On the public transport vessel heading home, Fanli told Xinghai about her soul swap and revealed that she came from the human world of 2,270 years in the past.
Xinghai was struck by a sudden realization. "No wonder you were so low-key the first time you went out to sea and wouldn't let me tell anyone. So, Lili is actually a human. That’s incredible."
"Eh? I thought you’d be more surprised about Sui’s body."
"That’s Sui, not you. I only care about things involving my girlfriend."
Hearing the word "girlfriend," Fanli couldn't suppress her smile no matter how hard she tried. "That’s right! And your girlfriend used to be very beautiful, you know!"
"She is my most beautiful girl."
Fanli thought for a moment but decided not to tell him that she looked exactly like Sui. Doing so would inevitably lead to mentioning Su Shiye, and mentioning Su Shiye was a total mood killer. Why had she let Su Shiye kiss her back then? If only she hadn't been kissed, her first kiss would have belonged to Xinghai... What a shame.
"So, I... if I figure out a way to perform a reverse soul swap, I’ll probably return to the land."
"It’s fine." Xinghai shook his head. "You don't need to worry about me. As long as it's something that makes you happy, I’ll support it. Besides, as long as you’re alive—even if it’s two thousand years in the future—what does it matter?"
Fanli squeezed Xinghai’s hand, feeling a pang of heartache at how accommodating he was. She wanted him to be a little selfish, yet she didn't.
Through the glass window, she watched the brilliantly lit Luo Ya City outside the cabin. Her ears were filled with the hum of the vessel’s engines, the occasional whispered conversations of passengers, the sound of flowing water, and the synchronized rhythm of her and Xinghai’s breathing and heartbeats. Then, she suddenly recalled their first meeting. At that time, Xinghai clearly seemed to recognize her, and his attitude had been quite ambiguous. He had claimed he "mistook her for someone else," but his certainty back then felt almost provocative.
"Xinghai, actually, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask..." Fanli said softly. "Do you remember who you mistook me for when we first met?"
Xinghai thought for a moment and shook his head. "I didn't mistake you for anyone."
"How is that possible? You didn't mistake me for anyone?"
"Unless my Negative Memory Consumption Syndrome is acting up, my memory is usually very good. And," Xinghai smiled, "if I knew you, I certainly wouldn't forget."
The mention of the memory syndrome jolted Fanli. She suddenly looked up. "Do you remember when we first met?"
"After the first Potions class of the semester."
"Huh?" Fanli was stunned for a long time. "That’s not right. We met for the first time at the university gates, don't you remember? You were with Kaimo and Lina, and you even helped me and Dangdang out of a jam..."
Xinghai was also stunned.
"I have absolutely no recollection of that." Xinghai frowned. "I did help you out of a jam, but wasn't that when Kaimo was harassing you at the classroom door?"
"Of course not."
Fanli described the details of their first encounter in depth, but Xinghai’s frown only deepened. They stared at each other in silence for a while before he suddenly pressed his hand to his forehead, saying in frustration, "I’ve forgotten something important again... There were no negative memories this time, so why..."
"It’s okay, it’s okay." Fanli quickly hugged him. "If you forgot, you forgot. Anyway, your attitude toward me wasn't great back then. You were mean to me several times. It was only after Potions class that you became gentle. I like the 'you' I met later much better."
"I’m scared, Lili," Xinghai said weakly. "I even forget meeting you. If one day I forget even my current memories... what should I do?"
"Don't be scared, don't be! If you really forget me, I’ll just chase you like crazy and make you fall in love with me all over again, okay?"
Xinghai pondered for a long time before suddenly saying, "How about this: once you can remove your marriage ring, if your soul still hasn't swapped back, let’s get engaged."
"Huh?"
"I will only marry the girl I love. So, if you are my wife, even if I forget you, I’ll just have to look at the marriage ring engraved with my name. I won't need anything else to prove it."
Fanli felt both surprised and amused. She had only lived for nineteen years; was she really about to get engaged? But every moment spent with Xinghai was so happy; sometimes, one could afford to be impulsive.
"Okay! But," she lifted her tail and looked at her marriage ring, "I don't know when I can take it off..."
"You arrived last September, so the latest would be the end of this September. There’s still half a year left, just enough time for me to prepare." At this point, Xinghai rubbed his chin and frowned. "But do you think I should invest my money in the engagement ring, or save it for the wedding later?"
