THE FIRST SHADOW ENCOUNTER

The Lin family ultimately made the decision to stay for dinner since the fathers had not yet finished their discussion and planning. Xi Chen's father had signaled his mother, who then took a bewildered Gu Xi Ren with her to visit a sudden friend, even though he had just come home from school and was about to ask his brother why he had left earlier. Despite feeling confused and tired, Gu Xi Ren followed his mother out. He was full of curiosity but decided to wait and ask his brother later. Once they had left, the two fathers continued their conversation in the living room, while the two children carried on with their own discussion in Xi Chen's room.

Eventually, it was time for dinner. Father Gu came to call them, and Xi Chen helped set the table while Father Gu brought out the food that Mama Gu had left for them earlier before she departed. As the fathers continued discussing the details of their plans, they agreed that it would be safest for Xi Chen and his family to carry out the move the following day. Meanwhile, Xi Chen and Xin Yi tuned out their fathers' conversation and ate their dinner in silence. After finishing their meal, they placed their plates in the sink and returned to Xi Chen's room.

In Xi Chen's room, the two children resumed their conversation, engaging in their own world of imagination about the new world they just joined and what they would learn and discover when they got to school the next day. Eventually, Xi Chen recalled the presents he had neglected to open earlier and swiftly gathered them, making his way to his bed. His father had gifted him a debit card; the amount of money in it remained a mystery to him, yet he felt grateful for the gesture. His mother had given him a coupon for his favorite store, a place he typically couldn't afford to shop at. The realization of how much overtime and extra work his parents must have taken on to provide him with these gifts filled him with shock and gratitude. He couldn't help but feel a tinge of remorse as well. It was now his turn to improve their lives; they should no longer have to endure such hardships to support their children.

Xi Ren had also gifted him a stylish phone case, which brought him joy. Finally, he reached the last present, sent by Uncle Lin, or rather, as he recently discovered, from Xin Yi. As he unwrapped it, he discovered a brand new, state-of-the-art mobile tablet. Smiling, he turned to Xin Yi and expressed his gratitude for the gift, realizing he had never properly thanked her before. She returned his smile and nodded in acknowledgement of his appreciation. "I actually thought they were from your dad," he remarked. "No, my dad just sends money. I'm the one who sends the gifts," she replied matter-of-factly. "Money?" Xi Chen raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Yes, well...Every year, he gives money as gifts. The last time I heard, he mentioned that your dad was saving it for your college fund, so he decided to add more to it," she continued. "Oh," Xi Chen replied, feeling unsure of what to say next. "I suppose I should thank him again," he finally responded, as it seemed like the only appropriate thing to say in that moment.

Realizing that the conversation had become awkward, Xi Chen changed the topic back to discussing their new status, the orientation class, and what she thought the real class would be like. As they talked, they gradually got to know each other better. Although they couldn't exactly be called friends, they were no longer strangers. Eventually, another curiosity caught Xi Chen's attention.

"By the way, how did I end up saving your life? What happened to you, if you don't mind talking about it?" Before Xin Yi could say anything, Father Gu opened the door and informed them that it was time for Xin Yi to head home, as her father was waiting for her. They both stood up and followed Father Gu back out to where Uncle Lin was waiting.

Xi Chen bowed once again to express his gratitude for everything. Uncle Lin smiled and patted Xi Chen on the back, letting him know that they would be seeing each other more often from now on. Xi Chen smiled back as he bid them both goodnight and let Xin Yi know he would see her in class tomorrow. The Lin family eventually left, leaving Xi Chen and father Gu behind. After saying goodbye to the Lin family, Father Gu felt the desire to have a deeper conversation with Xi Chen. However, upon seeing the exhaustion on Xi Chen's face, Father Gu decided to save it for another time and let Xi Chen rest. Xi Chen went inside and took a refreshing hot shower before collapsing onto his bed once again, completely drained and exhausted. This time, he was utterly depleted, and it didn't take long for him to drift off into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, Father Gu remained in the living room, lost in thought. It was around 9 o'clock when Mother Gu finally returned, accompanied by a completely worn-out Xi Ren. It had been an incredibly stressful day for him. It started with his brother going missing after school. Then he received a call from his brother, instructing him to go home first because he had something important to do, so he couldn’t leave with him. However, when Xi Ren arrived home approximately two hours later, which was how long the bus ride to get home took because of the various stops, he found that his brother was already there. On top of that, their father's boss had unexpectedly come to visit. Before Xi Ren could even set down his bag and take a sip of water, his mother whisked him away to see a friend all of a sudden. It was at that moment that he realized something unusual was happening, but he decided to wait and ask his brother about it later when he returned. However, after school and being dragged to and fro by his mother, Xi Ren was utterly drained. His body was running on fumes, barely functioning, yet he remained intrigued by the mysterious situation at hand and all that had happened today. Quietly, he opened his brother's bedroom door and peered inside, hoping to find him still awake. Discovering his brother in a deep slumber, he decided to postpone his questioning until the next day. Since he had already eaten dinner at their mother's friend's house, he proceeded to the bathroom to freshen up before heading to bed.

