"Ma Zao, over these past few days, I’ve been investigating your identity," I said. "Not who you are as a visitor from the apocalypse, but rather the identity of the body you're currently using."

"...Hmm."

Ma Zao continued sipping her sweet soy milk, showing no surprise. It was entirely reasonable for a co-conspirator to investigate those around them. She had, after all, rummaged through my room to gather more information about me.

"You likely woke up in some hospital at first, didn’t you? Then you disappeared from the ward right away, probably using the spatial transfer ability you mentioned. But perhaps you don’t know this—your current body originally belonged to someone who also went by the name 'Ma Zao.' She was in a vegetative state, comatose for unknown reasons, and had been unconscious until your arrival."

Hearing this, her ears metaphorically perked up, and her attention became laser-focused.

It seemed this was indeed new information to her, and I had managed to capture her interest.

But the most critical part was yet to come.

"I have a few well-connected friends at university, and I asked them to look into this matter. Though they could only find bits and pieces..." I said, carefully observing her reaction.

As expected of someone untainted by the cynicism bred by the internet, she didn’t show the reflexive suspicion one might have toward my conveniently fabricated 'friends.' Seeing her accept this without question, I pressed on:

"...I heard that the reason the body’s original owner became comatose was due to a mysterious condition known as 'Soul Loss Syndrome.'"

"Soul Loss Syndrome..." she echoed, her expression a mix of confusion and dawning realization.

"I don’t know much about the specifics of this condition," I admitted. "All I’ve heard is that many people are suffering from it. But based on the name, I’ve drawn some inferences..." I continued. "You’ve mentioned before that your soul was damaged and that you’re trying to recover it. So, do you sense another soul within this body—a second soul?"

"I don’t," she replied, shaking her head. "By all logic, a body without a soul should fall into a state of death. However, when I entered this body, it was still functioning normally, yet the original soul seemed to have vanished without a trace."

Her statement was essentially an admission that she was a “soul traverser.”

Perhaps because I had provided her with previously unknown information, she was willing to share more:

"What's more, for some reason, this body is remarkably similar to my original one. The compatibility between it and my soul is extraordinarily high, as if it were tailor-made for me. If the body’s original owner didn’t have her own identity in this world, I might have thought I had traveled here with my own body."

"In that case, could it be possible—" I decided to lay my cards on the table, "*—that you’ve been a person from this world all along, and you just had a nightmare called the ‘apocalypse’? Now, you've finally woken up."

She answered without the slightest hesitation:

"If all of that were just a dream, it wouldn’t explain where my Blessing powers come from."

"How can you prove your Blessing powers are real when you currently can’t use them?" I deliberately pushed further.

"Didn’t you mention earlier? I disappeared from the hospital room using spatial transfer," she replied.

"That’s just hearsay. I put more faith in what I can see with my own eyes."

"...Fine." She thought for a moment and then said, "With my current condition, I should barely be able to use my Blessing powers without harming my soul. I’ll use them to prove it to you."

After saying this, she took one last sip, completely draining the sweet soy milk from the pouch, and then showed me the now-empty package.

I didn’t understand her intent, but I was filled with eager anticipation as I quietly observed.

What happened next utterly convinced me of the truth behind her claim of possessing “Blessing powers.”

She cupped the now-empty packaging in her hands, her gaze focused intently on it. The next moment, the small space where the package rested began to distort visibly, as if the surface of a reflective pool had been violently stirred with a stick.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The distortion lasted only for an instant, and when the space calmed, the sweet soy milk pouch, now refilled, appeared once again in her hands.

—Time had been reversed!

Or… had it really? Could this truly be time reversal? Or was it some other phenomenon that only appeared similar?

How did this relate to "spatial transfer"? Or did her “Blessing powers” encompass more than one type of ability?

Regardless, she had finally fulfilled my long-held expectations. While I had always known she was unique, it wasn’t until this moment that she demonstrated her uniqueness so tangibly before my eyes.

At that instant, she seemed to shine like a beacon in my vision.

“I can’t disclose the core of my abilities to you, but as you can see, this serves as the best proof that my experiences weren’t just a dream,” she said seriously.

“Well, with you going to this extent, I can only believe you,” I replied, admitting defeat before adding, “But what about another possibility: that you’re still someone from this world, but your soul traveled to the apocalypse, where you forgot your true past, and then returned to the present?”

