Chapter 58: Talk with the past

I dive into my bed with Amelia and rollover. This time I wouldn't have to get back up. The lights were turned off but the moon's dim lights sneaked past the curtains, faintly lighting up the room in its soft glow.

Amelia curls up into a furball on her pillow while I stare at the open balcony, trying to fall asleep for the night.

A gentle breeze fills the room with cold air and gives me a slight shiver. Though it was spring the nights became considerably cold.

My eyes start to feel heavy as I lose my conscience. My vision flickered like a candle as I slowly drifted off into my slumber, only to be awakened by my senses. But it wouldn't take long before I would be fully asleep

When I opened my eyes, I was not in my room, nor was I in Mori's realm. This place, as far as my memory went, was unfamiliar to me.

A grassy plain that spanned over for miles on end with no end in sight. A deep blue sky covered with clouds that look like cotton, floating through the vast openness of the deep blue above.

The sight was breathtaking but I couldn't admire it for that long. My mind was baffled by how I made it here and where I was. This didn't look like my old world, nor did it look like the new world.

Where am I?

"Aren't you one handsome fella?" A fairly deep voice spoke out from behind me.

I hastily turned around to face the person that had spoken out. He could have answers. But when I turned, it seemed he wouldn't be giving me answers but more questions with no answers.

A man stood before me with black hair that covered his forehead with spikey bangs. He had rectangular glasses and a well-built body. Broad shoulders and biceps that fit tightly through the sleeves of his moss-green t-shirt.

The man who stood before me was not just any man. He was a man I knew better than anyone else in this world. He was me, Sung Hei.

He spread his arms out with an arrogant smirk on his face. "What? Surprised to meet yourself?"

"I thought I killed you," I said after making up a nervous smile. "So, what brings you here?" I asked him after building up the courage.

He gave me a stern gaze and laughed. "What brings me here? The question is, what brings

you here?"

All I could do was give him an arrogant smirk and listen along to what he wanted to say. I had no answer to his question, nor did he want to answer any of my questions.

"Listen, Artorius. Have you thought about what happened to your old life, hm? After you came to this world, you never thought about it."

A lump grew in my throat as he spoke the truth that I didn't want to hear. I took deep breaths and listened to what else he had to say.

"Will you not talk? That's fine," He says as he starts to walk closer to me. "I understand you, we are the same person, just in different bodies."

Without many options, I started to walk up to him as well. We both had the same prideful smile on our faces as we trotted closer and closer to each other.

As I was about to stop, he stopped as well. "Will you not ask about your past life?" He asked me.

"I left that world behind," I replied to him. "Why would I need to know about that life anymore?"

"How naive," He mocked me. "Your past won't leave you so easily, Artorius Hei."

"Still terrible with names, aren't you?" I mocked him back.

He lets out a soft chuckle. "I suppose a warning wouldn't hurt anyone."

"What warning?" I asked him, curious and intimidated.

He didn't try to stop me but I stopped just beside him, trying to not face him.

"You can be a king or a god, but your actions will always have consequences." He told me, possibly foreshadowing an event or friendly advice.

"I am not a king, nor a god. I am you."

He bellows out an exaggerated laugh, a laugh that I hadn't heard from myself before. "Very well! Wise words from you," He said before holding onto my shoulder.

The world around us starts to disappear into a black mist. I smiled but didn't turn to see him one last time.

"See you on the other side, Sung Hei," I told him my final words.

The rest of my vision gets covered by the black mist that filled this world till the sunlight couldn't reach down. The sensation of his hand holding onto my shoulder disappears and the last of my vision goes blank, leaving me blind and senseless.

My eyes opened to the white ceiling that was above me. A soft surface behind me and sunlight beaming through the closed window and the open balcony.

I rolled over my bed to see Amelia still in the same position, peacefully sleeping. There was no reason to disturb her sleep.

As I try to roll back around, I feel my body go into a free fall and I fall off my bed.

"Ow! Damn it!" I shouted out as I picked myself up again.

I turned around to check if Amelia woke up, luckily she was a heavy sleeper and still asleep.

My bedside table had some of the important things that I kept before falling asleep. One of them was the ring box that I carried around in my pocket and my pocket watch.

I quickly take them and put them into my pocket before walking around my bed to my bathroom. The morning had just started and I was off to a poor start.

All I could think of was the dream that I saw, or perhaps a vision. I was talking to myself, my past self. The body and personality that I had known for my entire life were now speaking to me in the third person.

Perhaps I'm just too stressed out.

I cup water into my hands and rinse my face with it. The freezing temperature of the water made me relax and think clearly, also getting rid of any sleep that was left over.

Now I could start my day.

VINCENT'S POV

The day had just started and I was not looking forward to it. First I was woken up forcefully by Felix, and now I had to walk around the entire estate for a safety check.

