Chapter 103 - Talk With Qingyue - Part 1 (1/2)

”….…Ohh boy. I knew this would happen sooner or later, but not this soon” Muttered Mesa to himself before he looked at Xia Qingyue and opened his mouth.

”You know, normally I would just kill anyone who saw me using these powers in order to keep this a secret…” Said Mesa coldly as he looked at Xia Qingyue. Though barely noticeable, he saw her expression change and get herself ready to fight him.

”But I have no desire what so ever to hurt you in any kind of way, so you can relax.” Said Mesa, noticing Xia Qingyue relaxing again.

”But I want to ask you a question.”

”What is it?” Asked Xia Qingyue who was still a bit on edge.

”I can tell you what is going on. I can tell exactly who the Lich King is and where he came from. I can tell you why nothing I do, seems to make any kind of sense. But my question is: 'Do you really want to know?' I mean really, really want to know. Because once I tell you the truth, nothing will ever be the same again. You will never look at the world in the same way again and you will have to make some sacrifices for it.” Said Mesa in a very grave tone of voice, while looking Xia Qingyue with very serious look.

”Why? Why would you to such extremes? What could this secret be that it would require me to make a sacrifice for it? Asked Xia Qingyue.

Looking at Mesa, Xia Qingyue saw that he was completely serious. More serious than she had ever seen him be. During the times that she knew him, he always had this nonchalant attitude. He had an attitude wherein nothing that happened could faze him. Yet now, he looked at her very seriously. At a loss of how to respond to him, she ponders for a while about his question. But just as she was about to open her mouth, Mesa interjects.

”Alternatively, I can offer you a second choice: 'I can manipulate your memories for you, making you believe whatever you want and keep you in blissful ignorance.'” Said Mesa.

”But how than? And what sort of sacrifice do I have to make?” Asked Xia Qingyue.

”Do you remember the first time we met back at Floating Cloud City and I told you about the Sharingans?” Asked Mesa with Xia Qingyue nodding to him.

”The one thing that I didn't tell you about it, was its ability to manipulate other people's memories. So that's how I will do it. And the sacrifice that you will have to make, is having a curse seal placed upon your tongue. This will ensure that once you speak about my secret to anyone else, that curse seal will activate and paralyze your body and you will die a slow and horrible death due to asphyxiation.” Said Mesa. Listening to him, Xia Qingyue was started to get fearful hearing this. Meanwhile, Mesa held out his hands towards her.

”So Xia Qingyue, I offer you this choice. Take my left hand and I will manipulate your memories for you, I will ensure that your life stays the same as it was before and you can live on in blissful ignorance. Take my right hand and I will tell you the truth and show you just how deep this rabbit-hole goes and why everything I did makes no sense. But in return, you will have to live with this knowledge, knowing that you can never tell anyone else or risk dying a horrible death.”

”So, what will be your choice?” Said Mesa.

After he said this, Xia Qingyue was stuck making her decision. She looked at Mesa, who looked back at her stoically, not moving a muscle and then to his outstretched hands. Conflicted with this, it took Xia Qingyue a long time before she finally came to her decision. Holding up her hand, she carefully tries to grasp Mesa's right hand.

But just before she could, Mesa tells her in hopes of discouraging her to take his right hand: ”Remember, once you do this, your life will never be same again and you will have to live with the knowledge that death is always next to you, ready to strike you down. There is no shame in taking the easy way out and keep living your life the way you have been doing up until this point. Only if you are absolutely certain that you want to know the truth and you are willing to live with the specter of death on your shoulder at all times, should you take my right hand.”

Hearing this, Xia Qingyue stopped her hand and hesitated once again. But after a few moments, she still went and grabbed Mesa's right hand.

(A.N.: Wow, I am really feeling a Matrix vibe right here, am I right you guys.)

(A.N.: But anyways. I wanted to tell you that I have a plan with Xia Qingyue for the future chapters where her knowledge of Mesa's secret isn't a bad thing. This is mainly for those who feel it is either a too draconian measure to take or those who feel I should have erased her mind and replaced it with something else.)

”Very well. I can see you've made your choice.” Said Mesa to which Xia Qingyue nodded.

”So, what is your first question.”