CH 36

The Spring’s Appearance (5)

“Son, what are you doing?”

I jolted back to reality. Mom grabbed my hand the moment my finger was going to come into contact with the spring. I looked at Mom in a hazy state, whereas Mom looked at me in a tense state. She nervously asked, “Son, what did you come here for at this hour?”

“I… I… Why did I come here again?”

I looked back at the spring, confused. I scrubbed my head, thinking, “Yeah, why did I come here? I should’ve gone… gone and done what again…? Why did I come here…? What happened? Why did I come to the spring and space out?”

Mom nervously clasped my face and turned it to face her. She looked into my eyes and questioned, “Son, what exactly happened? Why are you here? Why are you in a daze? What exactly happened? Son, can you recall what happened? Did you touch the water in the spring?”

“I… I don’t know… i… I don’t think so…? I myself can’t remember why I came here… I think… I think… it was because I heard the spring call for me? I remember… That’s all I can remember. I’ve forgotten everything in between.”

Mom shouted, “Son, look into Mommy’s eyes! Did you touch the water or not? Yes or no?!”

I rarely saw Mom so tense. I’d say that she was excessively tense. Could I have somehow changed, I wondered. The feeling of not knowing was perplexing. I didn’t feel that way because I didn’t know what happened but because I was worried. I was worried because I went through something but had no idea what it was.

Mom gently caressed my face with her hand then quietly chanted something. I felt the mana in my body, particularly my brain, slowly circulate. I felt my body and memory alter, especially my memory. It was a strange feeling that felt as though my brain was undergoing data repair. I think something went awry, though.

I mused, “What in the world happened? Why is Mom so tense? And what happened to my brain? Mom looks a lot more relaxed now, nonetheless.”

Mom pulled me away from the spring and warned, “Son, you must remember to never come to the elven spring alone, understood? Mommy will seal it for you. If you don’t plan to succeed the throne, you shouldn’t come here. The spring has a conscious, understand? It seems the spring has plans for you; in other words, the former god is interested in you. Son, you must remember that it’s very dangerous if it harbours an interest toward you. What gods need are never friends or elves. They want sacrifices. If Mommy isn’t with you, never come near this place in the future!”

“Ah… Okay…”

I was honestly shaken. I randomly appeared there. I randomly lost lots of memories. I almost touched the elven spring water, as well. Consequently, I figured it was better for me to stay far away from the spring.

I stood up and looked at the spring. The gurgling spring water reflected my appearance. I blankly looked at my face and silently asked, “That’s me. That is, indeed, me. Why do I feel strangely distant, in the sense that I haven’t seen this face in a long time? That’s me?”

I stared into the water, but Mom quickly pulled me away. She dragged me out without an explanation. Then, she aggressively slammed the door shut. Mom sighed. She then chanted a spell on the door before turning around to look at me: “Son, do not ever come near here, understood? It’s dangerous.”

I nodded, but Mom still looked concerned. A moment later, however, she revealed a consoled smile and then pulled me along in tow.

“It seems that I won’t be able to find this door again once I leave. If I shift my gaze away, I’ll never see it again,” I thought.

I gazed at the flower garden outside the window and spaced out. When I went up to the window opposite the pillar, I suddenly saw my reflection in the window.

Disturbing thoughts started to gush into my head: “This is my reflection and my face, but it’s totally different to the reflection I saw in the spring water. This is Troy’s face, while my reflection in the spring is my own face. I jumped into the water as an ordinary human to save a drowning child. I was just an ordinary human. As a matter of fact, nothing about me stood out, and I didn’t have anything I enjoyed. You couldn’t be any more ordinary than I was. The life here never had anything to do with me. If I didn’t transmigrate here after my death, I never would’ve appeared here. Despite having appeared here, this still isn’t me. I’m merely borrowing Troy’s body. I’m only living on in Troy’s body and use his body to gain everything I have.

I had forgotten about that. I felt that I couldn’t detect our difference, but why? Why? I had already forgotten about it. I could no longer detect this difference; I felt I had completely acclimatised into this place and no longer felt that I didn’t belong. In addition, Nier and Lucia didn’t fall for Troy, because he was Troy. They fell in love with Troy owing to everything that transpired, which is why I didn’t feel any guilt. Why, though, has it come back to the forefront of my mind?”

“Is something the matter, Son…?” Mom seemed to think there was something bizarre about me. She looked outside the window then softly laughed. She touched my head: “Lucia may be pretty and gentle, but Mommy will get jealous if you’re always looking at Lucia no matter the occasion.”

I returned to reality. I shifted my gaze away from my reflection and saw Lucia standing in the flower garden. Lucia was crouched down next to the flower garden with Vera in her arms. Vera looked at the flowers in front of her. She desperately reached out with her tiny hand to pluck a flower. Lucia kissed her daughter on the cheek.

Lucia appeared radiant captivating underneath the sunlight. She wore a warm and gentle smile an angel would have. I looked at her and Vera. A reassured smile crept up onto my face. Mom rubbed my head. Her laughter contained a hint of sadness: “Come to think of it… I should be the one holding Vera, right…? Mommy once held you the same way, too…”