Strange Inner World

Around noon, when Sushang brought out the food, Shu finally realized it was already midday.

The sky was still that same gloomy gray, feeling like it could start drizzling any second, or just as easily turn into a sky full of black clouds and then unleash a torrential downpour.

The atmosphere was truly oppressive, but Sushang was eating with gusto.

It was… jarringly out of place.

Can't you see I'm in my emo phase? Shu subtly rolled his eyes at Sushang, deciding against further power experiments.

What he'd developed so far were just some application methods. The core problems were still how to increase his total [Expectation] and keep [Prayer] readily available.

The [Expectation] in his body had stopped growing. Back at the shelter, Shu could still vaguely sense [Expectation] increasing at a snail's pace.

It wasn't obvious at first, but since leaving the shelter, the complete halt in growth was something Shu had definitely noticed.

That's why Shu had asked Kiana and the others to bring the survivors back to the train.

He needed to be around people to accumulate power, after all.

Guess humans really are social creatures…

Shu mused, returning to sit on the doorstep.

On the other side of the doorstep, Sushang was holding her bowl, taking small bites.

Wait, no portion for him?

Shu glanced at the food again, then looked away.

What are you expecting? He should be surprised that Sushang even prepared a meal for him yesterday, not that she didn't today.

He might not be a good person, but he wasn't a monster.

Shu didn't say anything. Sushang peeked at Shu, and when she saw he wasn't reacting, she immediately sped up her eating, finishing her portion quickly. Then, she carried her bowl inside.

Rain finally started to fall. Shu sat on the doorstep, staring blankly at the world outside, now obscured by the gray rain curtain.

The pattering rain echoed in his ears. This most pervasive of sounds wasn't noisy at all. Instead, in this clamorous world, it highlighted an unusual tranquility.

A fresh scent filled the air. The rain and its sound wrapped the world in a blanket, granting a person, a house, a moment of solitude.

The world is just me now. People who watch the rain often have this illusion.

Only his heart was open to him. Shu glanced at the dust-covered door, gently raising his hand to brush away the grime, but then pulled his hand back halfway.

As if he didn't want to get his hand dirty, or as if he couldn't bear to disturb the layer of dust covering it.

It was just a door anyway, nothing special to look at.

Ignoring the door, Shu stepped over the threshold and walked into his own heart.

This felt like the first time he'd seen his inner world so clearly.

A dazzling array of chaotic patterns, no art form in the world could explain to Shu what kind of arrangement this was.

Everything was fragmented, disordered, conflicting, and constantly overturning itself.

Looking upwards, Shu realized that above was actually the ground, and what was beneath his feet wasn't a ceiling, but a large clock hanging on a wall.

This phenomenon that defied common sense made Shu feel a little dizzy. Stumbling back a couple of steps, Shu took in the full view of the clock beneath his feet.

It was still ticking, but the hour, minute, and even second hands were frozen in place.

For a moment, Shu thought he was frozen in time.

Just like realizing it was noon only when someone pointed it out, Shu felt like he had lost his sense of time.

The ticking sound drowned out the rain, rejecting all external sounds, gradually merging with Shu's heartbeat, until they were indistinguishable.

Until the ticking sound dominated the rhythm of his heart.

This wasn't a good thing, but Shu didn't know it yet.

Still, he frowned and reached out, grabbing the clock's slender second hand, forcefully pushing it down and turning it one tick forward.

A deafening mechanical roar erupted. Shu suddenly felt gravity again, falling straight down, landing on solid ground.

A sky full of rose petals burst upwards as Shu landed, then fluttered down, gently and gradually covering Shu, who was lying in the flowerbed.

The thorns of the roses cleverly avoided Shu, causing him no discomfort at all.

Why roses?

Shu didn't think about why he had come here, nor did he dwell on why such a place existed in his heart.

He was just puzzled: why roses?

Shu propped himself up, slowly getting to his feet, and looked into the distance.

The color of the sky was a dreamlike pink, even the clouds in the sky were a faint pink.

As far as the eye could see, the endless plain was covered in blooming roses – red, white, pink, yellow, black… roses filled every corner, roses formed this world.

Here, Shu felt his emotions were unprecedentedly calm, neither happy nor sad, and even after his initial confusion, no other thoughts arose.

After spacing out for a while, Shu suddenly felt a prompting in his heart. He braced himself and stood up, looking behind him.

There was a giant cradle woven from rose branches, swaying gently in the air, as if comforting someone inside, or perhaps nurturing something.

Shu looked at the cradle. Everything there looked so beautiful, but Shu strangely felt an urge to turn and leave.

Yet, there was also an instinct to walk forward and part the roses to see inside.

Shu didn't know which to choose.

But he knew he had to make a choice, just not now.

"Pitter-patter."

As if awakened from a dream, Shu snapped back to reality. The world was still that gloomy gray, the sound of rain echoed in his ears, and there were a few people squatting beside him, observing him.

…Wait, a few?

Shu looked in surprise at Sushang, and behind Sushang, Fu Hua and Kallen, both soaking wet.

"Fu Hua? You're back?" Shu quickly stood up from the doorstep, looking at them in delighted surprise.

"Yeah." Fu Hua nodded, then looked at Shu with some concern. "Shu, are you alright?"

"Huh? I'm fine." Shu was taken aback, raising his hands to look at himself, then patting himself up and down, before asking back in confusion, "What's wrong with me?"

"You were just sitting there, and we couldn't get you to respond no matter what we said. It was like you couldn't see us at all." Kallen added, even mimicking Shu's earlier posture. "Not even blinking! If you weren't still breathing, we'd have thought you…"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Shu quickly raised his hand to stop Kallen. No need for bad omens, you should save your blessings for me instead.

"Alright." Kallen nodded, stepping back with a smile. "Anyway, welcome back to the world of the living!"