“It’s exceedingly rare for a soul to shatter and recover, Mr. Moore! A dical examination is essential to prepare for any potential side effects!”
“Damn it. Let it go! The problem’s resolved, what more is there to inspect?”
“Don’t refuse! It’s just a precaution!”
What a farce this was. There was nothing amusing about the situation. I stood at the doorway, watching his dical examination unfold, when our eyes t.
Liam gestured desperately. Save .
I clenched my fist, showing my support. Hang in there.
Liam’s eyes widened, and he began to stir. It seed he might push through the crowd and co towards . Considering he had nearly died, I didn’t quite fancy him springing up and dashing about, so I quickly turned and grabbed the doorknob.
“Wait, Jane!”
“Miss Jane needs to rest, man! After all she’s done!”
“Jane!”
Owen interjected just in ti, allowing to leave the room without any burden.
I felt a bit sorry for abandoning Liam… But those people scared too.
As I was about to close the door, Herschel Hopkins grabbed the doorknob and followed out. Honestly, I was surprised. I thought Herschel would be rejoicing over Liam’s safe return, spending his ti with his ntor, not following . But I was too exhausted for any argunt.
“How long was I in there after I entered?”
“It took over two hours, Miss Jane.”
Herschel responded politely, his voice tinged with a faint guilt, which I chose not to address.
Liam’s past haunted him like a specter—it felt like I had been with him for more than a week, yet it was rely a little over two hours. Is perception of ti so relative?
Ignoring the rising questions, I started walking aimlessly, pressing my feet firmly against the plush corridor carpet.
I needed sowhere to cool my head, so alone ti. I wanted to rest, to lie down and sleep. I wished Herschel would just stop following .
‘He is too curious.’
That thought whispered in my head. I thought such conversations were only possible in dreams, but here it was, speaking to , in reality. I silently asked:
‘What happened inside there.’
The voice began to explain patiently.
It helped realize that an ordinary person without magic would be crushed to death if they walked into that storm. Owen had a reason for his warnings. He had said, ‘If a commoner went in there.’ Was Herschel curious about how I survived?
‘You’re too keen, Jane. It’s worrying.’
Oh, whose fault is that? I grimaced crookedly.
This unrealistic ga turned my world upside down. If I hadn’t been lured into playing ‘Misty London’ as a beta tester—supposedly set in the 19th century—I would have been comfortably resting in my 21st-century room. In this ga, my ordinary way of thinking was completely altered, and I had to beco accustod to mysteries and the unknown.
Herschel was still by my side, visibly anxious about the possibility of collapsing.
‘Great leaders, or ntors, have a knack for making people nervous.’
Eventually, I stopped walking and sighed.
“Professor.”
Herschel also stopped and looked at , his voice slow in response.
“Yes.”
His eyes, filled with guilt as if he couldn’t bear stopping from entering Liam Moore’s recovery room.
I asked nonchalantly.
“It wasn’t ant for just anyone to enter, right?”
Herschel’s face paled as if soone had splashed bleach on it.
“How did you…”
I didn’t bother to explain. It wasn’t necessary.
Herschel seed relieved just knowing Liam was safe and active; the trauma of losing soone makes people irrational. I know that well.
“Does it matter how I know? What’s important is that Liam is safe.”
“But Miss Jane, I…”
What, you pushed towards death? But that was just trying to grab a rotten lifeline.
I had no intention of listening to their further excuses. I interrupted Herschel.
“I know. Liam is your priority.”
And so was he to .
I quietly looked out the window. The landscape was unfamiliar, borrowing only the na Greenwich, yet existing nowhere on Earth. The scenery had not changed in a mont: dawn and dusk coexisted, clouds frozen in ti. I suddenly said,
“I went into the ntal realm.”
“The ntal realm?”
“Liam’s ntal realm was a desert. With falling snow.”
Herschel stumbled over his words, looking as if he didn’t expect to understand such concepts.
Yeah, I agree. I wouldn’t have known for a lifeti if I hadn’t ‘directly’ encountered El….
“Since when, Miss Jane?”
Herschel looked terrified. I feigned ignorance.
“What do you an?”
“Since when have you known these things….”
Ah. I see. Herschel Hopkins was worried I had undergone the sa ordeal as him. Perhaps, being possessed by ‘The Black King.’
An interesting assumption. Of course, imagining myself as a minion to that dreadful entity was revolting. Just the thought made nauseous, like stepping into a bed of maggots.
I tried to reply. Not long, but it’s okay. The sa things.
“That’s true. But don’t worry. I haven’t been possessed by him.”
Yet, these words spilled out against my will. My eyes narrowed.
The five letters I had just blurted out matched exactly the rhythm Liam had spoken before. How they escaped my lips, I couldn’t say, but one thing was clear: they were The Black King’s na. Its bizarre, song-like quality was impossible to mimic in human language. I knew that na. I even spoke it without hesitation.
Distant thunder rumbled, as if warning for uttering that na.
I felt no sense of impending doom, but Herschel did. He called out my na in fear.
“Miss Jane.”
“Yes. Speak, Professor.”
“You’ve crossed a boundary.”
Those who cross boundaries can always sense such dissonance. Herschel had noticed sothing different about .
“That knowledge, then…”
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not sothing I gained at a loss.”
Herschel continued to look at with concern.
“Did you gain power?”
I looked at my fingertips.
Power? No.
To be brutally honest, I was still ‘helpless.’ Given that the threat was none other than ‘The Black King,’ I doubted that catching a few marauding raiders could protect . In front of such entities, I was no different than a re ant.
“Unfortunately, no. I only gained ‘understanding’ of the situation.”
“The greatest power of all.”
“No, Professor. It’s a curse.”
I muttered coldly as Herschel flinched. Regardless, I found this very cumberso.
Now, knowing the risks of knowing, I could fully empathize with Liam and Herschel.
Understanding is madness. It would be easier to think of it as rely night and cover it up, but for humans who must see the flesh lurking nearby by holding up a torch, understanding is akin to a curse. Once it manifests and reveals the horrifying and ugly truths hidden in the dark, a person goes mad.
Maybe that’s why my thoughts had beco so similar to Liam’s. I had beco a colder person. I instinctively knew I had to look at everything dryly.
So, I asked in an unconcerned tone.
“Liam’s awake. Why are you still here?”
Herschel cleared his throat and scratched his cheek.
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