Chapter 28 – Leaving the Dream
Lumian opened his bloodshot eyes, gulping the fetid air like a drowning man rescued at the last second, the ache of what he'd endured still echoing through his body.
That potion had nearly killed him—not that a mere Sequence 9 draught should be lethal, but at the crucial moment the strange sigil on his chest had let out an eerie noise, almost making him drop dead on the spot.
"—I really thought you were about to die."
Ning Lu spoke up:
"(Lie) Sorry; the thing sealed inside you is of a higher order than I'd guessed."
Hearing that, Lumian took two deep breaths. Only when he'd steadied himself did he ask:
"Godfather, was it because of what's sealed in me…?"
Was it because of that Seal that you helped me?
Lumian knew that in this world most people seldom give love without a reason—and the power his newly acknowledged Godfather had shown proved the man was no ordinary Beyonder.
So why would a person of such strength help him and even take him as a godson out of pure goodwill?
Of course, there was another possibility. Lumian mused silently: If all this is linked to the anomaly here, then my Godfather would naturally approach me first… "No, it wasn't."
At Lumian's words Ning Lu shook his head slightly:
"(Lie) What I value is you—you carry a special fate; even a mere possibility of the future is enough to make me favour you."
He paused.
"And, yes, a measure of pity—your situation reminds me of a friend I once had."
Lumian nodded and quickly collected himself.
"Godfather, I can feel the changes now that I'm a Hunter; I need to tell you—"
"No need; I know the Hunter abilities." Ning Lu cut him off. "End the dream first—this place isn't safe, and I need rest."
"…All right, Godfather."
Lumian assented; he wouldn't force himself to keep exploring the dream.
He stood listening as his Godfather uttered a few curt, cryptic phrases in what sounded like the tongue he'd used to speak with Lumian's sister, then grey mist welled up and the man vanished.
So this is the power of the true Beyonder world… One day I too shall wield might of that calibre!
The sight set a bright spark in his eyes, a glimmer of hope for the future. Only then did he cautiously head home… Above the grey mist Ning Lu opened his own eyes.
The first time had been awkward; the second went smoothly, and he projected his spirit into Lumian's dream without difficulty.
Grey mist rose through Cordu Village, and Ning Lu's figure appeared not far from Lumian's house.
"Godfather." Lumian slipped the door open and hurried over.
"The Owl that used to show up when my dreams ended hasn't appeared this time!"
"Looks like there was only one of those strange Owls," Ning Lu replied with a nod.
—After Ning Lu's single "Mind Disruption" the Owl, which had carried certain symbolic weight in the Cordu dream, had dropped dead and no second one had ever appeared.
"What do we do next?" Fighting to stay calm, Lumian asked, eyes shining.
Ning Lu pondered briefly.
"Come, let's check inside your house. We need to confirm the current state of the village; if conditions allow, we may try to leave ahead of schedule."
"Right." Without another word Lumian led him upstairs into his room.
Once inside, Ning Lu walked to the table and tapped it lightly with a finger.
"If I remember, you and your sister planned to go to the administrator this morning and send a telegram to the paper she writes for?"
Yes. Is something wrong?" Lumian asked, suddenly uneasy.
"A big problem." Ning Lu answered:
"You and your sister overlooked something—Cordu is dangerous right now, and whoever caused the anomaly won't let you leave unnoticed."
He let the words sink in, then continued:
"So the Magistrate, the Parish Priest and other high-ranking figures must be under close watch. As the brother of Aurore Lee, a sequence 7 Beyonder, do you think your own movements won't be noticed?"
Lumian fell silent; part of the fire newly kindled by his Beyonder power guttered out, and his throat went dry.
"…So sending that telegram would expose our intention to leave?"
"Yet neither Aurore nor I ever thought of that…"
"My Path includes a Sequence called Cryptologist," Ning Lu reassured him.
"Don't sell yourself short; while Hunters lack spiritual sense, they're—cough—adept at observation. It's the unusual nature of Cordu that made you both overlook the possibility."
Of course, scant information was another factor—and perhaps Adam's arrangements as well. Ning Lu coolly assessed the siblings' earlier conclusions but kept the thought to himself.
Lumian considered; though sure Ning Lu was being deliberately kind, his mind quickly turned:
"So should I tell my sister and cancel the telegram?"
"No—quite the opposite."
A faint, enigmatic smile curved Ning Lu's lips.
"Stick to your original plan, and while you're at it, find every ally you can in Cordu."
"I recall you ran into a Mysterious lady at the Old Tavern besides those Church Beyonders—go seek their help."
Who knows, you might get a… pleasant surprise."