Chapter 9 - In the Dark Shadow of her Mind

Yin was sitting on the top of her training mountain with the two Origin Runes in front of her. The sun was still high up in the sky but she still had an uneasy feeling in her stomach. When she finally came out of the cave, Ji Eun was about to tend her wounds but stopped when she saw her unharmed. Ji Eun was smiling brightly but faltered when she saw her clouded face. She asked her what was wrong, but Yin didn’t reply. She already had the Origin Rune of Healing ejected from her Origin Arm. Both Runes were in her pouch. Tao eyed it carefully and did a double take on her. He sensed that something was different about her, like she had gained something in there that made the ground shake earlier. He half expected her to have a relieved expression but her self-confidence was lower than before. Deciding not to probe her with questions, Tao left her alone.

Yin blankly stared at the Runes and sighed. 

“Sighing is bad for you.” Her master lightly scolded. To his surprise, she didn’t retort back. Tao sat down beside her.

“Yin, you’ve been silent ever since you came back. You don’t have to answer this but, what happened in there?”

They didn’t speak a word between each other for a few minutes until Yin decided to speak.

“Back at the cave, there was a creature that was guarding the Rune. I barely managed to defeat it.” Yin felt weak and inadequate as she continued to explain her experience. “I thought for a moment that I wasn’t going to succeed.”

"Was it your Crux?" he asked, and she turned her head sharply, shocked that he guessed correctly. She looked away, however, with a dismal look on her face. "Your Crux isn't something to dread upon. It is an overwhelming accomplishment, but to be frank, I didn't expect an Argent with minimal restoration of her abilities to gain her Crux so soon."

"I know this is something to be proud of, but for some reason in my heart, there is something that worries me whenever I think of it."

“Don’t speak with such anxiety,” Tao said and put his hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t train you to put yourself down.”

“That’s not all I’m concerned about. Not everything has sunken in yet. I’m still taking all this in and yet I still think this is all a dream. I felt like I was about to wake up from this reality and be where I am supposed to belong.”

“So what? You have a task that you need to complete. That is not the attitude I want you to have. You’ve become a fine young warrior, far better than I would have expected you to be.” Yin turned her head, somewhat flattered. They both stayed quiet.

“Master Tao, I can’t do this for myself. I can’t do this for the world either. I don’t know how to explain this but there is this weight in my heart I can’t lift.” She clenched her sleeves. “What must I do?”

“Do it for Lay or for Ji Eun. They gave you encouragement and refuge. You are only lost within yourself. Don’t hesitate to search for your answers. Before you lost your memories, there must be people who you love, and also people who love you. Fight for them too.”

Yin thought over his words and trailed back to her regained memories. They must be coming back in that specific order for a reason. The pictures of blood and the distorted creatures may not have been appealing but the warm voices that penetrated her heart motivated her to anticipate more clues.

“Right. I will keep that in mind.”

Yin’s training sessions finally ended with satisfaction. After the talk, Ji Eun managed to persuade her into living with her in her country. With nowhere else to go, it was a start. She gave the warrior wide bandages to cover the Origin Arm because she thought it might gain unwanted attention. After fixing her clothes and taking off the shoulder armor, Yin wrapped her sword in a fabric pouch and emergency provisions in another. 

Tao and his little brother accompanied both girls until they reached a small port where a raft was waiting for them. The Wushu Master arranged everything so that they would leave privately. His sibling kept running around Ji Eun - the latter had told Yin about their time together while she was up in the mountains. When he found out that they were going back home, he was upset and threw a tantrum. It took time but he managed to understand that thing couldn’t stay forever. 

Ji Eun did promise that she would return one day. She wanted to keep his hopes alive.

Before the girls stepped onto the raft, they turned around and bowed. “Thank you for letting us stay. We’re very grateful from the bottom of our hearts.” Ji Eun said. “Is there anything we can do in return?”

“All I ask from you two is to be safe when you arrive. We, Argents, cannot afford to lose two very important comrades.”

Yin felt a familiar feeling of sadness like she did when Lay sent her away. It was different, however, because she wasn’t afraid anymore. “Yin, you must be hidden for a bit longer before you can return to the society. I’m afraid that it’s too dangerous for you to look for the main portal.”

“When will that time come, Tao?”

“If anything, another Argent would have to find you and you. That means you have to part with Ji Eun as well.”

“I let her decide for herself, Tao. She’s strong.” The missionary assured.

“Will you return to the society?”

“I’ll leave it up to the world to tell me. My place is here in the village and my little brother. I still have my duties as a part of my faction to fulfill.” Tao put his long arms around the boy’s shoulders. The latter clutched on his enveloping hands.

“When you come back, we’ll definitely play, right?”

