Leah King seemed dazed for a moment, as if lost in thought. The script in her hand trembled slightly. It was clear that, for Leah, her parents were a wound that never healed.
"I once asked the director who brought me here. She told me it was a kind stranger. But when I grew older and pressed for more, asked if it was a man or a woman, she said it was two women. I knew she was lying. I remember seeing that man once, and I think he might be my father. But why would he abandon me? Why would he rather send me here and never see me again, after all these years? Why?"
I swallowed hard. For a moment, I wanted to tell Leah about Basil Bertram, but if she knew, Basil's good intentions might be wasted. His power was slowly and naturally transforming, supplementing Leah's life through the Life Exchange. If Leah learned the truth, it would disrupt the process. Her awareness would resist Basil's actions, and I couldn't predict what might happen.
People’s thoughts can trigger so many things. I’ve seen it happen countless times. Now I finally understand why, during the time Basil Bertram and Leah King reunited, Basil only stayed by her side without saying anything. As for why Leah was summoned into the darkness, it must be because Basil’s power was implanted in her body. That’s why she was drawn into that darkness with him.
Thinking back, it seems Basil Bertram knew about his daughter from the very beginning, which is why he asked Ethan Zhang to bring Leah King here. In that darkness, I saw father and daughter walking the streets together many times, living together for a long time. I’m not sure exactly how long, but it must have been at least two years.
Now that I think about it, I miss those days too. Life was carefree, without any worries, living forever on that unchanging circular street with the person you love. For many people, that’s a dream come true.
"They gave birth to me, but never raised me. Honestly, maybe my competitiveness is stronger than most because I had no parents, so I never got what others had. I wanted so much, but no matter what I did, I could never have it. That’s why I resent this place. It’s where I grew up—it’s essential to me—but it’s also where those heartless parents abandoned me."
I swallowed and moved closer, putting my arm around Leah King, hoping to comfort her. She was on the verge of tears; anger and sorrow mingled in her eyes.
"I really don’t know why, but every time I come back here I feel uneasy. I’m not a child anymore. I know now that the kind people who brought me here and made sure I had food, clothes, and schooling during my childhood—were my parents. Why won’t they come see me?"
I patted Leah King on the back as her emotions spun out of control. Suddenly, a fierce wind swept through. My eyes widened as a thunderous boom erupted—a bolt of lightning struck the hillside in broad daylight. I swallowed again, watching as the dead old tree caught fire.
I immediately let go of Leah King and leapt straight to the second-floor window, jumping down. By the time I arrived, Serena Jing had already put out the flames, but the old tree was still smoking and now showed deep cracks.
"A bad omen—lightning on a clear day. Hurry, Rachel Lan, you must get to sleep quickly. I need to find a way to let my past self know that my uncle will face this disaster. Only then can I stay with him when he is about to disappear."
I nodded and, when I returned, Leah King looked at me with concern.
"It’s nothing. Go to bed early, I’m tired."
But suspicion still lingered in Leah King’s eyes. She seemed to want to ask me something, but I’d already told her not to question anything. In the end, we went to sleep.
I’d exercised earlier that day, so sleep came quickly once I lay down. I soon drifted into a dream beside the old tree, only to be jolted awake by a sudden tug on my hand.
"Hurry up, Rachel Lan doesn’t have time for you to dawdle."
This time, Mona Ouyang used even stronger dream powers on me, just to ensure Basil Bertram couldn’t sense my presence. Once everything was ready, Mona Ouyang led me again to the entrance of that warm, yellow prophetic dream. For the second time, I entered.
As soon as I entered, I was stunned—the orphanage buildings were already completed. I found myself waiting in a small house next to the orphanage, but no matter how long I waited, Basil Bertram never appeared. Instead, a young Lynn Yuan was holding a baby girl, who looked to be over a year old.
The baby girl looked sallow and thin, her eyes dull and her mouth slightly open. Lynn Yuan sighed.
"Maybe she’s just a naturally defective child—never cries, never laughs. Raising her is a real hassle. I bet her parents are rich and just didn’t want the gossip!"
I swallowed. There was more amusement than resentment on Lynn Yuan’s face; perhaps the donation had finally eased her difficult life. I noticed the hillside had been cleared, and there stood a dead old tree—identical to the one I’d seen in reality, struck by lightning and still charred.
"What is really going on here?"
Just as I was puzzling over it, a chill ran down my spine. I turned to see Serena Jing, bow drawn, arrow nocked, staring coldly at me. Aside from her clothes, she was identical to the Serena Jing I knew.
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"You from the Underworld, you’d better explain yourself. Why did you come here? My uncle was right to have me keep watch."
"Miss Serena Jing, I’m here to help Basil Bertram. Please, hear me out, I..."
But before I could finish, Serena Jing was already at my side, her hand clamped around my neck, clearly intent on subduing me first. I struggled desperately and shouted.
"Zhou Tianming—Miss Serena Jing, the person you love most is Zhou Tianming, isn’t it? And you even..."
A hand clamped over my mouth. Serena Jing pinned me to the ground.
"How do you know that?"
With no other choice, I began explaining, sharing details only Serena Jing herself would know—secrets she’d told me. Serena Jing stared at me in disbelief. When I mentioned Yvonne May and Mona Ouyang, and explained I’d entered a prophetic dream, Serena finally let go, seeming to believe me.
"So you’re saying that after my uncle used the Life Exchange ritual to save his daughter, he’ll suddenly disappear more than thirty years later, because the tree that is his true form will die?"
I confirmed with Serena Jing—she saw the old tree as lush and full of life, while I saw it dead, struck by lightning, with deep cracks.
"You must remember—thirty years from now, don’t leave Basil Bertram’s side for a moment."
I said this, already planning to leave. If I told Serena Jing, things thirty years later might change, and we could learn Basil Bertram’s whereabouts.
"Wait. If we know all this, why not just destroy my uncle’s Life Exchange ritual? Then none of this trouble would be necessary. According to you, you haven’t figured out how to save him anyway."
I swallowed—this is why some things shouldn’t be told to Serena Jing. As expected, she objected to Basil Bertram’s plan. I looked at her seriously.
"Miss Serena Jing, you absolutely can’t do that. If you do, Leah King will die."
Serena Jing turned away, gazing down the mountain, her eyes filled with hesitation. She was still weighing whether to spare Leah King. In her mind, exchanging Basil Bertram’s life for a mortal’s decades of lifespan seemed far too great a price.
"I really have to destroy this ritual."
As she spoke, Serena Jing made up her mind and began to float upward. Instantly, I unfurled my wings of flame, grabbed her, and pulled her down.
"What are you doing, girl? If you don't move, I'll kill you first—then destroy the ritual. If that girl dies, my uncle will be powerless to save anyone."
"Absolutely not!"
I roared, and suddenly violet flames erupted, scorching Serena Jing’s body.
"I have a way to save Basil Bertram, and I will do it. Please, Miss Serena Jing—this is Basil Bertram’s redemption for his past self. If he doesn’t do this, he might die even sooner."
My eyes widened. This wasn’t just empty talk—if Basil Bertram saw Leah King die, he might become even more hopeless, and such despair would only hasten his death.
After a moment, Serena Jing finally landed. I stared at her, panting, as her expression suddenly changed.
"It seems you’re right. Even if I try to destroy the ritual, my uncle will sense it immediately. Go, quickly—my uncle is coming."
I nodded, hurriedly pulled out the bell I carried, untied the thin cord from the little bell to keep it from ringing. With a soft ding, purple energy enveloped me, and the world went dark again.