Chapter 7 - The Truth

A bandaged Kai and D.O sat across from Lu Han and Baek Hyun two days later. The earth-user was worried about his best friend while the latter looked betrayed and angry. Lu Han and Baek Hyun remained calm.

“You knew? And you never told us?”

“It was for her own good,” Lu Han said.

Kai raised his head. “Why?” He snarled.

“Chill, man.” D.O put his hand on his arm but he shook it off.

“So she could be fully restored.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Only time can bring Hong Ja Young back.”

“I still don’t get it. Why can’t I just tell her? Why can’t I just call her by her real name?”

“Because if you interrupt the timing of her memories, the person you knew won’t return.”

Kai’s face turned pale as he buried his head in his hands. Why was he pushing everything aside for her? Hong Ja Young had changed his heart back at the Death Camp and Zhang Yin was confusing it. Everything made sense. Although it was too good to be true, that Hong Ja Young was alive, he can’t approach her the way he wanted to.

“So, she still won’t remember everything yet?”

“Kai, let me say this once. You’ll be the last person she’ll remember.” Kai’s heart stopped.

“She still has no recollection of her twin sister but the bond you have with her was strong. It will be hard to obtain back. The stronger the connections are, the more difficult it will be to restore it.”

“Lu Han, when did you find out about this?” Baek Hyun spoke for the first time. The telepathic sighed and answered, “When she and I freed Kai.”

Kai looked up. “So then?”

“While she was in seclusion, it seemed she figured out how to use the Origin Arm. She could use the Origin Runes’ power as if they were her own. She now has five Runes in her possession. The solar eclipse will be coming soon. If she doesn’t retrieve them before then, it’ll be over.”

After a tense silence, D.O spoke up. “Lu Han, let me ask you something. Why did her abilities become so uncontrollable? When we got there, there was so much power coming from her that I could barely recognize her. Can you explain that to us?”

“What lured her into the chamber was Daemen Dirge. It’s a mischievous creature that can expose the most darkest fears and nightmares with illusions. In her case, she saw an image of the Nomun Orphanage after a massacre. She saw all the orphans’ corpses laying on the ground dead. She also saw something crucial too. I looked into her mind further and saw Lay, beaten and tortured.”

“Lay?” Baek Hyun’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Are they true?” Kai asked.

Lu Han didn’t want to say it but he had to in order to save his friend. “I looked into her unconscious mind earlier, but I regret to confirm that her vision was mostly true. While the four of you were absent, the orphanage was destroyed and  somehow, and Lay's Crux had found its way to Lotis along with two children. They returned with this.”

He waved a small rectangular bundle and it slowly landed in his lap. He carefully unraveled the cloth and it revealed a picture frame. It was a photo of a man and a woman. It belonged to Lay. Also in the bundle was a familiar necklace with a simple silver teardrop and an embedded diamond within.

“I know that person!” Kai blurted out and pointed at the man. “He’s the one who almost killed Ja Young that night.”

“She would probably know who they were. The children, Xiang Hua and Ying Jie reported that it was a part of a shrine in a hidden room. It was the only thing that remained untainted.”

He handed Kai the frame and he studied the two people. He also took the necklace into his hand, now confirming that it used to be Hye Young necklace she entrusted to Ja Young back at the camp. He slipped the necklace in his pocket and gazed at the photo again.

“Where is she now?” He asked, without taking his eyes off of it. 

Yin was curled up in a fetal position on the couch with the broken sword in her view. Her eyes had no more tears left to cry. They were swollen and red. Her body didn’t move a muscle and her bandages were nowhere in sight. Although she didn’t look like it, but she was very scared about what would happen to Lay. She blamed herself for obliging to leave him, along with the two children she now believed to be killed.

“Yi Xing, Ying Jie, Xiang Hua,” she muttered.

Kai slowly opened her door with the picture frame in his hand. He saw her laying on the couch. His face softened seeing that she just woken up. He got her attention by placing the frame on the table in front of the sword.

“This was the only thing unharmed at that place.”

She didn’t respond. He eyed on her Origin Arm and her face. He was happy that Hong Ja Young was right there in front of him, but he was angry that he can’t do anything to help her. No, he was more angry that she’s withered so much. She wouldn’t regain her memories if she stayed like this.  Lu Han strictly instructed him keep calling her Yin until she remembers her own name. He had an idea.

“Get up,” he said. He pulled her up to her feet and teleported her to the training rooms. He typed in the settings and led her inside. The white walls morphed into a clearing of a forest. In the middle was a typical Daemen Beast. Kai pushed her towards it but she didn’t make a stance. She only stared at it in fear. When it raised its fist, she jumped away. It slowly turned and dawdled towards her. She didn’t move but the beast easily jabbed her a few meters away.

Yin struggled to stand up but Kai shouted, “What are you doing? Get up and fight!”

She whipped her head to him. He was crossing his arms and gave her a stern look.

“Is that what you call fighting?”

