Realization

After all those thoughts, Li Anqi just wanted to sleep and go into her dreams. Maybe then she could go to that space again.

But the moment she thought about it, she frowned.

What if she didn't dream about it tonight?

She realized something important: she couldn't enter the space on her own. Every time she wanted to go there, she had to fall asleep and wait for the dream. It wasn't in her control yet.

Frustrated, she closed her eyes tightly and tried to picture the space in her mind. The warm light, the silence, the air that felt a little different from the real world…

The next moment, she felt her body shift. When she opened her eyes again, she was already standing inside the space.

Her eyes widened. "Is this real?" she wondered, her tiny brows knitting in confusion. "Did I fall asleep so fast?"

To test it, she quickly thought about her room, the soft crib, the familiar warmth, and in the blink of an eye, she was back there again.

It wasn't a dream. It was real.

She could come and go just by thinking about it now.

She felt so happy that she couldn't stop herself. Lying in the crib, she waved her little hands and kicked her legs in the air, as if dancing.

After a while, she went into her space again. This time, she was determined to check every corner of that house. Maybe… just maybe, she'd find something useful.

She started to check every room in that house.

Her tiny feet made no sound as she wandered, one room at a time. The house in the space was quiet... too quiet... but it didn't feel scary. Just a little lonely. Like it had been waiting for someone for a long, long time.

Each door she pushed open revealed something different.

Then, when she peeked into one room, her steps paused.

It was a bedroom. Soft light filled the space from a glowing crystal on the wall, casting a warm glow over the bed. And on that bed… There was a small white cub curled into a ball, its breathing calm and even.

Li Anqi blinked, her heart skipping a beat.

A cub? Here?

She stepped closer, quietly, almost holding her breath. The little creature looked too cute to be real. Its fur was snow-white, like freshly fallen cotton, and it looked soft… so soft.

Unable to resist, she gently reached out her hand and touched it.

The fur was warm beneath her fingers, and unbelievably soft. Her hand moved on its own, slowly stroking it.

Then suddenly the cub opened its eyes.

A pair of clear, icy blue eyes stared straight at her. There was no fear in them. Just calmness… and a strange familiarity, like it had been waiting for her too.

Li Anqi stilled.

She didn't speak. Just looked back, wide-eyed.

And for some reason, her heart felt warm. 

The white cub blinked slowly, then… raised its tiny paw toward Li Anqi.

She froze.

Was it… waving?

Before she could react, a soft voice echoed in her mind, calm, gentle, almost sleepy.

"So you're finally here..."

Li Anqi's eyes widened.

She looked around quickly, no one was there.

The voice came again, clearer this time.

"Don't be scared. It's me talking. The cub. You can hear me because you've been accepted by the space."

Her tiny mouth parted, but no words came out. Her heart thumped hard. A talking animal? Wasn't this something imaginary?

The cub slowly sat up, stretching its front legs like it had just woken from a long nap.

"That day… when your blood touched the Heartstone during the accident… You awakened the space. That means you belong here. This space… and I… have been waiting for you."

Li Anqi crouched a little, staring at the little white cub in disbelief.

She wanted to ask so many things - Why her? What was this place really? How could a baby like her even have it?

But nothing came out.

The cub seemed to sense her confusion and tilted its head slightly.

"You can't talk now, I know. But your thoughts are loud enough. I'll help you understand everything little by little."

It paused, its voice turning more serious.

"But remember… you must become stronger. This space is your key, but the world outside… that's where your strength will be tested."

Li Anqi stared, her mind still trying to catch up.

So it wasn't just a storage space, not just a house, it had a guardian. A cub that could talk. And maybe… maybe she wasn't as alone or powerless as she had thought.

Slowly, she reached out again and placed her hand gently on the cub's head.

It closed its eyes and leaned into her touch.

Li Anqi hesitated for a moment, then asked through telepathy,"What's your name? What can I call you?"

The white cub blinked slowly, its voice warm and steady in her mind."Bai. You can call me Xiao Bai."

Li Anqi sat cross-legged on the soft floor, her tiny hands resting on her lap. Her mind was still buzzing with everything that had happened, but now that Xiao Bai was here, some of the fear had settled.

She looked at the white cub and asked through telepathy,"How did you come into this space? How did you become the guardian?"

Xiao Bai curled its fluffy tail around its body, eyes half-lidded in thought."A long time ago… this space was created by someone powerful. It passed from one generation to another. I was born here, in the heart of this space, to guard it. When it sleeps, I sleep. When it awakens with a new owner, so do I."

Li Anqi listened quietly, the words slowly sinking in.

"Then… do you know about this space?" she asked again, hopeful.

The cub nodded, fur shimmering faintly under the light."I know enough. Not everything… some things are sealed, only meant to be unlocked when the time is right. But I can guide you, step by step."

Li Anqi's small chest rose and fell with relief.She wasn't alone. She had someone. Someone who knew.

"Then… help me," she said softly in her mind."I want to learn everything. Starting with the language of this country, even if I'm small now… I'll grow. I want to use this space well."

Xiao Bai's voice was quiet but firm."You will. You have already begun."