"Xinghai!" Seeing him completely lost in his dilemma, Fanli cupped his face and turned him toward her. "You’re thinking too far ahead. Don't put so much pressure on yourself."
"Then which one do you want more?"
"I only want you." Fanli gazed firmly into his eyes. "I only want to be with you. Nothing else is that important."
Xinghai paused, looked at her lips, and then leaned against the glass behind her to kiss her gently. Fanli’s previous resolve vanished instantly; she felt her whole body go soft, as if she were about to drown in the seawater. As they kissed, Xinghai locked his fingers with hers, pressing them lightly against the glass, while his other hand circled her waist, pulling her close. Their short hair danced in the currents, and the rapid breaths between their lips released a stream of tiny bubbles...
After a long kiss, Fanli hugged his waist and let out a long sigh, her small heart filled to the brim with happiness. She buried her head against his chest and couldn't help but giggle.
"What is it? Why are you laughing so happily?"
"You’re so thin." She pinched his waist. "Such a narrow waist."
"I am not thin," Xinghai said firmly. "After a hundred years, men fill out a lot. You’re the thin one."
He pinched her waist in return, but she was exceptionally ticklish. Subsequently, the girl’s crisp laughter echoed throughout the cabin. Because it was so lighthearted and infectious, the surrounding passengers couldn't help but let their lips curl into smiles.
***
In the meeting room of the Saint Yegana Intelligence Investigation Headquarters, fourteen people sat in silence, watching the images on the large screen. In the Black Crocodile Union’s infirmary, a bestialized Fanli struggled desperately. Her elbows and ankles nearly smashed through the hospital bed, and blood sprayed from the wounds caused by the iron shackles. However, the suppressant injections were completely useless until she finally exhausted her strength and lost consciousness.
The short thirteen-minute recording made everyone hold their breath. After she lost consciousness, the Director turned to look at the investigators and government officials present; every one of them wore an expression of discomfort. Aize wiped away a bead of sweat and sighed, "Racial Ascension is truly perverse..."
Only the Dictator sat with his chin resting on the back of his hand, staring expressionlessly at Fanli’s life-and-death struggle. The Director couldn't help but feel impressed; as expected of the Dictator, a veteran of countless battlefields, his tolerance for bloody imagery was even stronger than that of the Saint City’s Red-Clad Guards.
"Academician Sui has defected. It is confirmed that the soul currently in her body is a scapegoat she found." The Director pulled out a report. "The Black Crocodile Union also sent over her physical examination report. She has taken a soul-swap potion. As for how to handle her, please let the Dictator’s government decide..."
"She cannot be kept!" an official interjected. "Regardless of whether it is Academician Sui herself, as long as she does not stand with us, her physical shell cannot remain. It is too dangerous."
"I second that. Furthermore, we don't know when she might return. If she suddenly comes back and tells the Storm Party the secret of the Number 9 Uranium Bomb, the Storm Party will create a weapon of equal power within ten years at most."
"Stop arguing!" Aize raised his voice. "Are you the Lord Dictator?"
The meeting room fell instantly silent. Thirteen pairs of eyes turned toward Su Shiye.
Su Shiye maintained his posture, looking at the deathly still Fanli in the recording with a cold gaze. Silence persisted for over ten seconds before he finally spoke.
"You have all misunderstood one thing. What makes Sui terrifying is not her ideology, but her willpower, her execution, and her brain. If she loses even one of those three traits, she poses no threat to us. Her soul has now gone somewhere beyond our reach, but she left her shell behind. And this girl," he tilted his chin toward the screen, "has inherited Sui’s brain and is improving at an astonishing speed. If she can be used by the Saint City Party, wouldn't that be like adding wings to a tiger?"
Most of those present still didn't understand. The Saint City Party was currently so much stronger than the Storm Party that unifying the Light Sea within a few hundred years wouldn't be difficult. Keeping Sui’s body was like planting a time bomb. Why not just kill her? Was it because the Lord Dictator cherished talent and couldn't bear to lose that god-tier brain?
Finally, someone tremulously raised a question: "But... how can you be sure she will be used by the Saint City Party?"
After asking, he met the indifferent golden pupils of Su Shiye’s sideways glance and immediately fell silent. He knew he had asked a redundant question.
Su Shiye never made empty boasts. What he said he would do, he would do.
***
Recently, the History of the Sea Race classes had been focusing on the Era of Life in the Light Sea.
