Time has a beginning and an end, but space is boundless.
A gentle whisper drifted by. I slowly opened my eyes, my consciousness hazy. I didn't know where I was, nor did I know who I was. At that moment, I found myself beside a pristine, clear lake, surrounded by endless prairie. Blue sky and white clouds, everything before me was shifting and changing.
The lake seemed to be moving, the sky so blue it verged on violet, as if pressing down on me. In the distance, I saw a white, snowy plain swept by wind and snow, and an iceberg slowly drifting closer. Everything felt surreal. I walked slowly to the edge of the lake.
In the lake, I saw my own reflection—like light and shadow, somewhat blurred. I raised a hand, and it was semi-transparent, rippling as if caught in the lake's waves, swaying gently. With a slight movement, I began to float, feather-light, and softly drifted down onto the lake's surface.
With a gulping sound, I saw a shadow dart across the water, incredibly fast. I couldn't tell what it was. With a splash, water sprayed up before me—a figure with a human upper body and a tail like a whale's fin below. The face was handsome, the features delicate.
He had ears like fish fins, long white hair, and tiny pearl-like beads threaded through it. The creature before me gazed silently at me. I was startled, but my mind suddenly understood—this beautiful being before me was a Merfolk.
Confused, I stared at the male Merfolk before me. He looked just as surprised at me. Our eyes met, and for a moment I didn't know what to say, nor did I understand how I knew he was a Merfolk.
"Why is there someone from the bottom layer of the Illusory Realm here?"
I looked blankly at the Merfolk before me. His voice was clear and masculine, a stark contrast to his delicate, handsome face.
"I don't know why I'm here either. Who am I?"
I watched the two Merfolk in silence. They stared at each other, their throats emitting a series of harsh, piercing sounds. Judging by their eyes, it seemed they were communicating.
After a while, the shrill sounds stopped. Jako Chen, the male Merfolk, broke into a laugh.
"Looks like you’ve dodged death this time. The chieftain wants to see you—come with us."
I swallowed hard. Jade May, the female Merfolk, approached with a broad smile. I deliberately averted my gaze—she wasn’t wearing anything, and I felt awkward, my eyes darting elsewhere.
"You must be human, right?"
I didn’t understand what she meant by ‘human.’ Why was I here? Who was I? These questions kept swirling in my mind. Just then, Jade May grabbed my hand and, with a splash, pulled me into the lake. I kept my mouth shut, but for some reason, I opened it anyway. I felt nothing—no sensation at all. The only difference was a heaviness in the water, heavier than on the shore, but otherwise, I felt nothing.
I didn’t even know what to do. My eyes widened in astonishment—the place was incredible. Multicolored stones and vibrant aquatic plants surrounded me, and the lakebed teemed with crabs, shrimp, and fish I’d never seen before. Everything around me was dazzling. Though we were deep beneath the lake, what I saw looked more like the bottom of the sea, and there was so much that I could barely take it all in.
Not far away, I saw what looked like a massive village. All the buildings were shaped like giant shells, and Merfolk of all ages—men, women, old and young—were coming and going. Many of them stared at me, their eyes full of curiosity. I had no idea where Jade May was taking me.
"You don’t seem scared. Aren’t you afraid we’ll eat you?"
Strangely, the fear I’d felt just moments ago had vanished. I wasn’t nervous at all. Jade May led me to a giant shell, where a small tunnel opened before us. She guided me inside, and we entered a vast hall.
There, I saw a colossal Merfolk sitting cross-legged atop a giant shell, surrounded by powerful-looking Merfolk. I landed on the ground, my body still shifting and flickering, insubstantial as light and shadow.
(Irrelevant navigation prompt skipped.)
"Elder, we’ve brought the human."
Jade May released my hand and gave me a gentle push. I drifted toward the Merfolk elder, whose elongated body stretched nearly four meters. He looked different from the others—his skin was wrinkled and dark, and a long white beard hung from his mouth.
"Do you remember who you are, human?"
I shook my head and sat down. The Merfolk around me whispered in sharp voices, exchanging words I couldn’t understand. I looked around, and then the Elder Merman took out a piece of white meat and placed it before me. I had no idea what kind of meat it was.
"Eat," he said.
I stared at the meat in confusion, glancing up at the Elder Merman, unsure what to do.
"Where is this place, really?"
I asked, and the Elder Merman replied.
"This is the middle layer of the Illusory Realm. Judging by your form, you must have come up from the bottom layer. But those who ascend usually have a physical body—you must consume other things in the Illusory Realm to gain strength and become corporeal."
I murmured an acknowledgment and picked up the piece of meat. Jade May approached, and I looked at her in confusion. She reached into my clothes and pulled out something—a rectangular slip of paper with four characters written on it: 正本清源.
"Could this be your name—Qingyuan?"
I shook my head, staring at the four bold characters on the slip. Nothing came to mind. I didn’t even know how I recognized the words, but even seeing them, I still couldn’t remember anything.
"Elder, why did you bring this guy here and even give him food? Someone who hasn’t crossed from the bottom layer of the Illusory Realm shouldn’t be allowed in the middle layer."
The Elder Merman stroked his beard and then spoke.
"Do you remember the great tremor that shook the Illusory Realm before?"
Jako Chen glanced at me, then burst out laughing.
"Elder, are you saying the changes in the Illusory Realm have something to do with this kid?"
I looked at the Elder Merman in confusion. He bent down and spoke to me.
"Young man, you’re still here in the Illusory Realm—someone in the living world must still be thinking of you. That’s why you haven’t disappeared."
I shook my head, unable to remember anything. After a while, Jade May led me out of the hall and back to the village, bringing me to a small shell-shaped home.
"This is my home. You can stay here for now."
"Thank you," I said.
I kept my head down as I entered. Inside were many shells and the remains of fish, shrimp, and crab, used as decorations. I sat quietly on a shell, staring at the pink meat in my hand. I had no desire to eat it. I kept thinking—who was I? The only clue was the slip in my hand, with those four characters: 正本清源.
I had no idea how much time passed before Jade May returned. She swam over slowly, curiosity in her eyes. I still didn’t dare look at her directly—somehow, a sense of shyness welled up inside me.
"What’s wrong? Humans have these organs too."
Jade May leaned close, and I shook my head.
"Sorry," I muttered.
Jade May sat beside me, resting her chin on her hand, and patted my back.
"You have a determined look in your eyes, like a warrior."
I let out a soft sound, then shook my head.
"I can’t remember anything right now."
I turned my head to the side, took a breath, and said:
"Miss Jade May, can you tell me what’s really going on here?"
Jade May made a soft sound of acknowledgment.
"To put it simply, this Illusory Realm is a place born from human imagination. All of us—beasts from ancient legends, and countless other strange things—exist here. This is our Merfolk territory. Don’t worry. Once you regain your physical form, you might recover your memory."