Iceland, at the base of the Hof Glacier, 2 AM local ti on August 29th.
"Restricted-level Superpower User, Number 1002—Ji... Ji... Ming... Ming..."
A hoarse voice emanated from the penguin-like broadcast device, much like a TV losing signal. The voice stuttered, twitching intermittently, sending chills down one's spine.
Ji Minghuan woke up in response, opening his eyes to stare quietly at the penguin broadcast on the ceiling in the darkness. After a long mont, the eerie sound finally ceased.
For a mont, the confinent room beca as silent as the deep sea, so quiet that one could hear a ringing in their ears.
"What just happened, is every piece of equipnt from the Salvation Society so amateurish..."
Ji Minghuan muttered, slowly getting up, and sat on the bed, looking around with confusion.
Usually, when the ntor made an announcent, the lights in the confinent room would light up first, waking him from sleep, but now the room was pitch dark with no sign of light.
Just as he was thinking this, the large door in his view slowly opened. The rumbling sound drowned out the ringing in his ears, and at this mont, a deserted corridor appeared before him.
Ji Minghuan looked on in puzzlent, seeing the blinding light sweeping through the corridor, yet it was deserted and devoid of any figures.
"Old man, what kind of tricks are you playing now?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at the corridor as he questioned the broadcast device overhead.
However, this ti, the ntor did not answer his question.
The confinent room was silent, as was the corridor. Ji Minghuan squinted his eyes, sitting silently on the bed for a while, but no researchers appeared from the outside.
After a while, seeing no results from waiting, Ji Minghuan got off the bed, and bare-footed, he began walking step by step out of the confinent room.
He walked into the endless curtain of light.
The halo washed over his face like a tide. He closed his eyes, extending his hand to touch the wall, and continued to walk along the wall's edge. A mont later, his right hand suddenly found a gap on the wall. Although he had his eyes closed and couldn't see clearly, he guessed it was a room.
The door was open. Ji Minghuan raised an eyebrow, stopped his steps, and turned to walk into the room.
Turning his back to the curtain of light, he slowly opened his eyes, and at this mont, he saw a gaunt boy. The boy was curled up in the corner, hugging his knees, head bowed, his bangs covering his eyes, and muttering sothing softly.
Ji Minghuan recognized this boy; they had t once before. This was the holder of the mythical phenonon "Zeus"—Wu Qingjie.
After a while, Wu Qingjie looked up at Ji Minghuan, his expression nervous.
"What's wrong with you?" Ji Minghuan asked curiously, staring into his eyes, "You look like you're in pain."
"I thought you wouldn't co to see . I've always wanted to play with you all," Wu Qingjie murmured, managing a faint smile on his pale face, "but you never co to find , not once..."
Ji Minghuan lowered his gaze, explaining, "The ntor said you needed solitude, so we never sought you out."
"I need friends, not solitude... I've been alone too much and for too long."
"Are you alright?"
"I'm not... not at all. It feels like my brain is about to split," Wu Qingjie muttered, "That person full of lightning keeps talking to , but I can't hear clearly. He seems to be reminding of sothing, but I can't hear anything clearly... I don't want to listen either, it's so tiring."
Hearing this, Ji Minghuan suddenly thought of Yanmo Lin, but she deserved it, while Wu Qingjie was innocent, only falling into such a state because he was forced to have a fragnt of Zeus implanted in him.
Wu Qingjie paused, lowering his head suddenly, "Thank you for coming to see ... no one has ever co to see ."
Ji Minghuan remained silent for a while, then sat down next to him, leaning against the wall.
"You're called 'Wu Qingjie,' right?"
"Yes."
"If you could leave here, what would you want to do?"
"Make friends, friends who won't be afraid of ," Wu Qingjie said softly, "I know you won't be friends with , but please don't tell others I'm dangerous, or they won't want to be friends with either..."
Ji Minghuan stayed silent.
After a long ti, he lowered his voice, "I'm sorry, I always thought you were a ntal patient before... so I listened to the ntor and ignored you."
Wu Qingjie shook his head, "I am a ntal patient... he keeps talking to , and I can't focus on anything. The thunder is so loud, his voice is so loud, sotis the ringing in my ears is so loud I can't even hear what you're saying."
He said hoarsely, "Why is the ntor so good to you but so bad to ? Is it because I'm unstable, not a good kid? But I've tried hard to listen to him... I want to be like you, but I just can't."
"In the ntor's eyes, we're actually all the sa."
"Really?"
"Yes." Ji Minghuan nodded, "In his eyes, we're just..." He paused, knowing he couldn't speak the truth, or Wu Qingjie would either be electrocuted or controlled by the brand in his mind.
So he turned to Wu Qingjie and changed the subject, "Anyway, it'll all be over in a few days... whether good or bad, everything will end in a few days, and then you'll be relieved, no longer in this pain."
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