Historians divided the history of the Light Sea into eight parts: the Prehistoric Era (13.82 billion to 5 billion years ago); the Creation Era (5 billion to 4 billion years ago), which saw the birth of the solar system, Earth, and the oceans; the Storm Era, marked by the 4-billion-year boundary; the Dawn Era (starting 1.3 billion years ago), when the Light Sea was still the super-ocean "Panthalassa"; the Era of Life (starting 450 million years ago), when vertebrates appeared on the seabed; the Golden Era (starting 20 million years ago), also known as the Arcane Era; the Mechanical Era (starting 3 million years ago), marked by the debut of the first Light Sea vessel; and the Burning Era (from 27,000 years ago to the present).
Fanli had been raised with a materialist education; she believed only in science, not gods. Even when she occasionally paid attention to stories of deities, it was through myths or books related to the Bible. Therefore, every time a concrete image of Deep Blue appeared in her history books—even if it was just a simulation—the stark difference of this alien world gave her a mental jolt.
450 million years ago, Deep Blue awakened the sleeping Glazed Legion. They became the earliest Sea God Race and built the first glorious capital of primitive civilization—Saint Yegana.
Then, Deep Blue created a batch of spiritual entities and cast them into the sea, commanding them to find marine organisms to fuse with. Thus, they gained the genes of marine life and the protection of the Sea God, allowing them to protect the ocean from being consumed by the Abyss Race. These were the earliest forms of the Hunter Clan and the Ocean Clan.
Afterward, the life of the Sea Race spread like spring flowers to every corner of the ocean. Feeling that merely keeping her power within Saint Yegana was insufficient to protect the Light Sea, Deep Blue made a final decision—to tear herself apart.
Approximately 430 million years ago, Deep Blue split her primary essence into seven Sovereigns, who entered a gestation period. They respectively symbolized her seven qualities: Justice, Beauty, Courage, Purity, Selflessness, Mercy, and Peace. Written in the ancient Sea Race tongue, they were Justitia, Bucco, Audax, Sanctitudo, Sephiros, Miserere, and Gent.
Another hundred million years passed. Starting with Justitia’s birth in the Storm Sea, the seven Sovereigns were born one after another within a single week. The following six also guarded their respective territories: the Red Moon Sea, the Starry Sea, the Midwinter Sea, the Resurrection Sea, the Bodhi Sea, and the Sky-Rift Sea. The abbreviations of these seven Sovereigns' names eventually evolved into the surnames of the current seven Great Clans.
On the eighth day after the birth of the seven Sovereigns, a bizarre phenomenon occurred: the entire ocean turned crimson overnight, returning to normal the next day.
The Sea Race believed this symbolized the end of the Sovereigns' birth. However, every hundred thousand years thereafter, the Red Sea phenomenon would recur. This phenomenon was called the "Burning Sea," and like Earth’s crop circles, it remained impossible to explain with any logical knowledge.
The Deep Blue of that time surely never imagined that only three hundred million years later, the descendants of the Sovereigns she had split from herself would engage in mutual slaughter.
At the end of the Golden Era, led by the 178th generation of the Justitia Clan, a pan-oceanic war broke out, and the smoke of battle had been burning ever since.
Fanli discovered that although the History of the Sea Race and the History of Arcane Arts had much overlap, the interests of the students in the two courses were completely different. The history students were archaeology enthusiasts; the arcane history students were more curious about the evolution of arcane arts, focusing on current events and modern history. For example, Princess Fengjin, who was rarely mentioned in the Sea Race history course, was a popular figure in the arcane history course.
After one arcane history seminar, everyone started chatting about this legendary woman again. A male student said longingly, "Princess Fengjin was the purest girl in the entire Light Sea. She always wore white dresses, like an angel, as if the whole world might hurt her."
As expected, he wasn't met with agreement from the majority, but rather with disdainful looks from the female students. Someone even snapped back, "Even if she was pure, it has nothing to do with you. Don't look so hungrily at the Lord Dictator’s former fiancée—his *deceased* fiancée, okay?"
Princess Fengjin’s formal title was "Sainti Zongji." She was beautiful and possessed a noble temperament. "Sainti" represented Deep Blue’s "Purity," and combined with her union with Su Shiye and her untimely death, she had become a legendary figure—a romantic tragedy of modern history in the hearts of the people.
"You girls are just jealous because Fengjin was born noble and untainted."
