PART II

My back arched as if my soul just fell from some celestial plains back down to my body. My lashes fluttered, seeing a high wooden ceiling first before it frantically roved around and instantly spotted the side view of a short man clad in teal robe with wide sleeves flaring down the hands. On his head was some sort of round lighter shade of teal cap. His entire attention was on the table filled with herbs and bottles. He wrung out a towel in his hands, drying it onto the steel basin.

Only then did I realize the warm one on my forehead along with the soft sheets laid straight on the floor where I was tucked in, right hand over my stomach.

Is he some sort of doctor?

My racing heart gradually calmed down as I discreetly followed his movement.

He settled down on the furnished, wooden seat beside the table and rested his head back against the wall, eyes closed. He exasperatedly puffed out the air out of his flushed, round cheeks and wiped the beads of sweat trailing down the side of his face. Dark circles hung under his eyes. His face contorted into a mild frown just as I caught his shallow breathing.

When was the last time he slept?

I was about to open my mouth to get noticed, but a series of footsteps somewhere had my eyes shut automatically for no particular reason. The man shuffled to his seat—stumbling to the floor and toppling the chair with a loud thud. The footsteps stopped nearby, followed by the straight-laced voice of a man.

"Doctor Wei, Lord Rayo is here."

Frantic footsteps ensued towards me.

Slightly shaky, cold fingers touched my wrist, right at the pulse, which was immediately followed by a long sigh of relief. Whatever made him act this anxious and jumpy certainly had something to do with the newly arrived people outside. My hunch only strengthened when he sniffled, blowing his nose too hard into something—

Spittles landed on my cheeks.

I internally cringed, fighting not to recoil and wipe those off immediately.

"The next moonrise won't be until next week, Doctor Wei. Would you like me to ship you off to the Capital for dawdling? Ah, perhaps you've missed the stables? The stallions indeed need some good scrubbing. Or maybe you prefer plowing the fields this time? That'd be a nice change of pace, don't you agree?"

My eyes instantly fluttered at the sound of that other voice. For all intents and purposes, its unenthusiastic and authoritative tone wasn't the reason, but because of the overwhelming pang gripping my chest, it sent me. I sucked in the air around me, clutching my throbbing chest with both hands, and started writhing against the soft sheets.

The man beside me let out a high-pitched squeak, even falling back to his rear with a thud as if thoroughly startled by my sudden awakening. But I didn't have the time to dwell on it as loud slamming and frantic footsteps fell into the room in the next seconds. Peeking under my messy long hair, two sets of feet occupied the room I was in. I tried lifting my head from the futon only to bring it back down again as another searing pain prickled my chest over and over again.

It burns!

Too hot!

I need air!

"Get everyone out of the residence!"

"But, my lord—"

"Heed my words if siring a future progeny appeal you still, Shun."

"Y-yes. Right away, my lord."

Cries. Loud cries filtered my ears as I tossed and thrashed on the sheets, clawing and pounding my burning chest, gasping for the elusive air yet again. It ran similarly to the ordeal I went through before coming down to my senses earlier with those mysterious voices. But this time, it wasn't due to the ominous sensation forcing its way to integrate with my body. This time, the more the sole person left in the room inched closer to me, the more unbearable the pain became.

A sigh. "You need to calm down, woman, or else you'll cause too much trouble for me."

Once again, I peeked through my locks, screaming so hard my throat was sore when the man had already managed to cross the gap between us, down on one knee as his hand reached out for me. The proximity was downright suffocating, it was as though invisible hands were choking me in vice grip just by being close to him.

"S-stay away!" I slapped his hand away. A mistake . . . or not. I wasn't quite certain amidst all I was under.

The instant my hand touched his, a burst of crackling flames shot out around us. Scarlet, red, white, and blue—few of the dominant shades licking every corner of the room.

Strings of colorful profanities slipped past his lips as he tried to grab me again by which I instantly evaded by pushing myself away. It wasn't enough though. His long arms bridged those measly spaces and successfully grabbed hold of my right forearm. With a callous tug, I fell right into his arms, my face smacking right into his chest.

Harsh hand seized my cheeks, making my head lift. "For Feirun's sake, calm down, woman!"