Yin grinned and nodded. “We’ll come back one day, when my memories return.”

“It’s time. You must go quickly if you want to catch the ship. This is the only time of the day where no enemy can attack.” Tao signaled.

After exchanging good-byes for one last time, Ji Eun and Yin carefully stepped onto the raft and kept their gazes on them until they were out of sight. Both travelers didn’t say a word while the skipper kept rowing the delicate transport. Ji Eun was fast asleep and Yin watched the trees move by.

It took two more days until the girls finally stepped foot on the First World Country, Rova. They arrived at the lakeside city that night on their departure and another day sailing across the ocean. Then at the Haipo Harbor, they took an airplane to Ji Eun’s home. Yin marveled at her surroundings of the city.

Everything was in colourful pixels of a thousand shades. There were billboards, mid-air rush hour highways, and music. Instead of walking on dirt roads, citizens drove in pods that looked like wheel-less cars. They took a taxi to the residence area and stopped in front of a tall condo.

“Zhang Yin, welcome to the Notro, Rova - the city of music. You’ll really like it here.” Ji Eun cheerfully introduced. While she was excited, Yin only felt more uneasy. Although it didn’t inquire anything about her personality in her regained memories, she didn’t like how she had to have a new home. 

They took an elevator to the fifteenth floor and settled in. Her suite was very spick and span. The furniture and walls were all in shades of purple, adding black and white. “Have a seat and relax, Yin. You look really tired from all the traveling. It’s called ‘jet-lag’. Everyone has that after riding an airplane. It’s not a good feeling.”

Yin let herself sink into the soft armchair and felt another memory returning to her head. This time, it wasn’t a dull ache. It was more like a flash of light. She saw a house and her parents reading the the living room.

She opened her eyes and met with sounds of the tap and the clinking of the cups. Yin felt very familiar with the modern technology around her. She then saw a row of pods whipping by the window.

“Ah, this floor overlooks the main highway of the city, but wait until nighttime when all the lights illuminate the roads. It’s breathtaking every time I see it.” Ji Eun said from the kitchen. “You can go and put your belongings into the guest room. Dinner won’t be until an hour so you can rest.”

Yin wordlessly grabbed her sword and two pouches and went into the empty bedroom. Compared to the living room, the color scheme was very plain. There was only one bed, a wardrobe, a desk and television. The window also overlooked the highway but the view was partly covered by the street lamps and wires. Without slipping under the covers, she collapsed on the soft bed and drifted off to sleep.

Yin couldn’t keep track of the time because she felt as if she was being pulled into another world. The first thing she saw was the bird-eye view of the city until she was sky-dropping and speeding through the streets. Up ahead was an old building that looked like an opera theater. The doors burst open with the impact and she felt her body tumblings through the isle and onto the stage.

She didn’t feel any pain - only dizziness and confusion. She stood up and felt someone stand very close behind her. She shivered when the person’s seductive breath was touching the back of her neck. She was scared; she couldn’t move or breath. One hand was holding her Origin Arm still while the other arm s around her waist. Her back was against the person’s lean chest.

A mirror was being wheeled towards her until she saw her reflection. She froze at her face, which had intricately patterned markings and her eyes were black. She tried to escape her own gaze to find out who was holding her still. The stranger finally kissed her jawline and down her neck but she couldn’t see his face. It was covered by a shadow. He was about to open his mouth to say something but nothing came out.

Yin sharply sat up on her bed. The first thing she did was running to the vanity mirror and studied her face. It was clean and her eyes were normal. She let her left hand touch her neck where she felt the person kissing it in her dream. She then looked at her Origin Arm, but nothing was different. She could still clench it and fight with it.

She then remembered the time when Lay’s orphanage was attacked in the middle of the night. She could definitely recall the markings on that Boundless Daemen’s face and the negative eyes he bore. In her dream, she saw herself as a Boundless Daemen and she assumed that she was seduced into being one. That was when the pieces fit together

She couldn’t hide in the outside world anymore. The Daemens know where she was and the people around her would be in danger. She looked at the window and it was dark outside. She looked at the clock that said 2:13am. It was around mid-day when she crashed. As quietly as she could, she opened the wardrobe and took out the most comfortable clothes she found.

Yin undid her bandages and tore off her training clothes. She put on simple underwear, a white shirt and black denim jeans. She quickly redid her bandages and donned an oversized navy hoodie which she realized that it might not be Ji Eun’s. After tying on the laces of the brown boots, she slipped on a glove on her android hand.

She grabbed a tote bag at the back of the wardrobe and stuffed in the two Runes, some money, food and extra clothing. Her sword was still inside the fabric pouch. She opened the window, said a silent good-bye to Ji Eun and leapt out of the window into the night.