The male fan of Princess Fengjin stubbornly continued to draw ire for his idol. But this time, before the girls could blast him, Ye Jia smiled nonchalantly. "Simple child. Do you really believe there is a truly untainted girl in this world? I don't."
"Wha... what do you mean?" Being called out by the professor made the male fan feel a bit awkward.
"In my opinion, girls who are simple on the inside often act like bitches, while those who look simple on the outside are bitches on the inside." Having said that, Ye Jia packed up the books on the table. His fingers were long and strong; he picked them all up with one hand. "I’ve never seen someone who is the same inside and out. Knowing how to show your best side to others is scary enough in itself; if one can do it without a single flaw, they are definitely no ordinary person. Besides, Sainti Fengjin was a descendant of the Sovereign Sainti, raised from childhood in a family steeped in complex political struggles. Could she really be *that* 'untainted'?"
"But she became a victim of political struggle, didn't she? If she were really that smart, she wouldn't have ended up like that, right?" The male fan still refused to accept reality, clenching his fists as he followed Ye Jia out.
"Fair point. Then perhaps the girls I’ve met simply aren't as noble as Princess Fengjin."
Clearly, neither had convinced the other, but Ye Jia was slick; he didn't like offending even his students.
However, the girls were very happy to hear him analyze such complex female psychology and gossip. Especially now, with the political winds of the Red Moon Sea shifting toward the Saint City Party while the Midwinter Sea belonged to the Storm Party, they were even more delighted to hear unfavorable comments about Princess Fengjin. They swarmed around Ye Jia, chirping questions for a long time, but Ye Jia turned his head and quickly caught sight of Fanli in the crowd.
"My little commoner fairy, what’s wrong? You don't have any questions?"
"Listening to you all is already very interesting, so I’m just waiting with everyone for the professor’s answers."
"True, after all, it’s a topic related to Su Shiye. You pay a lot of attention to him."
Fanli nodded habitually at first, then stopped abruptly like a skipping record. "Who wouldn't be interested in Lord Su Shiye?" Strange, she hadn't shown it, had she? And since starting her relationship with Xinghai, she had been paying much less attention to Su Shiye.
"You think it’s strange—even though you’re interested in him, you haven't shown it, so how does the teacher know everything?" Ye Jia’s insight was already terrifying; his mind-reading was even worse. He turned around, becoming uncharacteristically serious. "You are very lucky to have had the chance to meet Su Shiye in person. But promise me, don't fall in love with him. Do you know why?"
"Fall in love with Su Shiye?" Fanli’s lip twitched. "I have a boyfriend. Besides, even if I didn't, who would want to love a polygamous man?"
At the word "boyfriend," Ye Jia’s purple eyes suddenly widened. He remembered last year, when Sui had called him from below his apartment building. For the first time in over a hundred years, she had said to him in a helpless voice: *Ye Jia, I can't escape it.*
He didn't understand why, even though he knew this soul had nothing to do with Sui, his thoughts still became muddled. In his mind, there was only the voice from his memories. He quickly used arcane arts to control his heart rate, adjusting back to his usual state within two short seconds. "Aren't you curious why I’m advising you not to love him?"
"Why?"
"Because the capacity of a person’s heart is limited, my little commoner angel." Ye Jia casually plucked a maple-colored algae leaf and placed it on Fanli’s head, giving her a wink while drawing a cross over his own chest. "The space in your heart must be reserved for your teacher, okay?"
"..."
*Was there something wrong with my brain for expecting him to give a normal answer...*
And the girls around him were even less normal.
"Ahhh, so charming!"
"Professor Bucco, all the space in my heart is reserved for you! That’s why every time I mate with my boyfriend, I repent to your photo!"
"I want to hear Professor Bucco say 'the space in your heart must be reserved for your teacher' too, waah..."
...
That afternoon after school, as per routine, Xinghai escorted Fanli home. Because she had moved to a new place and the environment was much better, Fanli invited Xinghai up to sit for a while when they reached the intersection. Xinghai said he would go to the supermarket first to buy some ingredients and then come up to cook with her, asking her to go home first and prepare what they already had. As it turned out, less than five minutes after they parted, Fanli was once again grabbed at the intersection, her mouth covered, and dragged into a small alley.
This time, there were still two of them. One covered her mouth with such force that she couldn't make a sound; the other used a rope to bind her struggling tail, seemingly feeling no pain even when she scratched his face.
