Main Story Chapter 13-11: Witness of the Past (过去的证人） | Light and Night 光与夜之恋

 Before reading this chapter, please consider reading Chapter 13-09 here!

When the skies are slightly brightened, I'm still in my dreams, but I was suddenly wakened by a sound of door shutting.

I immediately sat up from my bed and pulled the door open. Just when I was about to ask Sariel on what happened, I saw a stranger sitting by his bedside.

You: Who are you?! What are you doing here?!

???: Don't be afraid, I'm Qi She! Ah, I'm that little lizard!

You: ... Little Lizard??? You're that little lizard at his house?!

Sariel: He is indeed, I said someone will pick me up for the hospital discharge, it's him.

You: So you're an Erda too?!

Qi She: Well of course, what do you think? I look pretty handsome in my human form, right?

You: Mhm, quite handsome indeed!

Sariel: Done chatting?

Qi She: Oh Lao Qi, you're even being jealous because me.

Sariel: You have 10 more minutes left to pack.

Qi She angrily stuck his tongue out, packing the luggage on the floor, no longer spoke.

You: You are both leaving so early?

Sariel: Yeah, the matter is rather urgent.

You: But you've just regained consciousness...

I don't know what's so urgent that could make Sariel rush and tend to it as soon as he regains consciousness and with his unstable spiritual powers.

I can only have a vague feeling, that it's probably related to the elder's matter. Since he has already made up his mind, the only thing I can do is to protect myself, and have him to take care of his own safety.

You: Be careful on your way there, and come back soon.

Sariel sat into Qi She's backpack, and nodded towards me from afar.

My eyes suddenly became a little teary, it feels like a scene like this has happened in the past too.

Just like this, I yelled at him to take care of his safety from afar. And he waved at me, then turned away and left.

When he's back, I have to ask him about my meeting with him during childhood and get it clear.

After successfully exiting the hospital and all the way to Lightcloud Station*, Qi She can finally takes his backpack off, and with a puff, he returned to his lizard form.

*The train station to Rainy Island, a place where Erdas around Guang Qi or so reside in. Not all Erdas come from this place, there are Erdas in other countries, just like how there are also Strains in other countries. You can refer here to learn more about it through his birthday event, or here through his birthday card.

Lizard: I can't withstand this anymore. Lao Qi, I can only send you off from here.

Sariel: Okay, you can go back first.

The white fox leaped out from the backpack. Looking at how tired the lizard looks, he temporarily entrusts the luggage to a close acquaintance to take care of it.

Lizard: I can't believe that your spiritual powers are now so weak, that your Talent would disappear from time to time. Sigh, I'll accompany you to wait for the train for a bit. But why did you suddenly think of returning to Rainy Island? Are you looking for Lady Huai to retrieve the treatment medicine?

Sariel: No. I'm going to look for the Supreme Elder.

Lizard: Supreme Elder?! Lao Qi are you nuts?! Let's not talk about the Supreme Elder has been disliking you to begin with. He has never been willing to let you leave Rainy Island, aren't you going to send yourself to his trap if you go back now? Who knows he would bind you there again, and say things like "resurrecting the Erda's glory is your duty" and stuff like that.

Sariel: Only he can solve my doubts, so I have to look for him.

Lizard: What doubts that you're in this hurry?

Sariel: Did you know that the elder once wiped off Y/N's memories? And those memories are related to me.

Lizard: Elder? Wiping memories?

Sariel: That was what happened 11 years ago. He said it's because I used my Talent that caused her to be overly shocked, and she hasn't been recovering from high fever for many days. So he had no choice but to wipe off her memories. I thought the same back then too. But he suddenly appeared again yesterday, and plan to wipe her memories off once again. This came without a reason. I have a feeling, that perhaps in times where I wasn't aware of, things like these has happened. many times. I don't have much time left. Only by making sure on the reason why he's doing this, that she can be safe and sound from now on.

A gust of wind suddenly brushes across the empty hall, carrying white mists along. In the mist, a shadow in the shape of a train surfaced from thin air, and quietly drove into the train station.

Lizard: Forget it, it's better for me to go back with you. I'll standby outside, so the two of you won't start fighting.

Sariel didn't decline him. Only to speak again after leaping onto the train.

Sariel: Qi She, do you believe in the God's existence?

Lizard: God? I haven't seen one before, but they probably exists. Since everyone believes so anyway. Why are you suddenly asking me that?

Sariel: It seems like the elder has felt a power that only belongs to gods from her.

Qi She got so shocked he couldn't say a word, stunned for quite a while, and only to look towards Sariel in panic.

Noticing that he has already boarded the train, he quickly returned to his senses, and hopped onto the empty train.

As promised, Qi She waits outside the door. Only leaving Sariel to walk into the empty, old corridor that looks like a ruin.

The Supreme Elder has never left this place, but what's rare, is that he's not home today. Without hearing the guard's warning, Sariel barged inside.

He examined everything that hasn't changed in millenniums. The guards dressed in robes of ancient times, the flickering candle stand on the desk, and the few brushes dangling from the ink-colored brush rack.

