CHAPTER 56: THE HAND THAT REACHED THROUGH THE VOID

The clothes had been carefully folded and gently placed there, as if someone had made sure to treat them with respect.

Ah, that’s right.

Dominic remembered now.

When he showed Shiao Yi the clothes, he had looked so happy. He had immediately slipped his arms into the sleeves, excited and eager.

Then he turned back toward Dominic with a smile, looking a little proud of himself.

It was so adorable. So charming.

When Dominic had admitted he found the clothes in the children’s section, Shiao Yi puffed out his cheeks in mock anger.

It had been so funny that Dominic couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He had never laughed like that before. Not so freely. Not so joyfully.

Shiao. His Shiao.

A tear fell from Dominic’s eye. Then another. And another. They wouldn’t stop.

The drops fell gently, landing on the bundle of Shiao’s clothes.

No—that wasn’t good. The clothes would get wet.

Shiao Yi had held this bundle in both arms so carefully, as if it were something precious.

If they got wet now, he would scold him for sure.

But even so, the tears wouldn’t stop.

Shiao. I’ve gotten your clothes wet.

Come and scold me for it.

Where are you?

’Call me. Even if it’s only in your heart, call for me. No matter how far apart we are, I will answer and I will come to you—always.’

—Shiao! Where are you? Please come back! Shiao!

...

Where is this place? How long he has been here?

There was nothing. He couldn’t see anything. He couldn’t sense anything.

He didn’t know if he was standing, lying down, or floating.

He couldn’t even tell if he still had hands or feet. He wasn’t sure if his eyes or ears still worked.

He didn’t know if his body even existed anymore.

He couldn’t understand any of it.

There was only one thing that remained—his mind. His awareness.

He had released the energy from the spare magazine, which caused a powerful explosion of high-polymer azide compounds. Then came a dust explosion triggered by a huge cloud of flour. On top of that, the twenty sticks of dynamite he had scattered into the magic circle with blue flames had also gone off.

With all of those explosions, not even a strongly built magic circle could have survived. The ground itself must have been blown apart.

And Shiao Yi—

He had used telekinesis to rip himself free from the force field that was pulling at him like a black hole. He had then teleported.

But... did he not make it in time?

He didn’t feel any pain from the blast. There was no suffering. But that was because he had no physical senses left to feel anything in the first place.

—Why was he still here?

Had an incomplete teleportation sent him into the space between dimensions?

Had his body broken down into elementary particles? Was this what it meant to become negative particles?

—But if that were true, then why did he still have consciousness?

How much time had passed? Or maybe no time had passed at all?

Did time even exist in this place? That, too, was unclear.

—Where had he been trying to go?

His mind began to blur.

Shiao Yi couldn’t think clearly anymore.

Surely, at this rate, even his consciousness would vanish. And then, the very existence of Shiao Yi would disappear.

But—

There was something important.

There had to be something very important.

Something he must not forget, no matter what.

’...Shiao Yi.’

A voice. He heard a voice.

Even though his mind was about to quietly melt into nothingness.

’Shiao Yi.’

His awareness was forcefully pulled back.

’Shiao Yi!’

Was that... his name?

Who was calling him?

’Shiao Yi! Where are you? Please come back! Shiao Yi!’

That voice—

He knew that voice.

Shiao Yi knew who it belonged to.

"Dominic!"

...

"Shiao Yi?"

Just now, Dominic thought he heard a voice.

"Shiao Yi! Shiao Yi! Can you hear me? Do you know who I am?"

...

"Dominic? Where are you? Dominic!"

His hearing came back.

His throat made sound again.

Waves began to form in the nothingness.

Those waves turned into pressure, and Shiao Yi started to be pushed—carried by it.

...

"There! Shiao Yi! I’m right here!"

Dominic felt Shiao Yi’s presence. He couldn’t see him, and yet—he could definitely feel that Shiao Yi was near.

It was like Shiao Yi was hiding just behind a thin piece of cloth.

That strange distance, so close and yet not close enough, made Dominic feel restless and anxious.

If only that cloth would lift, even just a little, Shiao Yi would be there.

"Come to me! Shiao Yi! Come back to me!"

...

Dominic was calling him.

He wanted to go back—back to him! Go back to Dominic!

He wanted to run to him.

At the same time, his legs began to take shape.

"Grab me!"—his arms stretched forward. His hands opened.

Dominic!

Take my hand!

...

—There! That’s where he is!

Shiao Yi was right beside him.

Dominic reached out his arm.

There was nothing there—just empty space—but his hand caught Shiao Yi’s hand.

...

—Dominic! That’s you, isn’t it? You’re right there! Dominic!

The empty void twisted and pulsed. It bent out of shape. A tiny crack split through the space.

Dominic’s hand appeared.

That large, strong callused hand from wielding heavy swords so easily—reached out.

Shiao Yi grabbed Dominic’s hand.

...

Suddenly—

In the very next moment, Dominic was holding Shiao Yi in his arms.

Shiao Yi was clinging tightly to him.

"Shiao Yi!"

Dominic sat down right where he stood, still holding Shiao Yi tightly against his chest.

...

Dominic felt a warm, heavy weight in his chest, but even then, he couldn’t believe it. He looked at the person in his arms—Shiao Yi.

"Shiao Yi?"

Shiao Yi’s head dropped limply. He was unconscious.

His face and arms were stained red with blood and burns. His clothes were torn, burned, and falling apart.

He had been caught in that explosion.