Bailonz Street 13

“It’s exceedingly rare for a soul to shatter and recover, Mr. Moore! A medical examination is essential to prepare for any potential side effects!”

“Damn it. Let it go! The problem’s resolved, what more is there to inspect?”

“Don’t refuse! It’s just a precaution!”

What a farce this was. There was nothing amusing about the situation. I stood at the doorway, watching his medical examination unfold, when our eyes met.

Liam gestured desperately. Save me.

I clenched my fist, showing my support. Hang in there.

Liam’s eyes widened, and he began to stir. It seemed he might push through the crowd and come towards me. Considering he had nearly died, I didn’t quite fancy him springing up and dashing about, so I quickly turned and grabbed the doorknob.

“Wait, Jane!”

“Miss Jane needs to rest, man! After all she’s done!”

Owen interjected just in time, allowing me to leave the room without any burden.

I felt a bit sorry for abandoning Liam… But those people scared me too.

As I was about to close the door, Herschel Hopkins grabbed the doorknob and followed me out. Honestly, I was surprised. I thought Herschel would be rejoicing over Liam’s safe return, spending his time with his mentor, not following me. But I was too exhausted for any argument.

“How long was I in there after I entered?”

“It took over two hours, Miss Jane.”

Herschel responded politely, his voice tinged with a faint guilt, which I chose not to address.

Liam’s past haunted him like a specter—it felt like I had been with him for more than a week, yet it was merely a little over two hours. Is perception of time so relative?

Ignoring the rising questions, I started walking aimlessly, pressing my feet firmly against the plush corridor carpet.

I needed somewhere to cool my head, some alone time. I wanted to rest, to lie down and sleep. I wished Herschel would just stop following me.

‘He is too curious.’

That thought whispered in my head. I thought such conversations were only possible in dreams, but here it was, speaking to me, in reality. I silently asked:

‘What happened inside there.’

The voice began to explain patiently.

It helped me realize that an ordinary person without magic would be crushed to death if they walked into that storm. Owen had a reason for his warnings. He had said, ‘If a commoner went in there.’ Was Herschel curious about how I survived?

‘You’re too keen, Jane. It’s worrying.’

Oh, whose fault is that? I grimaced crookedly.

This unrealistic game turned my world upside down. If I hadn’t been lured into playing ‘Misty London’ as a beta tester—supposedly set in the 19th century—I would have been comfortably resting in my 21st-century room. In this game, my ordinary way of thinking was completely altered, and I had to become accustomed to mysteries and the unknown.

Herschel was still by my side, visibly anxious about the possibility of me collapsing.

‘Great leaders, or mentors, have a knack for making people nervous.’

Eventually, I stopped walking and sighed.

“Professor.”

Herschel also stopped and looked at me, his voice slow in response.

“Yes.”

His eyes, filled with guilt as if he couldn’t bear stopping me from entering Liam Moore’s recovery room.

I asked nonchalantly.

“It wasn’t meant for just anyone to enter, right?”

Herschel’s face paled as if someone had splashed bleach on it.

“How did you…”

I didn’t bother to explain. It wasn’t necessary.

Herschel seemed relieved just knowing Liam was safe and active; the trauma of losing someone makes people irrational. I know that well.

“Does it matter how I know? What’s important is that Liam is safe.”

“But Miss Jane, I…”

What, you pushed me towards death? But that was just trying to grab a rotten lifeline.

I had no intention of listening to their further excuses. I interrupted Herschel.

“I know. Liam is your priority.”

And so was he to me.

I quietly looked out the window. The landscape was unfamiliar, borrowing only the name Greenwich, yet existing nowhere on Earth. The scenery had not changed in a moment: dawn and dusk coexisted, clouds frozen in time. I suddenly said,

“I went into the mental realm.”

“The mental realm?”

“Liam’s mental realm was a desert. With falling snow.”

Herschel stumbled over his words, looking as if he didn’t expect me to understand such concepts.

Yeah, I agree. I wouldn’t have known for a lifetime if I hadn’t ‘directly’ encountered El….

“Since when, Miss Jane?”

Herschel looked terrified. I feigned ignorance.

“What do you mean?”

“Since when have you known these things….”

Ah. I see. Herschel Hopkins was worried I had undergone the same ordeal as him. Perhaps, being possessed by ‘The Black King.’

An interesting assumption. Of course, imagining myself as a minion to that dreadful entity was revolting. Just the thought made me nauseous, like stepping into a bed of maggots.

I tried to reply. Not long, but it’s okay. The same things.

“That’s true. But don’t worry. I haven’t been possessed by him.”

Yet, these words spilled out against my will. My eyes narrowed.

The five letters I had just blurted out matched exactly the rhythm Liam had spoken before. How they escaped my lips, I couldn’t say, but one thing was clear: they were The Black King’s name. Its bizarre, song-like quality was impossible to mimic in human language. I knew that name. I even spoke it without hesitation.

Distant thunder rumbled, as if warning me for uttering that name.

I felt no sense of impending doom, but Herschel did. He called out my name in fear.

“Miss Jane.”

“Yes. Speak, Professor.”

“You’ve crossed a boundary.”

Those who cross boundaries can always sense such dissonance. Herschel had noticed something different about me.

“That knowledge, then…”

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not something I gained at a loss.”

Herschel continued to look at me with concern.

“Did you gain power?”

I looked at my fingertips.

Power? No.

To be brutally honest, I was still ‘helpless.’ Given that the threat was none other than ‘The Black King,’ I doubted that catching a few marauding raiders could protect me. In front of such entities, I was no different than a mere ant.

“Unfortunately, no. I only gained ‘understanding’ of the situation.”

“The greatest power of all.”

“No, Professor. It’s a curse.”

I muttered coldly as Herschel flinched. Regardless, I found this very cumbersome.

Now, knowing the risks of knowing, I could fully empathize with Liam and Herschel.

Understanding is madness. It would be easier to think of it as merely night and cover it up, but for humans who must see the flesh lurking nearby by holding up a torch, understanding is akin to a curse. Once it manifests and reveals the horrifying and ugly truths hidden in the dark, a person goes mad.

Maybe that’s why my thoughts had become so similar to Liam’s. I had become a colder person. I instinctively knew I had to look at everything dryly.

So, I asked in an unconcerned tone.

“Liam’s awake. Why are you still here?”

Herschel cleared his throat and scratched his cheek.