frightfiction Chapter 443: Phase 1 of the mutation has ended; dawn is approaching.
Chapter 443: Phase 1 of the mutation has ended; dawn is approaching.
After calming down, Xiong Yu'an let go of her hand and suddenly remembered, "Mom, my sister is back."
Mom was slightly surprised, then turned to the mop and said, "That's good. I was busy and didn't hear her come in. Tell her to get her a blanket if she's staying at home tonight."
"Oh..." Xiong Yu'an agreed, then left the bathroom, leaned against the wall and stared at her father sitting in the living room for a long time before turning around and walking towards her room.
How to do?
There wasn't any extra room, so my sister basically never slept at home. The sofa in the living room was small and narrow, so she could only sleep in my room.
But...but...
I don't want anyone to stay in the room, especially not overnight.
Things would be moved around, people would constantly talk to me, I would be watched all the time, and I would be cramped while sleeping, unable to turn over freely...
Just thinking about these things made Xiong Yu'an feel uncomfortable all over. Her muscles twitched as if they were about to burst out from under her skin, and she pressed her arm down tightly.
My sister just saved me, and she won't even let me sleep in her bed. That's so rude and stingy.
Xiong Yu'an walked into his room with mixed feelings. His sister was still standing there, looking out the window with her body turned to the side, seemingly lost in thought.
Xiong Yu'an breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, his sister hadn't touched anything yet.
Even if I did touch it, there's not much I can say.
"Yu'an, everything is fine now, you can rest at home without worry."
"I'm going out to say hello and chat for a bit."
As she spoke, her sister walked towards the door. When she reached the door, she asked, "Is your voice disturbing you? Do you need me to close the door for you?"
Xiong Yu'an nodded without hesitation.
As she watched the door slowly close, she felt a faint sense of happiness.
Mom won't be coming in for a while after she finishes cleaning. Dad has already come in to get his things. If my sister goes out to chat, the three of them will talk for at least ten to half an hour.
Nobody will come in during this time!
Moreover, if I closed it myself, I would definitely get scolded; if my sister closed it, there would be room for me to explain to my family.
Most importantly...
Should we close the door? How unfamiliar this question sounds.
No one ever asked. She never expected anyone to come in and ask, and she certainly wouldn't ask when she left.
Is this what it means to be respected?
Xiong Yu'an was uncertain, but he felt that in that instant the house belonged to him, and how important his permission was.
Xiong Yu'an sat in the chair, looking at everything familiar, and felt a rare sense of absolute safety and ease.
Reflecting on the area she had just been in, she didn't find it to be a nightmare, but rather an adventure.
Isn't that what a hero is like? Encountering all sorts of obstacles and setbacks, but defeating monsters through their own efforts and the help of others.
Even if you are injured, there is no need to lament too much. Pain is something that the brave must go through, and the scars will eventually become medals to prove her victory.
If the flames were bigger, like my sister's...
My older sister is already an Awakened One, and I'm her younger sister, so it's highly likely that I'll become an Awakened One too, right?
Xiong Yu'an picked up his pen, deciding to finish his homework first, without worrying about anything else.
She was full of motivation.
……
After Zuo Xiuyan gently closed the door, Xiong Yu'an's mother also came out of the bathroom. Smiling, she pulled her into the living room and asked her father, who was sitting on the sofa, whether he had eaten, whether he was busy with work, and how he was doing lately.
There was no sense of unfamiliarity; it was as if the child truly existed.
Zuo Xiuyan responded politely and familiarly to each question, while his mind was elsewhere.
Just now I saw some blurry and dark boundaries outside the window, and since I haven't disappeared from the "real world" yet, it means that the mental world and the real world are still connected.
Fortunately, this period doesn't consume identity cards, so while back in front of the mental sea, I can continue to add some "armor" to Xiong Yu'an.
[Dissimilarity: 19%] A notification sounded.
Zuo Xiuyan smiled inwardly. The fact that the alienation could be reduced so quickly showed that Xiong Yu'an was indeed a person with a resilient character.
He rushed to the area as fast as he could, but his remaining health was still too low. If Xiong Yu'an didn't put up a fight, he would die halfway there.
What seems like an easy problem actually hides a deadly crisis.
Therefore, the gratitude and praise expressed to Xiong Yu'an were all heartfelt and not a single word was false.
However, this resilience is still in its early stages and will gradually dissipate under constant suppression and obstruction.
Xiong Yu'an usually doesn't dare to speak because she's not allowed to.
She doesn't want to talk because she's never listened to.
She didn't want to ask because it would be useless anyway.
Just like a seed that can grow into a towering tree, if it is covered with a shade and deprived of sunlight and water, it will eventually wither.
If accepted and allowed, she will also radiate light.
"Click." Xiong Yu'an's door was quietly and slowly opened a crack, and a head peeked out. Then she grabbed the edge of the door and gently pushed it open without making a sound, as if it had just been left open.
Having changed into his pajamas, Xiong Yu'an went into the bathroom, where he quickly emerged to report his accomplishments: "I've finished my homework, washed up, and am going to bed."
Mom glanced at her watch: "You wrote quite quickly today, now go to sleep."
Then he turned to Zuo Xiuyan and said, "I put the cup and stuff on the sink for you. You're tired from work, so get some rest."
"Okay." Zuo Xiuyan stood up and glanced at the time.
Even though I counted only thirty-odd seconds after I sat down, the watch showed that more than two hours had passed.
Upon entering the restroom, Zuo Xiuyan saw various disposable toiletries, which he had no intention of using.
I am merely within the realm of realms within realms, which is meaningless and has no effect whatsoever.
But considering that I needed to act in a way that fit my identity, I also needed to maintain authenticity, so I washed up anyway.
After coming out, Zuo Xiuyan stood at Xiong Yu'an's door without going in directly.
"Knock, knock, knock!" Even though the door was open, Zuo Xiuyan still reached out and knocked three times.
Xiong Yu'an, who was taking a quilt out of the wardrobe, turned around in surprise. After a moment's thought, he quickly said, "Come in, come in..."
He stammered out the three words, as if they were three rare characters.
"Yu'an, do you have any extra bedding? I'm planning to make a makeshift bed on the floor next to you," Zuo Xiuyan asked.
Xiong Yu'an was taken aback for a moment: "No, it's okay. You can sleep on the bed. I'll just move to the side and that'll be enough for me. I'm a quiet sleeper and won't disturb you."
This child clearly has such a strong sense of boundaries, yet he would rather sacrifice himself to take care of others.
Zuo Xiuyan smiled and took the blanket: "Awakened beings have to deal with emergencies at any time, and sometimes they have to wear combat suits all the time."
"That would make your bed dirty, and sleeping on the floor makes it easier to move around and won't crowd you."
[Differentiation Rate: 18%]
Zuo Xiuyan's body was pulled by an inexplicable force.
It seems that once the alienation decreases to a certain level, the connection will be reconnected, and it's time to separate.
To make his disappearance seem less abrupt, Zuo Xiuyan said, "I'm sorry, Yu'an... something came up, I have to go."
[The first stage of alienation has ended]
[Dawn is approaching. All adventurers, please prepare yourselves.]