She had no motivation to fight back. “Don’t tell me you can’t even destroy this! I purposely set the level to its lowest and you’re getting beaten already!”

Ashamed, she stood up and shakily took her stance. “Don’t tell me what to do,” she cursed under her breath. When the beast howled and tried to strike at her, she kept dodging the hits and jumped to the other side.

When she gained some confidence, her body suddenly froze at the sound of the chilling giggles in her head. “What are you going to do? Are you going to kill that Daemen like how we killed those orphans you cared?”

Her thoughts led to the bloody scene, making her guard plummet. The Beast grabbed her by its large rough hands and proceeded to strangle her body.

“I’ve heard all about it. Ever since you’ve seen that illusion your strength failed you! What are you so afraid of?” The grip got stronger and she grunted in pain.

“Those kids are dead and Lay is dying. Baek Hyun, D.O and I got hurt. So what? Are you an Argent whose resolve is broken so easily? Are you afraid of death? Are afraid that you can’t protect your friends? Then why are you trying to deal with everything on your own‽”

She opened her eyes at his rhetoric questions. She let her hands twitch.

“If you’re afraid of dying, then get stronger. If you don’t want to let your friends get hurt, then get stronger and swear that you’ll protect them! If you’re afraid of that voice that taunts you, then get stronger until you can overcome it! If no one else is by your side, stand up and shout out that you’re not afraid of anything! That’s the kind of person I know you are!!”

She let those harsh but encouraging words sink into her as she remembered that kind voice telling her not to be afraid. Gathering all her strength, she moved her arms and loosened the grip with a cry. She landed on the ground and charged at the beast with a set of rapid punches in the core. She gave it one last hit before it became digitized. She panted and stumbled backwards. Instead of landing on the now white floor, Yin felt Kai’s chest against her back and his hands gripping her upper arms.

“Welcome back,” he whispered.

Her lips curled slightly as she stood up properly, still in his embrace. She turned around and trailed her fingers on the bandages on his chest. He was wearing a low-neck shirt with a sweater.

“Did I hurt you too much?”

“This is nothing.” He assured. Raising an eyebrow, she nudged the sore spot with her fist and he winced.

“Okay, well it does hurt a little.” He clarified. She laid her head on his shoulder, her brow touching his neck a bit. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He said as he gently wrapped his arms around her. Her hands gripped on his sweater. “I was just pushing you back there but you get my point, do you?”

She nodded. “I needed that.”

Kai’s smiled widened when he heard her whisper one more thing. “Thank you, Kai. I won’t be afraid anymore.” They remained silent while wrapped in each other's arms until Kai broke it to make eye contact with her.

"I want to show you something." He took her hand and led her out of the training room to another on the same floor. When he opened the door, Yin stared upon Ying Jie and Xiang Hua wrapped in woolen blankets shoveling down freshly baked bread and hot hearty soup.

"Jie jie!" They rejoiced, tackling the teenager into hugs of their own and the three couldn't hold back happy tears of relief. Kai watched them and looked away to swallow back his own tears. "Maybe I should give them some privacy, since they're gonna make me cry, too." With that, Kai teleported somewhere else while Yin ushered the two lost orphans back to the room to finish their meal.

In a dark realm, a familiar kind face gazed at a painting of a unicorn. He reached out to touch it but another figure in the room touched his emblem. The warm coloured room was encased in ice. Lay took his hand off the painting and turned around.

“You are strangely kind.” The jacket he was dressed in was irritating his back. His power was limited and the scars remained. Above all, the pain somehow subsided. He was still weak on his knees but he was enduring.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Yi Xing.” Lay sat down on a chair across from the ice-user. He spotted a wilting flower in a vase. He uncurled his hand and the flower stood up gracefully, beautifully blooming.

“You could have just peacefully taken me away. Those souls of the orphans will haunt the area.”

“There’s no need to fret over that place. Don’t hide anything from me.”

“I have nothing to hide.”

“If you insist, then I hope you don’t mind me going out my way to capture the missionary wretch and the Hero of Xiah.” He snickered. Lay clenched a fist.

“If you’re going to kill them, then kill me first.”

His ears perked. “You know, you’ve just given me a good idea.” He opened the door and Wu Fan entered the room. Lay rose to his feet in awe. “Just as I thought. You’ve been brought back to life.”

He didn’t respond. “Xiu Min, don’t kill him until we receive orders to do so.” He rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Please, I’m not gonna take him out that easily. I want to see him suffer and beg for death.”

“That faction knows now. What’s next?”

Lay had hope kindling as he overheard them mentioning the faction he belonged; where he sent the two children with his Crux. It didn’t have to be Yin rescuing him because his heart told him that she was still alive. As long as she and the children were away from danger, then he had nothing to worry about. The door opened again and Daemen soldiers marched in.

“Take the prisoner to the capsule. We’re heading for the islands.” Xiu Min ordered with sadistic glee. Lay prayed for mercy upon the two Boundless Daemens. He had nothing more to say to them.