A fraction of a second was all it took though to render me speechless as I had managed to gaze properly at the man's face. To his peculiar eye color, specifically. It was red.

They're . . . hauntingly beautiful.

I instantly caught myself, flinching and recoiling at the sight of his glowing red irises, strongly resembling the shade of the fire surrounding us, now dwindling to naught as it swirled, seemingly being drawn away. My wild eyes made a mistake of glancing to my left where his right hand, palms open, was extended midair . . . where all those swirled hissing into his palm, sucking all the fire around us. All pain was forgotten as I gaped at the jaw-dropping sight, almost questioning my sanity eventually. God, if only this is a dream. I laid there, dead rooted in my spot until he abruptly closed his hand, extinguishing the flames once and for all.

"Dumbstruck?" he said, sounding impatient, as he seized back my other hand.

My wide eyes darted to the man holding my cheeks, more than aware of how his mere touch chased away the unbearable pain seconds ago. His eyes no longer had its odd burning glow and yet they were squinted disconcertingly along with his heavily furrowing thick brows. His scowl got even more pronounced when I moved to take his hands off my face.

"Let m-me go, please."

His right brow twitched. "Once I let you go, my fire will go wild again, woman. And by that time, it won't be just this room alone you'll ruin. So I implore you to take calming breaths lest I'd left with no choice, but to knock you down again."

Only then did I take a good look around us. I took a sharp intake of breath at the blackening walls, charred curtains, and tatami matted floor. My free hand flew to clamp my hanging mouth. "I did this? But I didn't have—"

"You're an idiot, aren't you?" he snapped, tutting. "I just told you it was mine, not yours. Your presence simply hampered its control. Do you know why?"

If it's his fault, then he should be blaming himself not me!

I grimly shook my head, inching a bit away from touching his knees. He apparently noticed that yet again and shot me a pointed look. I froze in a jiffy.

He kind of scares me.

"I don't know, so could you please cut the chase so you can let me go already?"

"Are you smart-talking me now, woman?"

Huh?

"Jesus Christ . . . I'm not!"

His glare was so sharp I almost bit my tongue. "My name is Rayo, the lord of this place, not that."

Did he just say, lord?

"It's an expression," I gritted.

"I don't like your expression."

"No one told you to like it!" My voice went a tad higher.

"You're smart-talking me again?"

"Holy guacamole . . . does everything sound like an insult to you?"

His teeth gritted. "So you're indeed insulting me?"

I gawked at him, downright astonished at how he could easily see things deprecating him. Is he dumb? 

"Jesus Christ, I'm not, for Pete's sake!"

"My. Name. Is. Rayo."

I ran a hand to my face, trying my best to ignore his clear annoyance while stressing those words. This one is no good. "Mother Theresa, help me, please."

"Your mother won't help you clean the mess you made."

All possible remarks died down at the back of my mind when he adeptly hooked his arms under my knees and around me, lifting me off the ground and out of the burnt room. I let him be, too exhausted to argue anymore. 

Just admit it that you can remotely feel your legs. 

I just wanted to rest and clear my mind before facing whatever storm those mysterious voices enforced unto me.

Collective gasps resonated the instant we emerged out of the door, followed by incoherent murmurs which swiftly hushed down when the man carrying me tutted audibly. I, on the other hand, harshly closed my eyes, blinded by the glaring sunlight striking my face. Scurrying, dwindling footsteps ensued. Only then did I peek through my lashes, eyes widening gradually as I finally took in the surroundings.

Numerous people clad in an article of ancient clothing I was familiar with dotted either side of the cobblestone pathway—kneeling all the way down, forehead touching the ground. A gawking child underneath the lines of trees we were trudging through caught my eyes. His wide eyes stared right through mine, and I couldn't help but notice the brimming wonder it held. The woman beside him tugged him back down as we passed by.

A cry of relief sounded off somewhere around the kneeling crowd, my head darted aimlessly everywhere, searching for it. I unintentionally fisted the man's clothes upon landing my eyes on some middle-aged people. They may be in kowtow, but their shaking shoulders were a dead giveaway.

It's not intended for me, is it? Chills crept upon my skin at the thought.