But he doesn't miss it at all, only to find it an irony. Those who have stubbornly lived in the past are just having a beating heart compared to the dead.

There's wind blowing the windows open. There are faint noises that could be heard from the creak. Is someone here?

Sariel walked towards the sound. Turns it it's a bellflower, rustled by the winds, and the leave is grazing against the stone wall.

It's just a flower, there's no need to mind about it. But Sariel hesitated, and still approached the stone wall.

It's as though he is lead to it by something in the dark.

As soon as he approached closer, the light on the stone wall suddenly moved, and gradually formed into words.

It's the Supreme Elder's handwriting. Sariel watches at the rows of words, only to feel chills down to his spine.

Stone Wall: June 13th of year 2009, Sariel and Y/N has met for the first time. A mismatch of destiny's trajectory, both memories have been wiped off.

Stone Wall: November 23th of year 2009, Sariel and Y/N has met for the second time. A mismatch of destiny's trajectory, both memories have been wiped off.

Stone Wall: April 9th of year 2019, Sariel and Y/N has met for the third time. A mismatch of destiny's trajectory, both memories have been wiped off. Memory erasure caused Y/N's fever, Sariel found out about it.

On June 24th of year 2021, Sariel and Y/N has met for the sixth time. A match of destiny's trajectory, no interruption required.

Sariel stares at the stone wall in disbelief. He could feel his temples throbbing. Turns out that they have already met before he knew. Then they were forgotten, and moved in their respective paths along time, then encounter once again.

He thought it was just once, where he encountered a troublemaking kid, and helped her out.

And afterwards, each moment he spent with the girl are all recorded. As long as there are anything that is a mismatch to the destiny trajectory, they will all be interrupted.

Including their encounter in Warson Prize, including the time the girl gave up on the seminar and chose to look for him, and including the time he is arranged to consume DEA, and collapse on the stage.

As he looked downwards, the attack in the hospital yesterday was even recorded, and the erasure of Y/N's memory ended with a failure, and it's a match to the destiny's trajectory. 

A outrageous thought flashed by Sariel's mind. He recalled the angry face of the elder, and recalled how he looked when he said he's willing to sacrifice for the Erdas.

Sariel once thought the elder was the one who strategized them all, but right now, he has came to a realization, that both of them had subconsciously became a chess piece.

Looking at the last row of words, Sariel's hands trembled. The time will be three days later. When the time comes, the girl will appear at the junction of SiYu Road, she--

With a blink of an eye, the words on the stone wall have all disappeared. 

Supreme Elder: Sariel, you barged into this place without permission, you're simply lawless.

The elder's voice sounded like a large bell, completely emotionless as it echoes across the entire room.

Sariel: So all of these are what you've planned? Including my return today, it's all in your plans?

Supreme Elder: Since you've already seen it, I'll just admit to it. This is the one and only correct destiny trajectory. Only by following this trajectory, that we can change the Erda's destiny.

Sariel: I don't believe in any sort of destiny!

Supreme Elder: 5 million Erdas died in war a thousand years ago! To erase their injustice, and protecting the race's pride is something that all Erdas should remember well in their hearts! I've shouldered humiliation to live until this day, and a chance is what I'm waiting for. To surpass time and the power of the God of Creation, and only by relying on it, that we can have our future. As the general of the Erdas, since you've enjoyed the price, then you have to shoulder your duty!

Before the tone dies off, the doors and windows all closed continuously, with all walls surrounded with barriers. The sounds of collisions are so deafening, where each of them sounded as though they are punching into Sariel's heart.

Supreme Elder: Stay here well. Three days later, everything will come to an end.

Right when I walked out from the hospital, the skies is suddenly clouded with dark clouds, and it didn't take longer than a moment for the rain to pour.

It's rare to have a weather like this in early spring. My heart suddenly throbbed quickly, as though something bad is about to happen.

After some thoughts, I sent a message to Sariel in the end. But over half an hour has passed, and he still hasn't replied me.

You: Is he currently busy?

Just then, HR's message suddenly popped out in our company's group chat.

The message says, due to the three continuous fires happening in Guang Qi city recently, the company needs to urgently inspect the fire escape routes, and request all employees to immediately leave the office.

My mood that just cheered up has all disappeared without anything remained.

In the past, I once thought these are all natural disasters that can't be helped with. But after I saw that letter in Yangyang's house, to my fear, that isn't any sort of natural disaster, but manmade disasters.

It's from certain people who have privileges, and think they can control everything that toy and trample around with others' lives.

Suddenly, an exclaim from afar interrupted my train of thoughts.

Passerby: S- someone began burning!

I looked over, and all I see are black smokes.

The surrounding people have all dispersed in fear, retreating to somewhere very, very far. Sounds of ambulances, police sirens... everyone are looking so panicked.

This is my first time seeing life to pass away in such a cruel way. For a very long time after this, I am still incapable of describing my feelings at this moment.

The burnt smell wafted along the winds are so sickening, that I can't help but to bend down and retch.