Then, just as that person raised his hand, his palm was struck by a flying stone, letting out a "crack" of breaking bone. Two seconds later, he finally reacted with a delayed scream. Next, waves surged and blades clashed; the battle occurred in the blink of an eye. Before Fanli could see what was happening, she saw one person fighting fiercely with Xinghai, while the other hid in the rear, instantly summoning an "Ice Blast Ring" to attack Xinghai. Xinghai was as fast as ever, dodging three attacks, but on the fourth, he was unfortunately struck in the back. He slammed into the wall and couldn't get up for the moment.
A flash of white light fell from above, knocking Xinghai completely unconscious.
"Xinghai!" Fanli cried out in panic.
But the two men turned their target toward her, and she didn't have time to go check on him.
Her offensive arcane arts were still unpracticed. Watching them flash back and forth just now, she had been afraid of accidentally hitting Xinghai. It was only when the man in black approached her that she dared to manipulate an ice sphere to fall.
However, they summoned a Frost Barrier in an instant. The ice sphere shattered against it. Fanli also summoned a barrier, but it was smashed to pieces by a flying hammer they threw. Shards of ice sprayed across her face. She shook her head, backing away while brewing a second attack, only to find white light flashing above.
The opponents this time were not on the same level as the last ones. Based on her experience muddling through the Black Crocodile Union, they were likely six-star rated arcane assassins.
With no time to dodge, she too was struck by the white light and fainted.
an assassin extended a hand wearing an arcane glove and waved it gently. A "wooing" sound echoed, and the surrounding water ripples trembled. A dark gray skull emerged from his palm, growing larger and more detailed. The skull opened its mouth wide and swam through the ocean waves toward Fanli...
Just then, a slender beam of golden light pierced through the assassin’s chest. A short, sharp sound echoed at the alley entrance, similar to a tranquilizer gun.
The skull phantom closed its mouth, its color fading rapidly until it dissolved into the water. Then, after another three or four seconds, the assassin who had summoned the Soul-Devouring Art collapsed like a dead fish and was washed up by the current.
Holy Light Ray!
This was... a Saint City Red-Clad Guard?!
The other assassin turned back in surprise. Sure enough, standing there was a soldier in a red-and-gold uniform, wearing the emblem of the Eagle in the Moon on his shoulder.
"Who sent you?" The Red-Clad Guard held his Holy Light Ray gun, standing against the light. His vertical pupils were cold, his tail slid slowly, and his heartbeat was entirely unaffected.
The man in black said nothing, but his tail fin flicked desperately. A glint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes as he spat a small knife from his mouth, flying straight toward the guard. The guard raised his other empty hand, instantly manifesting a circular mirror defense spell while tilting his body slightly to prevent the knife from piercing through. The man in black lunged upward, attempting to escape.
Subsequently, the sound of tearing fabric rang out. Simultaneously, with a "clang," the knife hit the mirror and slid off. The man in black escaped, leaving only two pieces of fabric in Xinghai’s palm. Xinghai’s vision was blurry; he saw a pair of long, knee-high white military boots appear before him.
The boots cast no shadow; this person was merely an arcane phantom.
Xinghai looked up, wanting to see who it was, but he couldn't see the man’s face clearly. He could only vaguely see shoulder-length, pure white hair and a pair of golden earrings that seemed to blur into six, eight, twelve pairs...
"Take them to a safe place. Find out the identity of the assassins," the white-haired man commanded.
"Yes, as you command!"
The white-haired man looked back at the unconscious Fanli on the ground, paused for two seconds, and then vanished again.
Then, endless darkness swallowed Xinghai’s consciousness.
At nine o'clock that evening, in the Black Crocodile Union, Mr. Ada was scolding a subordinate who had messed up like he was a grandson. He was in a foul mood, so when he saw Xinghai arrive, he didn't give him a good look. "What are you here for, kid? Fanli isn't here today."
Xinghai held up the fabric in his hand. "This is the material for the Black Crocodile Union’s top-tier assassin uniforms, isn't it?"
Mr. Ada took it and pinched it. The outer layer was a thin black gauze, but the inner material was of high quality—a crinoid dermis base with reptile scales on the outside; waterproof, heat-retaining, and resistant to powerful enemies. He spat out a shrimp shell from between his teeth with a "pfft" and said irritably, "Those pieces of trash, did they fail an assassination again?"
"Do you know who the person they were commissioned to kill is?"
