Bang!
The hut door opened roughly. A boy stepped in with slightly hurried breath, carrying a little purple-haired girl in his arms princess-style.
"You are too panicked. There's no need to rush like this, I am only a little dizzy," murmured Su Ying from within Arthur's embrace.
Her voice sounded weak, yet still possessed its signature tone of firmness.
"Still, you must rest," Arthur replied without argument.
With great care, he lowered Su Ying and laid her down on the simple bed. Arthur then reached out his hand, rubbing the top of Su Ying's head with a very gentle and soothing movement.
"After all, you are my responsibility. I cannot let you be sick like this," Arthur said sincerely. Su Ying just stayed silent and let him be; the piercing pain in her head made her too tired to protest the golden-haired boy's excessive attention.
"Brother, is Su Ying alright?" asked Su Zhi, who had just arrived at the doorway with a pale face due to worry.
Arthur stood up and turned to face Su Zhi. "She will be fine. Later, I will call Grandpa Jack to come check on her. He will definitely know what to do if anything happens."
Arthur stepped towards the door, then gave a small wave to the two of them. "I have to go back now to take care of a few things, but I will come again later to visit."
"Alright, Brother. Thank you very much," Su Zhi answered with a relieved tone.
Arthur gave a final smile before finally stepping out, and the hut door was shut tight, leaving silence inside.
Su Zhi walked slowly to the edge of the bed. In her hands were the rabbit doll and the teddy bear Arthur had given them earlier. She placed the teddy bear right beside Su Ying.
"This is yours, Sister," she said softly.
Su Ying accepted the plain doll, then unconsciously hugged it tightly to her chest, as if that simple object was a very precious treasure.
"Brother Ah-Long really cares about you. You must take good care of yourself, Sister. Otherwise, he will definitely be as panicked as he was earlier again," Su Zhi reminded.
"The same goes for you," Su Ying replied quietly without looking at her sister.
"Brother is really a weird person, isn't he?" Su Zhi smiled warmly, imagining Arthur's face. "Even though we are nobody to him, he always comes every day to take care of us. He even went through the trouble of renovating this hut... He is too kind."
"That foolish boy is just too naive," Su Ying snorted sharply. "He is kind to everyone indiscriminately, even to a degree that makes the people around him feel sick and worried for his safety."
"But, it's exactly that kindness that makes him so loved by all the villagers, right?" Su Zhi defended.
"Hmph. They are all equally stupid," Su Ying sneered, even though her grip on the teddy bear actually tightened.
Su Zhi could only let out a long sigh seeing the purple-haired girl's dishonesty. She was just opening her mouth, intending to reply to Su Ying's words, when suddenly her body jerked stiffly.
Her emerald green eyes instantly widened with a blank stare.
Su Ying furrowed her brow, confused seeing the drastic change in her sister's facial expression. "Su Zhi? What's wr—"
Before her question could be finished, a wave of pain far more excruciating than before struck Su Ying's head again. The exact same thing happened to Su Zhi. The bodies of the two little girls began to tremble violently on the bed.
Like a destroyed giant dam, an ocean of foreign memories flooded their minds forcefully and simultaneously.
Images of city streets filled with the hustle and bustle of nobles, lines of servants bowing respectfully, soldiers and knights in gleaming armor, the sparkle of jewelry and abundant wealth, luxurious silk-layered gowns, to grand banquets with the finest food and wine...
All of those were memories that had always haunted their dreams all this time.
But this time, everything was no longer blurry. The memories felt so real, so clear, and incredibly detailed.
Those fragments of memory violently fused together, forming a complete picture of a giant empire full of bloody intrigue and betrayal: The Vasilios Empire.
The two sisters gripped their heads tightly, moaning suppressedly as they endured the extraordinarily intense psychological and physical pain as all the memories of their past lives finally returned in their entirety.
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Right outside the rickety hut, the night air suddenly rippled. The figure of a beautiful woman in a pristine white robe slowly materialized from thin air, grasping a witch's staff in her hand.
"Fufu~ It seems their process has begun," the woman muttered softly. She was Lady Avalon, the Magus of Flowers, Merlin.
Along with her footsteps, an expanse of illusory flower buds suddenly bloomed on the barren ground.