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A few hours later, with the house enveloped in silence and everyone fast asleep, Xi Chen's recurring nightmare began once again. This time, it felt even more realistic, as if he could truly sense the hands gripping his ankles and attempting to pull him in. Although these hands were concealed in the shadows, he could clearly distinguish their presence and even make out their sharp claws. Astonished by the level of detail he could perceive, he questioned whether he was still trapped within a dream or if he had indeed awakened. Struggling to comprehend his current state of being, he felt himself gradually being dragged further into the depths towards the dark abyss that the shadow was originating from. Determined, he fought back with all his strength, yet the grip of the hand remained unyielding. In a desperate attempt to free himself, he abruptly sat up and attempted to pry the hands off with his own. However, his efforts proved futile. At this point, Xi Chen had come to realize that he was fully awake and that this was really happening. Then, a sudden burst of inspiration struck him almost instinctively. He visualized all the tiny particles that he had previously captured In the afternoon, in his belly button area. Slowly, he began to transfer these strange particles, which he had figured were a form of energy, from the belly button area to the palms of his hands, mimicking what he had witnessed his father do earlier. With both hands open, he released the particles he had transferred to them, resulting in an unexpected outcome. A beam of light shot out of his hands, illuminating his room even brighter than daytime. The creature that had been tugging at him let out a piercing screech, causing Xi Chen's eardrums to vibrate before it disintegrated into dust and vanished. Xi Chen took deep breaths, coming to the realization of the implication of what just happened: he had just destroyed a deviant, and this was no dream—he had just been attacked. Mixed emotions of fear and fascination overwhelmed him as he contemplated what had just occurred. However, before he could gather his thoughts on what to do next, his parents and brother burst into his room, startled by the loud blast and shriek. Papa Gu quickly assessed the situation, understanding exactly what had transpired. "You've had quite a day, haven't you, son?" he remarked, absorbing all the light in Xi Chen's room with a wave of his hand and plunging it back into darkness. Xi Ren stood there, mouth agape in astonishment, while their father turned on the light switch, commenting that it might be better for Xi Chen to sleep with the light on for now, even though he hated sleeping with the light on. Father Gu approached Xi Chen and asked if he wanted him to stay with him, but Xi Chen, after thinking about it for a while, shook his head and declined, expressing that he would manage on his own. Father Gu hesitated briefly before advising Xi Chen to call out for him if anything else occurred, as he would be awake for the rest of the night. Xi Chen felt sorry for his father, but he understood that no matter what he said, his father would not retire to bed after what just happened and if he had to admit it, secretly, it was reassuring that his dad would be on the look out for him. Overwhelmed by curiosity, Xi Ren was about to approach Xi Chen to inquire about the situation, but their father grabbed him by the collar first. He instructed Xi Ren that Xi Chen had experienced a lot that day and needed rest, promising to explain everything later. He forcefully pulled Xi Ren away while Xi Ren continued to protest and attempt to break free from his grip. Their voices grew quieter as they disappeared into the living room together, Xi Chen wondered what would happen there, it was illegal to inform non awakened about transcendant business but both his mom and brother found out but it was an accident so he wasn’t sure of how that would be dealt with. Eventually he decided to leave it to his dad to figure out, even if they knew, he was sure the both of them could keep it a secret, so it shouldn’t be that much of a problem. Xi Chen was brought back from his thoughts by the footsteps heading towards him. He looked up and finally noticed his mother walking towards him; Unable to simply walk away, Mama Gu had decided to stay right by her son's side, she climbed into bed with Xi Chen and urged him to sleep while she kept watch. Gu Xi Chen wanted to resist, but he was exhausted and not in the mood for a battle of wills with his mother, knowing that she would ultimately prevail. He laid his head back down and although he tried to stay awake more to keep his mother company before he knew it, he drifted off into a deep slumber, deeper and more restful than any sleep he had had in a long time. He woke up the following morning, feeling a sense of rejuvenation that he hadn't experienced in quite some time. The recurring nightmare had not returned, and he wondered if it was because he had finally conquered it. As he turned over in bed, he realized that his mother had already left, likely starting her day early. He got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth before venturing out in his pajamas. To his surprise, his entire family was gathered around the dining table for the second day in a row. He greeted them with a smile and took a seat, patiently waiting for his breakfast.

Interestingly, his brother didn't inquire about the events of the previous day. He simply greeted him as he walked in and seemed fully prepared for school, unlike Xi Chen. Just as Xi Chen was about to rush off to get ready, Father Gu told him to remain seated and finish his meal. It turns out that from now on, a security team would be responsible for picking them up from home and ensuring they arrived at school on time. Xi Chen was momentarily stunned, while his brother couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. Ignoring him, Xi Chen resumed eating. As soon as he finished, a luxurious Cadillac pulled up in their vicinity. "That must be your ride," Father Gu remarked, leaving both Xi Chen and Xiren in utter disbelief this time. Both Xichen and Xiren were taken aback by what they saw. Without uttering a word, Xichen stood up and made his way to his room to prepare for the day. After bidding farewell to their parents, both siblings stepped outside. The driver emerged from the car and courteously opened the door for them. Astonished, they climbed in and settled themselves, marveling at the car's interior. Before they knew it, the driver hopped into the driver's seat and swiftly drove off in the direction of their school. The brothers remained in the backseat, still in disbelief at what was happening.