Chapter 41
Its voice was urgent—I mean, the feeling it gave me in this electronic tone. I was somewhat surprised what could possibly make a voice that was usually known for its mechanical quality sound so anxious.
And why use electronic sounds.
It could directly understand my thoughts. After reading my opinion, it quickly calmed the barely perceptible tension.
"Are you very busy lately? You haven't called me even once."
I countered with, "I don't think I have any reason to contact you, do I?"
It didn't say anything, and the atmosphere became a little awkward for a moment. I laughed and said, "Just kidding. You can see that I haven't been feeling very well lately. By the way, you said you were 'omniscient' before, so can you answer my questions?"
Its tone rose, and it said to me, "That's why I've come. I know what you were dreaming about, but I can't tell you; it involves the truth of the matter."
"Do you remember? I told you that some things can only be seen after you develop a deeper connection with the world. When you can feel sorrow for the people in this world, joy for every blade of grass and tree that lives here, or feel that it has its own worth, when you develop a genuine love for this world from your heart, then you can approach the truths of this world that you have locked out."
It certainly hit the nail on the head right from the start. But I wondered, "Before this—and now—haven't I loved this world enough?"
I didn't expect it to say that to me. And this passage seems somewhat familiar, especially the last sentence; I feel like I've heard it somewhere before.
"You've now passed that point because you've been moved. Even though you haven't shown it, as people here show you kindness, your heart tilts towards the world every moment. Therefore, you will face more... much more. Not concealment, but the truth."
Ward's tone was serious: "You know, you have a seed inside you."
“Yes, there is a seed inside me,” I said. “What does that have to do with what I still have to face?”
"In your previous world, there was a plant called the World Tree. The seed within you is similar in nature to it, but carries a greater responsibility because it appeared at a different time. In other words, because of this seed, you bear the responsibility of saving this world."
"..."
This is big news. I thought. This is too strange. How can they really let an outsider be the "savior"? I'm not the kind of person who can shoulder this responsibility, whether I love this world or not. I looked around warily, pretending I could see Ward.
"You can't see me anymore." Ward seemed to have temporarily abandoned his previous statement, speaking to me in a casual tone, "But you can see me now. Do you want to see me? I still respect your decision on that. Oh right, about my special ability I mentioned earlier, I can help you see your past world, the present world that's happening in parallel, and its future. Do you want to see it?"
"Why are you treating me like this?" I thought for a moment and politely declined, "I don't want to see your face right now."
I think its appearance should be as elusive as its real name, not easily seen by others. Facing it, I know nothing.
“You don’t want to hear that reason again,” Ward said, sounding annoyed. “The other reason is that you’re the only one in the world who can see me. I like being around people who can see me; these people usually have special abilities, whether they’re aware of them or not.”
It didn't dwell on the topic, but said enthusiastically, "Want to see? My abilities have improved; seeing those things is a piece of cake for me. If it makes you trust me more, it's a win-win situation. Want to see? Their lives, you know? Your dreams are all related to them. You can see the past, present, and future. But because it would cause you pain, I've toned it down. However, whenever you see it again, the corresponding scenes will reappear in your mind. Want to see?"
Its clear voice was deliberately lowered, the boy's voice so low it was almost bewitching, showing an indescribable sense of mismatch, and thus creating a certain ethereal feeling.
I nodded involuntarily: "Okay."
I do indeed want to know about those "forgotten" things.
My feelings are conflicted. On one hand, I can't help but recall the lingering pain I felt, and on the other hand, I inexplicably hope they are happy. I hope they can feel happy. Since I was truly a burden to them when I was there, they should naturally be happier without me.
My wish for their happiness outweighed the pain that permeated my soul.
"Alright!" It abruptly interrupted my thoughts, its indescribably lively voice speaking rapidly, as if it wanted to shatter my brain like shrapnel from a grenade. "You can see it now! In your mind, don't think about anything else!"
It paused, then explained to me: "These things don't belong to this world. To see them, you must clear away anything related to this world. Memories are the easiest things to tamper with; they can easily make you feel trapped by what you perceive as familiarity. But in reality, it's just your subconscious at work... Remember, that place doesn't belong to you. It's all fake."
It then said, "I'm adjusting the sound. You know... when I first arrived, I had an electronic voice. It might sound a little strange when I adjust it, and if it makes you uncomfortable, I'm very sorry."
I nodded in agreement; what it was saying now was more convincing than anything it had ever said to me before.
I waited calmly and anxiously for memories, experiences, and things that hadn't happened to play out in my mind, frame by frame, like a movie.
"The order is your past, their present, and their future. Hmm..." Ward's voice sounded slightly weak, though I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination. "If you don't want to see it, just close your eyes."
I nodded again, indicating that I had heard everything. It stopped speaking, and the space, devoid of any sound other than voices, fell into a deathly silence.
My eyes are closed, but the eyes within my mind are still active.
This is me… no, I can't be sure when this is from my life. A couple, their faces blurred. A young man, his face equally blurred. The child is even more so, his gender indiscernible, moving like a mosaic.
They stood in the garden, their every move revealing their doting affection for the child. They worried about the child falling, about the child getting pricked by plants, about the sun making the child's face red, and about the wind bringing the child a cold later in the day.
Is this the scene after I left? My parents' new child, my brother's new younger brother?
I felt a strange connection with this child, and as I looked at him, a sense of melancholy and sadness welled up within me. I had witnessed this child's happiness! I thought, even though I had never actually seen him.
But shouldn't I start by recounting my past? The thought flashed through my mind, but before I could grasp it, my eyes were fixed on the child.
The child's mouth moved. Just as the sound was about to penetrate my eardrums, a different kind of sharp whistling and shouting came instead.
"call out--"
"Qinghe!"
Startled, I immediately opened my eyes to find an arrow embedded in the monster in front of me.
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