Lory wondered why in trivial matters she was unlucky, while Zhao Li Xin was dazzled by the surrounding scenery. Weird architecture with colorful buildings decorated with transparent glass allowed everyone to see the situation inside the shop.
Some places displayed their food and goods in front of the glass to attract customers so that people could see what they were selling without having to enter and Zhao Li Xin thought it was a genius idea.
Another thing that Zhao Li Xin noticed was that people were passing by without greeting or sharing eye contact as if they didn't notice anyone else's presence they were all holding a small rectangular object in their hands and their eyes were glued to that object as if hypnotized by whatever in it.
peoples also talk to that object and sometimes to themselves while holding the object like crazy people, they laugh, sing and get angry while holding that object but no one cares about them it seems that it's normal even Lory didn't pay any intention to their behavior. Zhao Li Xin was curious about what exactly that thing was, can he have it too?
Lory glanced at the people around her and notice that each of them was glued to their phones, thus Lory wondered how things had stayed the same even after the war and it finally becomes more real for her that she has returned.
'Yup, I'm back!' she sighed with complicated feelings because even though she was happy she was able to return home but once again she was separated from the people she loved so dearly and couldn't stop worrying about how they were now.
"I hate you!" a woman suddenly screamed and slapped the man in front of her hard.
"You're crazy BITC*, how many times have I told you I'm not cheating!" the man shouted in frustration at the woman.
"I don't trust you! you definitely sleep whit that who*e" the women scream back at him.
Everyone only glanced at them for a second before passing by without care while a few busybodies were grinning while raising their cellphone cameras to record the scene while the couple continued to scream and fight without care for anyone around them.
Zhao Li Xin frowned at their shameless behavior while Lory just rolled her eyes in annoyance, she then wrapped her hand around Zhao Li Xin's arm then quickened her pace away from those crazy people.
As they left, Lory scoffed at how vulgar the people in her old world was and she missed the cultivation world where people used to keep their thought on their own while waiting for their opponent to let their guard down and then stabbing them right in the back!
And that what's she called courtesy. People should keep their dirty business on their own cause no one needs to know.
Lory then finds a study cafe around the corner and she was overjoyed even though she usually avoids this place like the plague in the past.
"Welcome to Mockingbird!" a young waitress greeted them with a smile.
Lory give a quick nod and then headed inside with Zhao Li Xin who looked very enthusiastic to see many books displayed neatly, unfortunately, Zhao Li Xin did not understand what was written in the books otherwise he would have taken one of the books to read because of that Zhao Li Xin become even more eager to learn the languages in the world of Lory as soon as possible.
The waitress glanced at the beautiful couple who had just entered with great interest especially at Zhao Li Xin, judging by the male posture he looked like a model with a tall body, broad shoulders, long legs, and firm stature he check all the boxes for a perfect body should be also he got slight indifferent and cold demeanor that girls like it so much.
The young waitress discussed with her friends about the couple and they assured her that the man was not an ordinary person may be a celebrity or at least an aspiring actor, or some sort.
Unfortunately, the man's hoodie and long hair made it difficult for them to see the man's face clearly. And the same thing applied to the woman beside him, the woman's body was not too tall but not short either, she also had long and slender legs and a thin body but fit like people who regularly attend fitness class, too bad the annoying hoodie makes her unable to see what kinda hair that woman got but from the glance when she nodded at her the waitress could see how beautiful the woman was and she exudes rich people aura.
strangely the clothes they wore didn't show that at all but maybe they were in disguise, the young waitress and her friend got more curious if they were truly famous people because many new young artists and idols appeared on television after the Dark Ages war.
Lory looked around for new information about what happened after her death, Lory sat down in front of the cubicle and then started clicking on the keyboard which looked foreign to her, meanwhile, Zhao Li Xin found an empty chair then drag the chair and sat next to Lory with eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Soon after Lory finds out that seven years have passed since her death or disappearance, and suddenly an old photo appears on the front of a news website.
It was Lory's photo during the beginning of the war, she was standing with Girsha's white wings on her back holding a sword in her right hand and a gun in her left hand even though she only showing the side profile of her face but one can feel the intensity of that moment.
Blood stained her clothes and her whole body was covered with wounds while hundreds of beasts filled the sky like a harbinger of the dark ages that will follow in the years may come.
At the same time, golden sunlight shone on the sides of her face and the wide white wings on her back glistened in the sunlight, she looked like an angel who had just returned from hell.
Beside her photo, there was also a photo of Lucas but only his back was shown. Lucas was in the middle of summoning God's sword and before him, tens of giant beasts rushed at him yet he show no fear just like an unmoving mountain he stood there facing them all.
It was a very heroic picture, very moving if she may say. Lory wondered how they got all these pictures then she notice above their picture a big title printed with bold letters.
'In Lucient's hands, we place our hope'
Lory closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, she knew this picture showed to the world to inspire them, to give them hope but did no one realize that at that time she and Lucas were not even twenty years old.
Lory just realized how young she and Lucas were when they were thrown into the biggest war in history ever known and they had to carry the burden that even a grown man would find hard to bear.
[So young…] Zhao Li Xin mutter.
[Oh, you noticed?] Lory was surprised that Zhao Li Xin noticed it even though the photo was taken from quite a distance.
[En, you looked like when I first saw you, back then I thought you were so small..] Zhao Li Xin chuckle as he reminisced the first time he met Lory.
[I'm not that small, you're just too tall!] Lory grumbled but her mood improved she looked back at the photo of herself [I think this was taken when the war had just happened, I can't even remember where I was when this photo was taken...] Lory propped her chin trying to remember what happened but many memories have been washed away by time thus it all became blurry, perhaps that for the best cause one cannot dwelled in the past for a long time.
Lory read the news behind the picture while Zhao Li Xin stare at Lory picture, he then remember the first time he met Lory is about the same age, Lory said she had regression when she was transferred to his world he wonder if the same thing happened to him but he doesn't think anything different about him.
Zhao Li Xin turned his attention back to the picture and then saw a clear difference between the young Lory she met that day and the Lory in the picture even though they were more or less the same age, however, the Lory he met in the forest looks carefree, calm and a bit lonely while the Lory in the picture looks tense, fierce and a bit lost she looks like she was carried the weight of the world on her small shoulders, and he can't get rid the thought how young she looks and how frail her body was.
Moreover, Zhao Li Xin knew how Lory really truly was, she was not an aspiring hero nor the savior of the world, no, Lory never wanted to be any of them and despite her godly power, she was just a normal girl, too normal even.
So imagine how she was thrown into a life she never wanted, how she was forced to accept a role she never asked for, and no matter how much she was prepared it must have been difficult for her and she didn't give any other choice either while in his case he chose to be Long Ming the tyrant because in his opinion it is the easiest also the simplest way to get what he wanted, but not Lory.
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