CHAPTER 49: CHAPTER 48: PARADISE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST (23)

In the meantime, Oliver and the others were walking behind Aria, glancing around with eyes that were wide open.

They looked like a group of small children seeing a flood of new things for the first time.

The massive stone buildings, the arched balconies, the voices of vendors, the colors of fabrics, the smell of food mixed with laughter.

Everything felt new to them, completely different from the village they knew.

The most bewildered among them was Lemur, who had never seen any form of human civilization before this.

Aria walked ahead of them, her back straight, her eyes darting across the surroundings.

Not with the same awe as the others, just a steady focus mixed with a bit of curiosity. Nothing more.

Oliver moved closer to her, leaning slightly so she could hear him through the noise.

"Does the outside world look like this?"

She answered without turning her head, only shifting her eyes toward him.

"Somewhat... but much more modern than this. This city looks old, like it came out of a time about a hundred years ago or something like that."

"Are you sure I can just walk around like this? Shouldn’t we be catching up to the masked man?"

Aria stopped and exhaled, then looked at him with a face filled with boredom and even more boredom.

"Are you worried about your father? No need to worry. He’s the one doing all the work anyway, while we get to rest a little."

"What do I have to do to convince you that he’s not my father exactly?"

She shrugged.

"Nothing. You can’t make me believe otherwise, kid, no matter how hard you try."

"He doesn’t even look like he knows you."

"He’s acting like he doesn’t know me. That’s all."

Before he could reply, he stopped in front of a small shop completely different from its surroundings.

Its storefront was glossy glass, and behind it were rows of pastries and sweets that looked fresh.

Even their scent drifted out and hit her nose immediately.

Aria stared at the door for a moment, then pushed it open and stepped inside as the small bell above the door rang.

Inside, there was a man at the counter.

He took a chocolate filled pastry and paid with a single silver coin.

Aria spotted the coin glinting on the counter, and she examined it with a quick, sharp look.

Then she raised her hand, and with a light motion, an identical copy of the coin appeared, then another, then an entire handful that dropped into her palm.

The cashier opened her mouth slightly, her eyes wide, but she said nothing.

Aria held the coins out to her.

"I want a large assortment of pastries."

The cashier hesitated, but eventually she took the money, trying her best to ignore what she had just seen, then handed over the order.

Aria stepped out of the bakery holding a very large pastry.

The moment she reached the outside, she started handing out pieces to everyone, one by one.

She gave a piece to Lemur, another to Oliver, to Allen, to Maron, even to the sage, and to that woman and her small daughter, Mariana.

Everyone took a bite, and soon their faces lit up in surprise.

The flavor was a balanced blend of chocolate and cream with a faint hint of orange.

Oliver devoured his piece quickly, then headed toward Aria, wiping his mouth with his hand.

"You know, you didn’t have to copy the money. You could’ve just copied the pastry itself."

She shot him a half sarcastic look.

"Are you complaining? I just wanted to enjoy the moment a little. That’s all."

"I don’t mind," he said, pointing at the unusual storefront, "but why is this place different from the rest of the city?"

She shrugged while taking a bite of her share.

"I don’t know. This city was built from many memories merged together. Maybe one of the people who disappeared, whose memories were absorbed, had a memory of this shop or something like that."

As she spoke, Oliver watched a group of people crossing the street.

Some laughed and talked with energy, another staggered drunkenly, and in the corner, a man walked alone without purpose.

Then he asked quietly,

"Do you think they know they’re just things created from other people’s memories?"

She tapped his shoulder lightly.

"You think too much, kid. Whether they know or not, why does it matter to you?"

He sighed.

"I guess you’re right in a way."

They continued walking through the city, the sunlight reflecting on their faces.

Faces colored with awe, caution, and curiosity.

...

At that moment, on the opposite edge of the city, in one of the alleys, the masked man stood face to face with Orion.

The wind was still around them, and the sun was at its peak overhead.

The masked man slowly removed his eye band. Once the cloth fell, his eye appeared.

Its color was a mix of purple and violet with a faint hint of blue.

His voice was low.

"Are you ready?"

Orion closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the longest breath he had drawn in hundreds of years, maybe the first.

His shoulders relaxed slightly. Then he opened his eyes again and looked at the masked man.

"Yes. I am."

A strong glow began to shine from the masked man’s eye.

The light grew intense, and as it expanded, the surroundings began to distort and quickly flipped entirely.

The narrow alley faded little by little until it transformed into a vast room.

It had a high ceiling with a massive crystal chandelier hanging down, reflecting light across walls decorated with golden patterns.

A long, soft red carpet stretched across the floor.

In the middle of the room stood a small wooden cradle, simple but carefully crafted.

Inside it slept a baby wrapped in soft white cloth.

In front of the cradle stood a large built king wearing a golden crown that reflected the chandelier’s light.

His features were stern, but his eyes were warm.

Beside him stood a woman with long hair reaching her waist.

The king extended his arms and lifted the baby, and a wide smile appeared on his face.

"My little one, you will be the next king of this kingdom."

Orion watched silently, his eyes moving between the faces, the light, and the child.

Once again, the purple glow flared from the masked man’s eye.

The room vanished and transformed into a vast training ground.

The baby had become a boy of about six, his hair messy.

He held a wooden sword bigger than his hand while he trained with enthusiasm.

Beside him stood another boy of nearly the same age, looking calmer and more focused.

Orion stepped forward and fixed his gaze on the second boy.

His eyes widened a bit, and he exhaled before extending his hand again, trying to touch him.

But the glow surged stronger than before.

The scene changed again.

The same boy stood before them, but now he looked about ten.

He sat in a spacious study room, its walls lined with books and scrolls. Before him was a long table covered with maps and volumes.

He struggled visibly as he tried to write something with his quill.

Orion remained standing, watching the child without saying or doing anything.