"Ignore them."

I inwardly flinched at his indifferent tone, and tersely nodded.

"Why are they doing this?" I finally asked despite dreading the answer I might get.

"Do you remember how you got into this place?"

My mouth hung open at his question. "I . . ." I trailed, uncertain how to phrase it without deeming myself crazy. "A veil. I fell right through it. And then—" I caught myself, risking a glance up just to find him staring back down at me. "The purple field."

His jaw clenched, fixating his attention ahead. "Do you know where you are?" He paused. "What's this place?"

I squinted my eyes on him, completely perplexed by the questions. "Why? Am I not supposed to set foot here? Is this some sort of forbidden place? Is this place similar to the lost city of Atlantis, and I shouldn't have been supposed to know its existence? Were you going to kill me then, and use my rotting body as fertilizer?" I rambled.

The line of the crowd disappeared as we entered a tall wooden roofed gate where few burly men held an imposing halberd each. His narrowing eyes snapped down at me, and by the looked of it, I just knew things would come off his mouth weren't going to be nice.

"I asked you first, so provide me with an appropriate answer, woman."

In my periphery, a handful of women rushed towards us only to step back at the stern look this crude man had shot their way. I scowled at that, appalled by his unpleasant behavior. My gut screamed at me not to piss him off, but if he'd continue such an act, hell would break loose, I swear! Never mind if it would only be my loss at the end!

"No," I said through gritted teeth. "I don't have a tad bit idea what on earth is this place."

He tutted yet again as we took a right turn from an open hallway with a view of the lawn. We entered a bright room and before I could take in everything around me, he unceremoniously dropped me, resulting in me tumbling down at the soft sheets underneath, even hitting my head on the bedpost. I gaped at him, downright aghast by his callousness to even care about it.

This pompous man!

"Does Ferguan Clan ring a bell to you?"

And now he'll just resume with his question as if he did nothing? Holy guacamole!

"Are you nuts?" I yelled, hand on my head.

He simply crossed his arms as he stood like a proud sentinel by the window where there was a low wooden table and some sitting pillows around. Clicking his tongue, he grimly said, "I asked you first."

He is nuts!

Calming myself down, I roved my gaze around the cozy room and studied it. A tatami mat flooring, wooden sliding shutters across me, and a changing screen with scenic blossoming Sakura trees by the left side corner of this room. On the opposite corner was a two-feet furnished drawer with a porcelain vase stacked with lavenders. The overall structure ran similarly to a certain culture I was familiar with.

"Are you ignoring me now, woman?"

I snapped my attention back at him, drilling holes to his perpetual scowling face in hopes that it'd take him down for good. "It doesn't ring a bell, genius. Not unless it's some sort of clan in mobile games, then, no, it doesn't," I gibed, brows arching as well. His sass irked me!

"Grevus?" he asked again which I fervently shook my head no in return. "Teeroah? Ariath? Hortis?"

I deadpan shook my head.

He pursed his thin lips. "Proemith? The Hex of Ethel? How about the Astreon?"

"No." I sighed, getting tired of it all. "Not at all."

But those certainly made me anxious.

He fell into silence, seemingly in deep thoughts as he trained his perusing eyes on me like I was some sort of an alien.

I dauntlessly stared back, debating to myself if his odd clothes were a hakama or a hanfu. Or was it a mixture of both? It did look like it.

At that, I looked down to myself, noting the plain milk-white robe with long wide sleeves, cinched with a silk sash around my midriff.

"What's your name?"

I looked at him, more than ready to answer the only sensible question he asked for the first time . . . only to catch myself unable to do so. 

My parted mouth remained as it was as my wild eyes fell down to my trembling hands. One flew to cup the side of my head in hopes of squeezing the answer that should have been so simple for me.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five . . .

I mentally counted ten seconds but racked nothing inside my head.

Completely horrified at the sudden realization, my hand flew to my pounding chest as I connected my panicking eyes to his.

"I swear, woman. If you'd always ig—" He abruptly stopped, brows arching a little at me as if he'd seen something pressing. "Spill it."

"I . . ." I gulped with difficulty, corners of my eyes misting. "I can't remember my name."

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