Arshal was startled, his eyes darting quickly. He realized Zuxsin and Zaresha recognized the person he'd met two days prior. He turned to them, replying casually.
"You know him?" Arshal asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Yes, I know him. He's a friend I lost contact with after… you know," Zaresha replied flatly, a flicker of happiness in her eyes.
"Huh, thank goodness he's your friend," Arshal said, turning and entering the house to retrieve something.
Zuxsin approached first and sat to Lixs's left, followed by Zaresha on her right. Their expressions shifted, revealing traces of pity and guilt.
The three of them sat together, exchanging stories about what had happened after they'd separated.
Lixs's condition was alarming. Her body was heavily bandaged—her right cheek hidden beneath a patch, her left leg wrapped in thick gauze, and one arm cradled in a sling.
A deep regret settled in their hearts—if the incident in Vurce hadn't forced Lixs to help, she might not be this badly injured.
"A-um… I'm sorry, Lixs. We caused you so much trouble," Zaresha murmured, looking at her.
"Me too… I apologize," Zuxsin added, bowing slightly.
Lixs sighed softly, then smiled.
"Huh, you guys sound like strangers."
Both Zaresha and Zuxsin were curious about what she'd been through, what had left her so badly wounded.
Arshal walked past them, carrying two glasses and a teapot filled with tea.
He placed the teapot and glasses on the table before them. Tea poured from the teapot, filling the glasses. He handed one to Zaresha and one to Zuxsin.
"Please, continue your reunion," he said with a smile.
A cynical gaze followed him. Sensing disapproval, Arshal left the three of them.
Meanwhile, Zaresha was suspicious of Zuxsin. Where and when had she met Arshal? What made her so sure he was a good person? Her curiosity led her to ask directly.
"So, where did you meet him, Zuxsin?" she asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"I don't know, I can't quite remember," Zuxsin replied curtly.
"Are you sure he doesn't want something from us?" Zaresha pressed, still unconvinced.
"I don't know! I told you, I can't remember!" Zuxsin snapped, her voice rising with frustration.
Feeling she'd pushed Zuxsin too far, Zaresha fell silent, resolving not to ask again. But Lixs began to reassure her about Arshal.
"Don't worry, Zaresha, he's a good person. He's been taking care of me gently for two days now," she said with a low chuckle.
Lixs's words eased Zaresha's heart. She trusted her. The suspicion slowly faded.
...
Lixs, still trapped in a strange world…
Two days ago—right before her return—Lixs was trapped in a bizarre world, a foreign place that seemed to reject all forms of rest.
The world teemed with terrifying, sleepless creatures, making it impossible for Lixs to even close her eyes. Not just sleep; even a minute's rest felt impossible.
She survived there for two years, though only two days passed in the real world. This stark difference in time exacerbated her physical and mental exhaustion.
The world was silent, cold, and dark—the sun never rose. Light came only from deceptive sources, and darkness became a constant companion, pressing on her mind every day.
Lixs began to lose track of time. Her thoughts thinned, eroded by emptiness. She persevered for only one reason: the hope that her real world still existed, that she could return.
Cicaxs wasn't just another world—it was a dimensional trap that devoured time and sanity.
The sun never touched its sky. Instead, it hung like a cracked veil of deep purple, casting a faint light that tormented more than it illuminated.
On the ground of Cicaxs, sleep was an impossible luxury. Formless creatures whispered unspeakable names, haunting from behind the thick purple fog.
Lixs, trapped for two Cicaxs years, lived in constant tension. Every step was accompanied by whispers. Every breath felt like digging a deeper hole into her own mind.
In Cicaxs, memories faded like smoke, and only the mentally strong could escape without losing themselves.
Nir was the quietest region in Cicaxs.
A steep chasm cleaved the land like an ancient wound that never healed. Thick purple fog hung above it, obscuring a seemingly bottomless abyss.
Sounds were swallowed here—even screams seemed absorbed by the stone.
There was no wind. No echo. Only a subtle rustling that originated from nowhere.
According to Cicaxs creature rumors, anyone who stared too long into the chasm of Nir would hear their own whispers… begging to be forgotten.
Lixs stood at its edge. Between fear and the desire to end her suffering, she realized one thing—Nir wasn't a chasm for death.
It was a place to lose hope.
She was on the verge of a decision, she planned to jump and end it all. She wanted to jump into the chasm of Nir. But as she was about to jump, a strange, hand-like shape began to restrain her legs. Lixs was startled, turning quickly.
A shadow, vaguely hand-shaped and purple, was gripping her legs, as if it didn't want her to fall into the chasm of Nir.
From behind the rocks, a shadowy figure appeared, very much like a cat. Lixs was surprised.
"Huh, what's that?" she murmured softly.
As she suspected, the shadow was a cat. She paused, noticing its faint purple and black coloring.
In the two years she'd spent there, this was the first time she felt calm and slightly relieved by the cat's presence. Strangely, whenever Lixs went looking for a way home, the cat always followed her, as if it wanted to show her something important.
Ten days in Cicaxs passed while searching for a way home. Lixs, sensing something odd, stopped. She turned and approached the cat.
"Why are you meowing? Why do you keep following me?" she whispered, more to herself than the cat.
Meow, the cat continued to meow as Lixs approached. The cat displayed strange behavior, rolling on the ground while meowing at Lixs.
"What is it? I don't understand," Lixs didn't understand the cat's habits. She began to observe its behavior.
A few minutes passed. The cat stopped rolling, strangely staring at Lixs, who looked drowsy.
The cat meowed quite loudly, startling her awake. Again, she spoke to the cat.
"What is it?" she asked, surprised, yawning.
The cat seemed slightly disappointed that Lixs didn't understand what it was doing.
After that, the cat ran off, leaving Lixs alone and drowsy.
"Huh, where's that cat going?" she murmured, nibbling her lower lip. "How long have I been standing here?"
Lixs found the atmosphere strange. Staying still for even a short time in Cicaxs was highly unusual.
"Strange, not like usual," she widened her eyes in surprise.
Lixs suspected the cat's presence was keeping the Cicaxs creatures from attacking her. With that, she stood and searched for the cat.
She navigated through obstacles, searching for the cat. An hour passed, and Lixs, losing the cat's trail, grew tired. She planned to rest for a bit.
She sighed quickly, blinking repeatedly.
Rustle rustle.
"What's that?" Her eyes fell on a swaying bush.
Meow... Again, the cat appeared.
After meowing, the cat left Lixs. But this time, she followed where it went. After a few minutes of following the cat, she saw a purple teleportation light near it.
Meow.
"Huh, am I supposed to step into this light?" she murmured, eyes fixed on the cat.
Meow. The cat meowed again, as if urging Lixs to enter. Without thinking too long, she stepped into the purple teleportation light.