55 Land of Innocence (1/2)

Xin Fan slowly got up and found himself him an large forest. As he did so, he felt a sense of deja vu. Looking around, he realized that there was no way he was in the same world, ore even his domain for the matter. For example, there was only one sun in the sky, a rare occurrence in the Mu continent. The trees were of a species that Xin Fan has never seen before. Most striking of all, there was not a single drop of snow in this place.

Xin Fan started to walk. He didn't know where he was or where his destination was, but if he kept walking, something was bound to happen. The forest was empty, no birds, no insects. Just the sounds of his feet trudging against the leaves.

”Xin Fan...You are here too?”

Xin Fan heard a voice behind him. It was a familiar voice. He turned around to see a girl in a black robe. She looked at him at eye level inquisitively.

”Huh, T...Tianfei? Did you grow taller?”

”What do you mean?”

Xin Fan slowly walked up to her. Tianfei stood up to around his eye level. Xin Fan always remembered that the gap between their heights had been much bigger. However the truth of the matter was, Tianfei was not taller, he was shorter.

”Oh! We are almost the same height!”

Tianfei measured herself up against Xin Fan. She seemed strangely happy seemingly from her height complex. The two trudged against the forest floor before reaching a clearing. There stood dozens of children ranging from 2 to 10 years old all sitting there.

”Oh?! We have new arrivals?”

The children turned to them seemingly in expectation. They all seemed to be just as lost as they was. The oldest of the bunch looked around ten and was carrying a child around the age of 3, sleeping on his back. Xin Fan felt that his face was familiar but he couldn't pinpoint where.

”So you kids are from the school?”

”If you are talking about Dragon Root, then yes.”

A girl around the age of 4 circled around the pair. Xin Fan recognized her. She was the girl who seemed empty the day before. However now, the difference was that she had eyes full of life and acted completely differently.

”So you can get us out?”

A boy younger than her suddenly interjected with a harsh tone.

”Why do we need to leave? Aren't we just fine here?”

The child rearing boy shook his head as he looked at the 3 year old.

”Elder...Look what this place has done to you.”

”Say what you want newcomer but soon you would be like the rest of us.”

Xin Fan looked in surprise. The word 'elder' would be the last thing he would call a 3 year old boy. Xin Fan looked at the oldest boy in confusion.

”Somethings are not what they seem.”

Xin Fan looked around to see some of the children nod at him.

”I'm 32.”

”I'm 25.”

It was at this point, Xin Fan realized what sort of place this place was. It was where all the villager's mind was spirited away. However, the real question here was how and why this was happening. Xin Fan was sure that in the real world, his body would be moving on its own. It may even already be back in the carriage. Amongst the children, there were some that did not respond. They looked dazed at the tree seemingly expecting something.