“Forgotten…?”

I had tossed the idea out casually, not expecting much, but to my surprise, she fell into deep thought.

Could it be that I’d struck a chord?

After a moment, she shook her head again. "There's a serious flaw in your explanation. Why would two different eras have two bodies that are so strikingly similar, even having the same name?"

I noted her strange reaction and responded, "Perhaps the apocalypse took place in another world, and you and the original owner of this body are the same person from different worlds. Or maybe the original owner of this body is your mother. After the apocalypse, she gave birth to you, named you after herself, and your similar appearance is because you're mother and daughter."

"Setting aside the first possibility, if it's the second, then wouldn't it mean that my daughter in the future would become me, travel back in time to be my mother, and then give birth to me?" She was initially stunned, then quickly shook her head. "No, no, that kind of absurd cause-and-effect relationship relies on the future staying the same, but my goal is to change the future..."

"You might think all of these assumptions are wild fantasies, but I believe they must be seriously considered," I said, not joking. "Apocalypses, time travel, the bizarre, superpowers... aren't all of these things absurd? Compared to those, are the possibilities I just proposed really that far-fetched?"

"…Perhaps you have a point, but I still can't believe it," she said cautiously. "Also, you mentioned earlier that 'soul-loss syndrome' has many patients..."

"If you really did soul-travel from this era to the apocalypse era and then returned, then soul-loss syndrome might have been the trigger for your crossing. That would mean the souls of other soul-loss syndrome patients might have also traveled to the apocalypse era," I suggested. "Do you have any clues about this?"

"I never heard of anything like time travel in the apocalypse era," she decisively rejected. "And, I was born and grew up in the apocalypse era. Though I’ve forgotten many things from the past, this one thing I am certain of."

"What's the deal with your memory loss?" I felt like I had stumbled upon a crucial piece of information and added, "To figure out if other soul-loss syndrome patients traveled to the apocalypse era, it’s simple. Just tell me the names of the people you knew in the past, and we can cross-reference them with the data on soul-loss syndrome patients."

"Unfortunately, I can’t even remember their names..." She sighed. "Also, Zhuang Cheng, didn’t you say we were going to part ways today? Why are you still speaking as if we’ll continue working together in the future?"

With that, she fell silent.

It seems my "interview" hasn't passed yet.

I had no choice but to remain patient and continue with the original plan. I took her to the nearby aquarium.

The Xianshui City Aquarium required a ticket for entry, and buying the ticket required showing an ID. Needless to say, Ma Zao didn’t have an ID. However, since I was an adult and she was a minor, I could buy her ticket along with mine.

I couldn't remember the last time I had visited an aquarium; it must have been many years ago, probably during a class outing in elementary school. As we entered the exhibition corridor, it felt like stepping back into my childhood. On both sides were transparent glass walls, behind which various sea creatures swam. The dimly lit corridor was filled with shimmering waves, creating a dreamy, romantic atmosphere.

Ma Zao followed closely behind me, curiously watching the marine animals swimming around. She couldn't help but ask, "Is it necessary to show an ID when entering this place?"

"Yes, but it's normal for someone your age not to have an ID yet. As long as I help you buy the ticket by going in first, it's fine," I continued to demonstrate my value. "There are plenty of places like this in today's society."

She must have seen through my intentions and spoke in a tone of persuasion, "Zhuang Cheng, being with me will only bring you misfortune.

"Maybe in your heart, you're thinking that even if things go wrong, you can always back out later. But the bad influence I bring won’t disappear quickly. For example... do you still have contact with your friends?"

She was likely referring to Chang An... I replied, "We only met once after he came to knock on my door last time."

"Then, even if my influence affects the people around me, he should be fine by now," she said confidently. "But you're different, Zhuang Cheng. This is the fifth day we've known each other. Even if I leave you now, you'll still need to wait a long time before the influence is completely gone. We can't continue to be together."

"Why can't I, but your friend can?" I retorted.

She seemed completely caught off guard by my sudden question. "What?"

"You mentioned the apocalypse for the first time and talked about having a friend. But when 'the Great Demon' was chasing you, you couldn't escape with your friend and ended up accidentally transferring to this era instead."

I had never forgotten every word she had mentioned in front of me.

"Or were you just saying it casually, and there was no such friend? If they truly existed, why can't I be your friend?"