to return. Perfect!
‘Come in.’
Shivers ran down his spice as a menacing voice spoke. Sweat dripped down his forehead. The hell is that? He had never witnessed something like this before. In his old world, there were times when he found himself around people with authority, but never once did he ever lose his composure, yet right now he was struggling to even stand straight. He had felt fear before, at least he thought he had, but it was much too clear that he hadn’t.
Instinctively, his foot stepped back.
She slid open the paper door. ‘Follow me,’ said a voice that felt so distant yet so clear. His peripheral vision turned dark. The entire world was shaking. He could only see her lips, not even her whole silhouette, and those lips moved, as if they were telling him something, but the loud, high-pitched ringing in his ears made it impossible for him to hear.
Run, screamed every inch of his body, yet his feet were frozen in place. The face turned back at him. Their lips moved again. What were they saying again?
The entire world turned dark. His consciousness left his body, to a realm of absolute nothingness.
Darkness.
Eternal darkness.
‘-he!’
Huh?
‘Zhe!’
Is someone calling me?
‘Zhe!’
He opened his eyes.
Huh?
‘Are you alright? You don’t look so good.’
His vision was a little blurry, yet he could still make out the face in front of him, and the look of genuine concern plastered on it.
‘Li?’ he said in a tired voice.
‘You were saying?’
He heard another voice, one that he heard not too long ago, yet it sounded…normal? It was still deep and menacing, but it sounded like any other person in a high position. There were no shivers that ran down his spine, or anything as such.
What was that? he wondered.
‘Yes, he’s the guy I found on the streets.’
I’m sorry?
‘And you decided to bring him to the Royal Palace.’
‘Yes.’
‘You do understand your position, my daughter?’
‘I do.’
The menacing voice sighed.
‘What should I do with you?’
‘Absolutely nothing.’
What on Earth? He couldn’t get a good look; the room was exceptionally dark, lit only by a small candle on a stick that barely gave off any light. The most he could see was one of his eyes, emerald, the same as Li’s.
Yet even when he couldn’t see him, he could definitely feel his authority. Even if he didn’t feel the same air he did before, it was still crystal clear—he needed to tread cautiously around him. This was the current head of the Qing Huan Alliance—the Patriarch, Qing Fuan Wei.