chapter

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Later that night Zhengting found himself in a vast white space with no walls that stretched on and on. There was even an endless ceiling that seemed heaven-like with light and soft wisps of clouds swirling about. Only the cream-colored tile flooring surrounded in mist was the most solid thing Zhenting could make out while standing upon it with his reflection looking back at him. Everything was bright, but not blinding.

Zhengting looked about him and wondered what he was doing here and where was this here anyways? He felt like it was all a dream, but he also seemed awake, too. He pinched himself and winced, but the feeling subsided just as quickly as it had come. This was the second time that he's been in a similar situation. The first time it happened was when he got shot in the head almost five years ago.

The experience had him lingering between life and death for who knows how long. Just like that he awoke in the hospital and was told about the bullet in his head. Maybe this time around death had finally caught up to him and he was wandering in the afterlife. Then again, Zhengting figured the afterlife would look more grey and gloomy. Everything here seemed neutral and undisturbed. It was quiet, but eerily so.

"Hello?"

Zhengting called out in a soft tone as he moved a few steps forward and received no response except for the echoes of his own voice repeating 'hello' a few times before fading. His tentative steps continued forward on their own accord as Zhengting looked to the left and right of him yet it looked the same. There was no sound except for his own breathing and footsteps. No other being except for himself. Well none that he could physically see, but that wasn't a problem for the past years.

Why was he here? Just as Zhengting thought that his surrounding suddenly shifted. He was now standing at a park with the sunset almost disappearing, but there was no one else around for him to interact with. Before he could take a step to explore he heard a few barks and turned his attention to the source and saw a tennis ball fly right by him with a black blur right after it.

Following the sight Zhengting spotted a weird looking dog fetching the tennis ball and trotting pass him and towards a female that wasn't there earlier. It wasn't until she took the ball from the canine, stood up, and had turned around that Zhengting instantly recognized her when he clearly saw her face. "Miss Linna?"

"Oh, TingTing? Hey!"

Melanie waved at him with a bright smile while Zhengting looked at his former caretaker from the care home, Pelias, that he hasn't seen in almost five years. Melanie who was more like a sister and mother figure than a caretaker. Why was she here?

"What are you doing here?" Melanie asked him with a tilt of her head while playing catch with the dog.

Zhengting was at a loss for words as he clumsily walked towards her with hurried steps.

"What do you mean what am I doing here? What are you doing here? Miss Linna, I thought you died at Pelias five years ago?"

Now it was Melanie's turn to be at loss for words, but she recovered faster than the male.

"Died? What are you talking about, TingTing?"

She laughed at his words.

"You and the  boys have been playing too much tricks for me to fall for them now."

Melanie gave Zhengting a once over with a mother-like proud smile.

"I see you've grown up now. Aren't you a handsome young man now?"

She then let out a chuckle after remembering something.

"You can finally meet my sister now. I still say that you're her type even though you're younger than she is than what she likes."

Melanie let out another laugh.

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