Ka-Thud!
The door closed softly behind Tang Zhong as he exited Mo Fan's room.
A complicated expression clouded his face, lingering as he replayed the grave look on Mo Fan's youthful features. _That expression—a mixture of fear and anguish—did not belong to a 17-year-old child._
_Something's not right here,_ Tang Zhong thought as he strode away, his footsteps echoing faintly in the hall. _Just what could he be so afraid of to wear an expression like that?_
His brows furrowed in thought. _I need to know the full story behind this boy..._
...
Inside the room, a deathly silence hung in the air.
Mo Fan sat hunched on the edge of the bed, his head bowed and hands trembling slightly.
His grave expression reflected an inner turmoil that wouldn't stop. A sense of dread gnawed at him, curling in his chest like an insidious beast.
"…I need to call her," he muttered under his breath, his voice trembling slightly.
The name that came to mind was Qin Yu'er.
Her name, her voice, her presence—everything about her was etched into his mind. He hadn't given her number to anyone, not even Ye Xinxia.
To the world,
Qin Yu'er was still a heretic, a condemned existence vilified by the Sacred City's lies.
But to Mo Fan,
She was family.
Right now, he needed to hear her voice. He needed to know she was safe.
Mo Fan swiftly extended his hand and reached into his space pocket, and pulled out his smartphone.
Tap.
The screen was black, so he pressed the power button. But nothing.
It was off. It's battery was dead.
"Damn it!" Mo Fan cursed.
He frantically searched his space pocket for the charger. But it wasn't there.
"Tch!" he clicked his tongue in frustration.
His eyes darted around the stupidly huge room, scanning the bedside table, the drawers—nothing.
"Where's the damn charger?!" he growled in frustration.
But no matter how much he searched, it was nowhere to be found.
Thuff!
"For god's sake! This is so frustrating!" He slammed the phone onto the bed in exasperation before picking it back up, his hand trembling.
He was in no condition to call for a maid, let alone leave the room and find one. His legs wouldn't hold his weight properly.
Not only that but he was also mentally very drained. So drained that he could only barely cast a Tier 1 Basic Spell.
Right now in his state, if he attempted to use any magic or overexert himself, he would be sleeping in the bed for another 2-3 months.
He slumped on the bed, defeated. His expression was extremely frustrated.
He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, since it wasn't a good idea if he fainted because of anger.
He closed his eyes and cooled himself down for a few moments.
Then suddenly, a wild idea crossed his mind, and his gaze shifted to his left hand.
If he couldn't find a charger, then he'd just have to improvise.
Raising his left hand,
Bzz~
His dark blue eyes glowed faintly with a crackling purple light!
"Phew… Not too strong. Just light enough to charge the phone," Mo Fan murmured, focusing intently.
Brzz!!
Sparks flickered in the air and small arcs of electricity snapped around his fingers as he carefully summoned his Lightning.
Soon, tiny purple lightning sparks danced along his left palm as he carefully manipulated his Lightning Element despite the condition he was in.
It was no easy task.
After all, his Lightning was already amplified, by the Blessings of the God's Seal and the Blessing of Darkness Spring, making it 3.75 times stronger than the average base element.
One small slip in his control, and his phone would be fried in an instant.
Sweat trickled down his forehead as he maintained the smallest possible current.
Bzz~
The air around him buzzed faintly with energy.
"Okay… this should be enough." His voice was low and cautious as he gently placed the smartphone into his left palm.
Bzzz~~
The electric current slowly entered the device, the faint buzz of power filling the room.
A few seconds passed. Then a few more.
Ping!
🪫1%.
The phone's screen lit up, and Mo Fan's lips curled into a faint smile. Relief washed over him, but he didn't let his guard down.
He held steady, keeping the current as light as possible.
Minutes ticked by like hours as he waited, his entire body tense with concentration.
After what felt like an eternity, the battery finally reached 10%.
"H-Huff..." He released a shuddering breath and stopped the flow of electricity and turned the phone on.
Tudu-du-duu~
Sam~Suung~
The phone chimed as it booted up, the familiar melody of Samsuung filling the quiet room.
Mo Fan quickly entered his password, only for his eyes to widen in shock as the notifications poured in.
Ping! Ping!
Ping! Ping!
Ping! Ping!
Ping! Ping!
1500 missed calls.
3000+ unread messages.
His chest tightened as he opened WeChat.
The first names to pop up were Qin Yu'er and Ye Xinxia. The rest were his highschool friends and the Feiniao City reconstruction team chatgroup
Qin Yu'er's chat alone had 1,800+ unread messages.
"…No…" he murmured, his voice breaking as guilt overwhelmed him.
His finger hovered over her name before he tapped it and hit the call button.
Tring Tring~
Tring Tring~
Tuut.
The call went unanswered.
"No..." His voice trembled, and his heart sank. He tried again, but the result was the same.