"Ah... how unfortunate the fate of you two was in your previous lives. But don't worry, because I am already here, this Witch Big Sister will ensure you get a much better destiny," she chuckled in a teasing tone.
Merlin stared at the hut's wooden door.
"Now, let us greet the two girls who will one day become the Light and Shadow for Arthur in the future."
With a gentle wave of her staff, the hut's door opened. Merlin stepped into the dimly lit room. There, she saw the two little girls still curling up, holding their heads on the bed.
At the peak of her suffering, the purple-haired girl suddenly looked up. Her eyes radiated anger, hatred, and deep-seated vengeance as she shrieked a name, "EROS!!!" Her scream echoed full of wounds, accompanied by the sobs of the blonde-haired girl beside her who could only hug her knees with her body trembling violently.
"Well, well... it seems the mental burden of being betrayed and killed by your greatest enemy is indeed quite heavy to bear all at once, huh?" commented a melodious voice that broke the tension in the room.
Su Ying instantly turned sharply towards the source of the voice. Her survival instinct immediately flared up. "Who's there?! Come out!" she hissed full of threat. Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Su Zhi beside her began to try and stop her sobbing and joined in staring towards the shadows warily.
"Calm down, calm down, Medea. I am not a threat to you. I am just a witch looking for some entertainment," Merlin said cheerfully. The woman slowly stepped out of the dark corner, letting the moonlight shine on her. She waved her hand casually at the two of them.
Hearing her real name mentioned so casually, Su Ying—or the one who had now fully returned as Medea Solon—flinched violently.
Combat reflexes from her past life automatically took over. With extraordinary agility impossible for a child her age, she jumped down from the bed and immediately took a fighting stance.
Her right hand jerked quickly to her left waist, intending to unsheathe a sword and slash the intruder in front of her.
However, her hand only grasped empty air.
Medea was stunned for a moment. She looked down and just realized the reality that she was no longer wearing the loyal sword hanging at her waist, and what frustrated her the most, she was now trapped in the tiny and weak body of a five-year-old village child.
"Oh, you have very good reflexes. Is this thanks to your sword training in the past?" Merlin teased. Suddenly, the woman had materialized right beside Medea.
Medea was beyond shocked. She intended to jump back to keep her distance, but—
Bang!
Medea lost her balance and fell flat on her back onto the hut's wooden floor. Before she could get up, the tip of Merlin's witch staff had pressed against her chest, pinning the girl down with a pressure impossible for her child body to resist.
"Oops~ That was close. You had better stay still and calm down first, Little Lady," Merlin said in a cheerful tone, restraining Medea's movements without needing to exert the slightest bit of effort.
Merlin's amethyst-like beautiful eyes then glanced sharply towards the corner of the room. "And Psyche... you had better not make any rash movements," she reprimanded softly yet full of warning.
In the corner of that room, Psyche—the girl who usually always acted gentle and timid—was now tightly grasping a small kitchen knife with trembling hands, preparing to lunge forward to protect Medea.
Medea, who was still pinned on the floor, glared sharply at the figure whose face was still covered by the shadow of the white hood. "Who are you really?!"
she screamed with rapid breaths. "Are you the one who brought us here?! Are you responsible for this crazy situation?!"
"Fufu~ Calm down, Ladies. This kind-hearted Onee-san will explain everything to you," the woman chuckled softly. She pulled her staff back, freeing Medea's chest so the girl could sit up and catch her breath.
"But first, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lady Avalon. But you two may call me Merlin, or... Onee-sama~" she teased while doing a graceful little twirl, letting the hood of her robe fall back, parting it.
Her long silver hair flowed beautifully, reflecting the moonlight. Medea and Psyche instantly fell silent. The two of them were frozen for a moment, unconsciously mesmerized by the unearthly beauty radiating from the woman's smile.
However, that intoxicating charm immediately shattered when Merlin tapped the base of her staff on the floor with a loud sound that snapped them out of it.
"Now, alright! Let us begin the explanation," Merlin said, her eyes now radiating a thick aura of mystery. "We will start with who I really am... and who the real identity is of Arthur Pendragon, the extraordinary boy you have known for the past five years as Brother Ah-Long."
