Prologue (2/2)

“Could it be that you’re also …”

“That’s right.”

You Lian nods, lifting up a wine bottle beside him.

“Like you, I came to this world in an odd manner a long time ago. But regrettably, I haven’t found a way to leave this place.”

“Then you’re saying … I can only continue living in this world?”

The man’s expression  darkens. He lets out a low sigh, then wraps his hands around his head again.

“It’s like that in theory, yes.”

You Lian puts down the wine bottle. A strange light flashes within his pitch-black eyes, but the man doesn’t notice it, too occupied with the forlorn lamentation of his own fate. After clearing away his muddled thoughts, the man raises his head again.

“Then you’re saying, none of this is a dream? I’m really in another world? What shall become of me? What should I do?”

“You don’t have to do anything.”

You Lian’s voice is low and temperate, imbued with a kind of heartwarming charisma.

“I will help you leave this place.”

“But, I remember you saying that you weren’t a wizard. Shouldn’t only wizards be able to do something like that? Like dimensional magic, or trans.m.u.tation …”

“I really can do something like that. Neither am I a wizard.”

You Lian smiles gently, proudly, when he hears the man’s words; and moves his shoulders a little.

“I am a knight; a knight of demise.”

“Knight … of demise …?”

The man couldn’t help but repeat the phrase. It seemed to possess a bizarre magic; when You Lian uttered the t.i.tle, the mild and comfortable air in the room had suddenly thickened, giving off a dry and sweltering sensation. The man grasps his gla.s.s tightly, unconsciously taking a mouthful of the wine inside; a sliver of coolness enters his body, dispelling the uncomfortable heat. He affixes his gaze closely to You Lian, but cannot clearly perceive the other man’s precise location – his very existence itself is like a falsehood, an indescribable illusion.

“That’s right.”

You Lian gracefully sets down the gla.s.s in his cup, and cleans his hands with a napkin.

“After I came to this world, I became one of the strongest knights on the continent. However … there were a few slight complications. Some people didn’t like the rules of my game, so they banded together in an attempt to destroy me; an effort that took place over many years. Even though I was victorious in the end, I had to pay a … modest price.”

Saying so, You Lian points to his own body.

“Though I wiped out those troublemakers out completely, I lost my corporeal form as a result, and can only appear, now, as a soul in my personal realm. I must say, it has been a thoroughly unenjoyable experience.”

“Oh …”

Swallowing a piece of medium-rare beef, the man moves his head dazedly. He feels that he doesn’t quite know what the other man is talking about; even though it seemed very important, his brain couldn’t comprehend the meaning within the words. The heated sensation appears again, forcing the man to raise his gla.s.s.

“But, honestly, it looks like fate is still on my side.”

You Lian clasps his hands together, fingers interlaced; he smiles pleasantly towards the man, leaning on the back of his chair.

“I’d thought that I would have to stay here for another long while. Receiving a sacrifice so quickly was something … unexpected.”

“Eh?”

The man raises his head; his brain had already become sluggish before that moment, but he instinctively feels that he’d heard an exceedingly dangerous word. You Lian’s pleasant smile and intent gaze are unchanged; the only difference is a glint of wintry joy in his eyes.

“Mr. Lin Feng. You’re willing to help me in escaping my current predicament, are you not?”

“… Eh? Of … of course.”

The man is momentarily surprised, uttering an unthinking reply.

“Very good. Thank you very much for your a.s.sistance.”

You Lian’s smile grows ever brighter. The well-lit dining room suddenly dims, the vivid music having stopped at some point prior, and even the sumptuously decorated banquet table disappears; the world is ruled once again by the roiling darkness. The man sits stupidly on his chair, his hands and feet already completely bound by black chains. His partly-muddled brain is only reawakened when the cold and darkness settles in once again, pervading itself into the man’s flesh.

“Wh, what do you want to do, exactly?! You …”

The man’s interrogation is unanswered. The black mist, like a venomous serpent, coils him within itself; simultaneously, You Lian straightens himself as he stands up, and walks directly in front of the man’s face. He reaches out both hands; an anguished shriek from the man’s mouth, and the black mist around him begins to writhe slowly, contracting like a snake’s digestive throes. Following this, a faint, desperately struggling soul-spark appears in the palms of You Lian’s hands.

“This is part of the deal. My condolences, friend.” [2]

With the remnants of a frigid smile, You Lian closes his hands. In so doing, the soul-spark in his hands shatters into pieces, the dust-motes scattering into the nothingness of the void.

The pitch-black s.p.a.ce begins to shake and crumble. Increasingly violent tides rise out of the roiling darkness, releasing deathly energy unparalleled in its intensity. Finally, the illusory dimension completely collapses; with its ending, an existence feared by man returns to the world anew.

[1] This is actually a predominantly fantastical story, with Western-style names. Since Western names are represented with Chinese characters, there is no abrupt transition; however, since the main character's nationality has plot relevance in a few spa.r.s.e places (and notably this particular prologue), it may feel a little weird at the outset.

[2] The word ”friend” here is supposed to be a little more personal than ”compatriot” but carry the same sort of ”common origin” meaning. For the sake of avoiding repet.i.tion (since I feel the texture of this word is a bit different from the ”compatriot” I used earlier), I've chosen ”friend”, which is not the closest meaning-wise but carries the same lighthearted apologeticism that I wanted for the sentence.

<script>