As I walked down the stairs to the foyer, I was approached by a servant. He had a letter in his hand and looked to be in a rush.

"What's the hurry?" I asked him. "Who is the letter for?"

He noticed me and recognized me. "Thank the gods!" He exclaimed. "I was looking for Sir Felix or you."

The servant hastily handed me the letter and left. I was left in confusion and didn't know how to react.

Who is this letter from?

I checked for any identification, and sure enough, there was one. But it was not someone I was expecting, no one was expecting.

The letter came from a man named Alaric Von Leonard. Any sleep that was left in me was gone and I panicked.

Without wasting any time I ran back up the stairs. This letter was not for me nor Felix, it was for Artorius. Why would he need to send a letter today?

I ran through the hallways that looked identical to each other. It was early morning and I had to be careful about noise, yet I couldn't be slow at delivering this to Artorius.

Finally, I reach his room and barge in, even if he was sleeping I can be excused for my behaviour this one time.

"Artorius!" I burst into the room. "Alaric has sent a letter! You might need to read this!"

Artorius didn't react but turned to me. He looked me dead in the eye and blinked a few times.

"Huh? What does he have to say?" Artorius asks as he buttons up his plain shirt.

I walked up to him and handed him the letter. "Read it. I'm not sure what he has to say," I told him before walking back to close the door.

He tears the seal open and takes the letter in his hands. His face stays expressionless but his eyes move, reading every word of the letter.

At the corner of my eye, I see a crimson-coloured fox waking up and stretching. It distracted me from the tension that was building up as Artorius read the letter.

"Ah, it's just a notification," He speaks up after reading through the letter.

"A notification? What does that mean?" I asked curiously.

He hands me the letter with the envelope and turns around to Amelia. I took a glance at the letter and understood what he meant.

The letter talked about taking aid. Alaric didn't tell Artorius about it beforehand and thought he should know now.

He took a platoon of troops from Leo to fight in the cave that Artorius talked about. It seemed Alaric lost too many of his own men and needed to hire new troops.

"So, do you have any plans today before the party?" Artorius asked me, picking up his crimson fox on his shoulder.

"Not really. As you said, we should spend the day in leisure," I replied.

He nods his head and walks past me. "Very well. I'm thinking of taking a walk outside of the estate. Perhaps you can join me or stay at the estate," He told me, giving me two options.

A gentle smirk breaks from my lips. "Sure, whatever you say,"

Artorius walks out of the room and leaves me inside. I quickly turn around and catch up to him. The smile on his face told me that he was in a joyful mood today.

"How's your family?" He asked me to break the silence. "Have you talked to them after leaving the palace?"

"Not at all," I replied quickly.

"Hm, it must be difficult talking through letters all the time," He monologues out loud.

Our footsteps matched as we walked down the silent hallways. I didn't know where he was walking but it felt like he was leading me somewhere specific.

I sped up to walk beside him. "What do you plan on doing after this whole scandal?" I asked him out of curiosity.

Artorius takes a deep sigh and puts his hands in his pocket. "Try to relax. Though with what's coming ahead of me, I don't think I can relax all that much," He said, sounding much lower than before.

I had never seen Artorius sound soft, yet his voice had authority even when it was quiet.

I felt sleepy and let out a long yawn as we walked downstairs. Artorius notices my yawn and scoffs.

"Still sleepy?" He asked me without facing me.

"Felix woke me up at the ass crack of dawn," I replied with a fake smile

It managed to make Artorius chuckle and smile. "Really now? Must be tough then, huh?"

Walking alongside him made me realise how laid back he is. It's a side of him I don't see often. He's usually a workaholic. Always working and not taking a break, yet here he was taking a leisurely walk around the estate and making normal conversation.

"Where's Felix?" He asked while looking around the surroundings.

I couldn't remember exactly where he was. "The last time we spoke he was in the kitchen," I told him as a clue.

"I'll talk to him later then," Artorius said before walking towards the living room.

I followed nonchalantly. Both of us had nothing to do and only had each other's company.

"By the way," I uttered. "You said Amelia talks to you in tele-"

Suddenly he turns around and shushes me. "Shh! Don't say it out so loud! Kathlyn doesn't know of Amelia's true identity," He told me in a hushed voice.

I panicked and quickly held my mouth shut, nodding and agreeing with him.

He continued walking again. "So, what was your question?" He asked in a quiet tone.

"How far can you both talk from?" I asked him in a similar volume.

"I never tested out the max range," He answered faster than I thought. "I just know it's a long distance."

His answer opened up more questions. I always saw him randomly staring at her, as if they have a mutual understanding.

"What does she think of me?" I asked out of curiosity.

He turned to his right and looked at her. They made eye contact for a few minutes before he turned back to me.

"Weak but good-hearted," He replied back with a mischievous smirk.

I let out a chuckle. "Very well!" I exclaimed gladly. "At least they weren't bad traits."