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"Don't joke around! You mean we have been reincarnated?! To another world?!" Medea snapped while slamming the wooden table near her hard.
"That is the reality, Miss. Just look at the proof on yourselves. Your bodies have now changed into five-year-old children, and your memories during your life in this village are also still there and feel real, right?" Lady Avalon said in a relaxed and carefree tone.
"A-are we really unable to return to our world?" Psyche squeaked, her voice trembling holding back tears.
"Hmm, who knows. Even I don't know for sure," Merlin replied while tilting her head, looking at them with a faint smile. "But... do you two really want to return to your original world? Remember, you are already free now."
The two little girls jerked stiffly. Merlin's words instantly triggered a barrage of dark memories about their old empire. Visions of the families that bound and tormented them, as well as the cruel fate that culminated in endless suffering, flashed through their minds once again.
Lady Avalon stepped slowly approaching the two of them, her voice softening yet full of intoxicating persuasion.
"You were greatly tormented in your previous lives. Living as nobles, yet bound by families that actually destroyed your lives... The behavior of your families strongly reminds me of modern Magus families in my home world," Lady Avalon said softly.
She spread her arms slowly. "Here, you can freely do whatever you want. There are no more shackles from the Beliard nor Poly Families. There are no more shadows of the Empire. And most importantly... there is no longer a man named Iaros Orna Eperanto in this place. You have absolute freedom to become whatever you desire."
Medea bit her lower lip until it almost bled out of frustration.
"Then what do you want?!" Medea hissed, glaring sharply at the witch. "To let us live as pitiful orphans in this village in the middle of nowhere?!"
"Of course not," Merlin answered while smiling.
She twirled her staff gracefully. Instantly, an illusion of light appeared and floated in the air, showing the silhouette of an adult man with golden hair and emerald green eyes. Although his body was much larger and sturdier, the man's face was very familiar to the two of them.
"Brother Ah-Long...?" Psyche murmured in disbelief.
Merlin looked at Medea. "As I said before, his name is not Ah-Long. He is Arthur Pendragon, my King who descended into this world for a purpose."
"So, he also reincarnated just like us?" Medea interrupted with a furrowed brow.
"Not exactly," Merlin corrected softly. "The souls of you two arrived in this world purely because of the turning wheel of fate, that's why you reincarnated naturally. Meanwhile, he... he arrived here because he was forcibly pulled by a 'Consciousness' that placed his soul into the vessel of that body."
"W-what pulled Brother Ah-Long into this world? Was it... a god?" Psyche asked hesitantly.
Lady Avalon immediately snorted and shook her head. "Those annoying creatures wouldn't possibly be willing to step in and do something so realistic and troublesome like that."
Medea smirked slightly. "It seems you have a personal problem with the gods, huh?"
"Let's just say I indeed don't really like them," Lady Avalon chuckled lightly, waving her hand casually. "Alright, let's get back to the main topic. I am offering you a new canvas, Ladies."
Merlin's expression slowly turned more serious. "In this world, or better known as the Douluo Continent, the law of the jungle applies absolutely. The strong will prey on the weak. Arthur possesses infinite potential power and the charisma of an absolute leader. Unfortunately... he is too kind. He is too pure. That kindness of his will surely endanger him one day." Merlin said her last sentence while staring intently at Medea.
"What do you mean?" Psyche asked, her face filled with anxiety once again.
"Hmmm... it will take too long if I only explain it through words. I had better just show it directly to you," Lady Avalon said.
She stepped back slowly. Her witch staff twirled gracefully in her hand, emitting dazzling purplish light particles.
Tap. The tip of the staff was tapped against the wooden floor of the hut with a single knock that echoed softly yet vibrated the soul.
"Fairy Paradise, Under the Gentle Glaze... Garden of Avalon!" Along with the chanting of that grand incantation, the scenery of the rickety hut around them instantly melted away. The fragrant aroma of spring flowers filled the air, creating the illusion of a boundless field of pink flowers that instantly swallowed the three of them into the Witch's dimension.
Amidst the flower petals fluttering blown by the magical wind, Merlin looked at the two spellbound girls with a melancholic smile.
"Now, allow me to tell an epic tale to the two of you... about a King who was incredibly perfect, yet had to meet a deeply tragic fate."