He quickly opened her chats to see what had happened. But the moment he opened it, a part of him instantly regretted it.
The texts began innocently enough, filled with worry and affection:
–Xiao Fan, did you come back home last night?
–Where are you? It's dinner time! I've made your favourites!
–Xiao Fan, I'm guessing you're swamped with work again, huh? Don't overdo it! Your Little Angel kept asking for you during dinner yesterday. She wants to show you the drawing she made today. Come back soon, okay.
–Xiao Fan, look! Your little angel won't stop crying because you're not here yet! Where are you??
–Mo Fan, it's been three days already! I know you get caught up in your work, but at least send me a message! Little Angel is waiting for you every evening by the door, you know? Don't make us worry too much.
–Xiao Fan, five days without a word? That's a new record for you! Did your phone die or something? Little Angel's been pestering me when you'll come back. She even refused to eat her favourite dish today. Call me, okay?!
But as the days stretched into weeks, the messages grew more heart-breaking.
–Xiao Fan, where are you? It's been a whole week now. I asked around with the reconstruction team, but no one has seen you lately. If something's wrong, just tell me. We're here for you.
–Xiao Fan… two weeks without a single message? I'm really starting to worry. Did something happen? Are you okay? Little Angel keeps sniffling and sitting by the door, waiting for you. It's hard to see her like this… Please, just let me know you're safe.
–Xiao Fan, it's been three weeks. This isn't like you at all. Did you leave the city for something urgent? Did you run into trouble? I keep hoping every day that you'll walk through that door, but it's always empty… Please, just let me know you're alive.
And then, the messages became almost unbearable to read...
–Xiao Fan… it's been a month. A whole month without a single word from you. I'm doing my best to keep things together here, but Little Angel is starting to lose hope. She barely smiles anymore. Where are you? Why won't you come back?
–Mo Fan, I don't know what to think anymore. Two months have passed, and I've looked everywhere for you here. But no one knows anything. Are you avoiding us? Or… did something happen to you? Please, just give me a sign…
–Mo Fan Fan… three months. Little Angel has stopped crying. She doesn't wait by the door anymore. She's even started to forget your face. I don't know whether to feel relieved or heartbroken about that. Are you… even alive? Or did you abandon us? Did I mean so little to you…?
–Five months, Mo Fan. I've stopped hoping. I've stopped asking around. No one has answers, and the world keeps moving forward, even though mine stopped the day you disappeared. Little Angel doesn't even talk about you anymore. I've started to think you're not coming back. Maybe… maybe you never planned to.
And then the last and recent message which was typed 3 days ago.
"Mo Fan... I don't even know how to start this message anymore. I've waited six long months. Six months filled with questions, with fear, and with anger. Six months of silence. Six months of unanswered calls, unread messages, and unspoken words. I don't even know what to feel about you now.
You saved me when I was drowning in eternal torment.
You brought light to a life I thought would always stay in the darkness.
I respected you. I trusted you and at some point I even Lov... Admired you.
And Little Angel... she adored you. She waited by the door every day, crying for you, hoping you'd come back. Do you know what it's like to watch her break down like that?
I told her you'd come back. I swore to her you would. But I lied, didn't I? Because you never came back.
You disappeared without a word.
Not even a goodbye. At first, I told myself you were busy, that your city's reconstruction work needed you, that you'd call when you could. But days turned to weeks, and weeks to months. And nothing. Not one word. You left us to fend for ourselves in this world where no one is on our side.
Do you know how much it hurt to see Little Angel finally stop waiting for you? She doesn't cry for you anymore. She doesn't even remember your face, Mo Fan. That's how much time has passed. I've had to pick up the pieces you left behind, trying to give her the love and security you gave her... only for you to vanish like you never cared.
And maybe you didn't.
Maybe I've been lying to myself this whole time. Maybe I was just another burden to you. After all, what am I to you? Just someone you rescued out of pity? Did you leave because you regretted it? Did we mean so little to you that you couldn't even leave us with the truth?
But then... I think about the person who risked everything to save me. The person who gave Little Angel a reason to smile again. That man wasn't heartless. That man wasn't cruel. So where did you go, Mo Fan? What happened to you?
Did you... Did you die somewhere, alone? And if that's true, why didn't you trust me to help you? Why didn't you let me share your burden?
I want to hate you.
I really do. But I can't. Because no matter how much I want to believe you abandoned us, my heart refuses to let go of the Mo Fan who gave me hope...
This will be my last message to you.
I can't keep torturing myself with your silence. Whether you're alive or dead, whether you left us on purpose or not, this is the end for me.
Little Angel and I will move forward, even if it's without you. But if there's even a shred of the Mo Fan I once knew left in this world, I hope you'll find your way back to us someday.
Goodbye, Mo Fan. Wherever you are, I hope you've found peace.
Even though... I'll never forgive you for leaving us like this."