That night, the dream began again.
A dream not his own unfolded once more in his consciousness.
Ruthless as a bandit, utterly unreasonable.
The sky was shrouded in dark clouds, like a veil of sorrow. Fierce winds howled across the land, the air thick with the scent of blood.
That day, the purple-haired youth crackled with blinding lightning, terrifying to behold.
His power had reached its peak—higher than ever before.
He was stronger now than at any moment in his past.
With hollow eyes, he stared at the Aberrant corpse lying before him. The memory of someone was fading away.
Tears slid down his cheeks, to his chin, dripping to the ground with a faint sound. Like his own existence—seemingly there, yet insignificant.
"Sister..."
He whispered to the vanishing silhouette in his memory.
"Why didn’t you tell me..."
He didn’t know. Yet he did.
His sister had done this only to keep him alive.
She sacrificed herself so he, her brother with no blood ties, could gain the strength to protect himself—to survive in this world.
"If you’d told me sooner... maybe I could’ve stopped it..."
He gazed up at the sky, unsure if these thoughts were right or wrong.
Perhaps they were wrong.
Or perhaps they were right.
Yes—if he’d stopped it earlier, his sister wouldn’t have died.
If he’d been stronger, she wouldn’t have erased herself.
He forgot her name. Forgot her face. Even the color of her hair slipped away.
All of it was gone.
Memories of her scattered like sand in a storm. He crouched, clutching something precious to his chest, clinging to the last fragile fragment.
He remembered only two things.
Just these two.
First: the one he’d forgotten was his sister, the 231st Thunder God.
Second: he’d vowed to live for her, to atone for his weakness.
That’s what he’d thought then. And in all the days after. This lone memory fragment remained; even now, he recalled nothing else.
So he resolved to live as her replacement.
To greedily carry her share of life too. Only then could he find peace. Only then could he feel he’d done enough.
"Oh—what was Sister’s name again?"
He strained to recall it, but beyond knowing she was his sister, nothing came.
But how could he live for her without even knowing her name?
...
...
Since she was his sister, at least he knew her surname.
Yes. Of course.
As siblings...
She must share his surname—Xia.
The moment he realized this, he cast aside his own name, keeping only the bond between them—
Xia.
As long as that bond held, they’d meet again someday.
Even in a forgotten world, he believed they’d reunite.
They would.
He clenched his childish fists, certain of it.
***
When Nangong Shiyu opened his eyes, his mind was crystal clear. Unlike usual, he woke before the alarm—wide awake all night, as if he hadn’t slept.
The dream’s images burned fresh. Staring at the white ceiling, he sensed something was off.
Yesterday, he’d had a similar dream.
He’d dismissed it then, forgetting it quickly. But today’s dream brought yesterday’s back. Linking them, the truth was obvious.
This wasn’t just a dream.
Nangong Shiyu turned to the purple-haired girl sleeping beside him. He connected her to the dream’s figure.
Purple hair. Lightning. A gender swap.
And the surname "Xia."
All clues pointed to one truth: the dream’s youth was Xia Zixin beside him now.
No mistake.
If so...
Nangong Shiyu studied Xia Zixin’s peaceful face, confirming she slept deeply. He slipped from the covers, crept out of bed, and closed his door softly.
He needed to confirm something.
Recalling the memory, he mimicked Xia Zixin’s words.
"Balancer, appear."
A glowing magic circle flared on the floor. Instantly, a suited man in sunglasses materialized before him.
"How may I serve you, Thunder God?"
Yes—him.
Asking the Balancer might reveal the truth behind the scenes.
"What I want to ask is—"
Nangong Shiyu’s words froze. His tongue locked stiff. He gasped, fighting the savage pressure from behind.
He’d felt this aura once before. Now, the second time.
Two nights ago, dining with Xia Zixin—he’d felt this heart-piercing dread.
No human could wield such power.
Only a monster radiated this terror.
"Little Shiyu." The closed door creaked open. A figure oozing killing intent stepped out.
"Ah? What is it?"
Nangong Shiyu turned stiffly, glancing at Xia Zixin before looking away.
"Do I need to spell it out?"
Xia Zixin smiled faintly at him.
"Some things, little brother, I don’t want you to know."
Hearing her tone, Nangong Shiyu dropped his curiosity. He didn’t want trouble with her now.
"Yes, yes—I know. I’m fine. Dismissed, Balancer."
"Understood."
Light flashed beneath the suited man’s feet. When it faded, the Balancer vanished without a trace.
"Why can’t I know?"
Nangong Shiyu burned to understand his dreams.
"Is it not the right time yet?"
"No."
"Then why?"
"No reason." Xia Zixin turned back toward his bedroom. "I just have secrets I don’t want you to know. Simple as that."