"You come to me with a scrap of cloth and ask me that? You really are a baby. Baby, do you know that the Black Crocodile Union’s assassination department takes at least fifty commissions a day?"
"The person they were trying to kill is Fanli."
"Fanli is dead?"
Xinghai’s voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly tinged with anger. "You use Fanli on one hand, give her 'Heart of the Styx' on the other, and send people to assassinate her on the third? Do you think she’s an octopus like you?"
"Watch your tone with me! I’m asking you, is Fanli dead?!"
"No, I saved her. But she has been targeted twice now. Mr. Ada, your company’s management system deserves a complete overhaul."
"Even if it needs an overhaul, it doesn't need a half-breed brat like you to tell me what to do! If Fanli is in danger, let her come tell me herself. Now, get the hell out of here!"
Xinghai was about to argue further when a figure entered. The man who had just been treating others like grandsons turned into a grandson himself.
A Saint City Red-Clad Guard had entered. Mr. Ada said respectfully, "What are the orders from above?"
The Red-Clad Guard glanced at Xinghai. Mr. Ada took the hint and shouted at Xinghai, "Get lost, brat!" before leading the guard into his office.
"Who is the client who commissioned the assassination of Fanli?" the Red-Clad Guard asked point-blank.
Mr. Ada immediately sent someone to check.
Twenty minutes later, a subordinate whispered a few words into Mr. Ada’s ear. Mr. Ada rubbed his bald head, trying to wipe away the sweat. "I’m sorry, Officer, we couldn't find out."
"What?"
"As you know, everyone in the black market wears black cloaks. When that person came to make the commission, they were wearing a black cloak and covering their face... All we know now is that the client is a young female of the Ocean Clan. She has only made two commissions with us, both to assassinate Fanli. The first time she requested an ordinary assassin; the second time she requested one who knew arcane arts, on the grounds that Fanli’s arcane skills had been improving by leaps and bounds recently..."
"No more commissions to assassinate Fanli can be accepted... No, wait."
The Red-Clad Guard picked up a glowing communicator and stepped out of the office to take a call. Two minutes later, he returned and said, "Do not alert the client. In the future, if anyone else wants to kill Fanli, notify us immediately."
"Yes, everything will be done according to superior instructions." Mr. Ada placed his right hand over his left chest, bowed to him, and personally escorted him out.
When they went out, Xinghai was still waiting outside. Mr. Ada gave him another earful of scolding, but the Red-Clad Guard took a few extra looks at Xinghai and suddenly said, "You are General Xinghui’s son, Xinghai?"
"Yes." Xinghai was somewhat taken aback.
"It just so happens that the Lord Dictator asked me to pass a message to you. General Xinghui was a great soldier. As his only son, you must not forget his glory. Work hard to complete your studies and serve the Light Sea Federation in the future."
"Yes! I will work hard. Thank you for the Lord Dictator’s appreciation."
Xinghai was even more bewildered. Although he came from a military family, his father had served the Resurrection Sea army. At that time, the Resurrection Sea had not yet officially surrendered to Saint Yegana, so their family had no concept of a unified ocean, only loyalty to the Resurrection Sea. By the time Su Shiye officially stepped onto the political stage, his father had already been dead for many years. Although there were other relatives in the family, they shouldn't have had any intersection with Su Shiye...
At this thought, a long-lost sense of dread struck again. This fear was white—like closing one's eyes and seeing nothing but a vast, endless, void of white.
His heart beat faster and faster. A cold sweat, lower than normal body temperature, seeped from his skin, soaking his already dry clothes. Xinghai pulled his ID card from his pocket. It read:
*Xinghai, Male, Unmarried, Born July 20, 24644 of the Burning Era, Hunter Clan/Ocean Clan, ID No. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*.*
He looked up at the arcane light-shadow calendar on the wall. It clearly stated: *January 6, 24730 of the Burning Era, 9:23 PM.*
He propped his head up with his hand, the color draining from his face.
If it were an attack of Negative Memory Consumption Syndrome making him forget the events of all those intervening years, he felt he could understand. But why did even his ID tell him he was only 86 years old? He shouldn't be this young.
But the ID was real, the time was real, everything was real.
Only he himself seemed to be fake.
Who exactly was he? Why did everything feel so familiar the first time he saw Fanli? Why had he forgotten the specific location of his hometown? Why did he feel such unease every time he thought about his parents' deaths...
***
**Glossary**
