Erutan's sleep is constantly interrupted by thoughts and unease due to the so-called brother sleeping next door. He has the exact same face, yet everything about him is different. He recalls his cold eyes and distant gestures as if guarded against everything in the world.
He twists and turns on the bed, perturbed. Why is it that he is the only one noticing the anomaly? He clearly behaves differently, looks different. He claims to have lost his memory, yet still remembers the dialect of their village. Even if he lost his memories, why can he remember what a chicken is, but doesn't know what søx looks like? Why can he have good table manners, but cannot recall their basic cultural norms and rituals? He doesn't even understand the basics of linsel brewing, but can still draw milk from a cow. It's as If he meticulously chose what to remember himself. Besides. his little brother's personality cannot have changed so much because of mere memory loss, and Ironically, memory loss sounds like quite a convenient excuse for usurpation.
There are a lot of wonders in this world, and nothing is impossible. Since the body is the same, the switch must have occurred from the inside. Now it is only of matter of who and why?
With a convinced, determined and slightly murderous mind, he stands up to go and confront the fake. Not patient enough to go through the main corridor, he directly enters through the baths, hoping to catch the charlatan off-guard.
But what meets him is something that stuns his movement into a halt. Even more convinced of his conjecture.
The tall and handsome youth's back facing him, his jet black hair has turned completely white. The locks of hair seem to be stuck in a torrential storm as they dance around his head like falling snow. The white, jade-like skin is shining brightly and beautifully. As if an otherworldly being is standing in front of him.
He is surprised until he notices the bathtub filling completely with water alone. Then he quickly calms down. This creature is probably a sea type. His brother was clearly an earth type. A person's or creature's well type is defined from birth and can never change. The well of each person is directly connected to the soul and will never change unless the soul changes. Since water is obeying him, then that can only mean that the soul inside his little brother's body has been switched. One word filled his mind as he finished his thought process: possession.
His brother is likely possessed by a ghost.
"Who are you?"
At those words, the counterfeit startles and turns to face him.
The white-haired creature stays silent and focuses his eyes on him, which makes him feel uneasy and disturbed. Still, his emotions don't translate to his face and his eyes remain cold and focused; unblinkingly staring straight into the other man's eyes.
Ye Mu isn't feathered by the bigger man's stare. He calmly and indifferently maintains his gaze while trying to find an answer to his question.
"How did you know?"
"Naturally, I know. You aren't very skilful at hiding dare I say."
Sneering mockingly and full of hostility, the buff bro has veins popping all over his arms as he does his utmost not to directly go on a killing spree.
Ye Mu doesn't care that he has been discovered. The worst that can happen to him is to be thrown out. Killing him is also something that he wouldn't care much for. In any case, he's died multiple times in the past.
"My name is Ye Mu."
Erutan sports a bewildered face when he hears this. Is he still trying to pass off as his brother? What a joke.
"My brother's name was chosen on the ninth lunar eclipse. The two moons of Yeriel adjoining at exactly midnight while our village was bearing the aftermath of war. That is when my brother was born, the sage had a vision and gave him the name Mu for midnight moon. The surname Ye was passed down by our ancestor Ye De La, he who slew the thousand-year-old calamity and came back as the greatest warrior ever known to this day. For the unworthy you to desecrate such an honourable name, I can only determine that you eagerly wish to die by my blade."
Erutan said so much with unrestrained killing intent filling his every word, yet Ye Mu didn't blink an eye as he quietly listened, uncaring.
"It is as I said. I woke up in a pile of dead bodies. I have no recollection of your brother's past nor do I care. If you wish to kill me, I can only fight. However, I hope you understand that your brother is likely never coming back to this world."
Erutan's hand that was preparing to summon his sword freezes. His face fills with aggrieved realization. His brother's body could even be possessed by a ghost; he truly is dead. He frowns deeply and pain grips his heart and squeezes it sorely. At least there used to be the slight and almost negligible shred of hope; now he has to accept once more as if reliving his brother's departure all over again.
Seeing Erutan stop his movements, Ye Mu also lets down his guard. His hair turns back to normal: black and calm.
"I didn't purposely wake up in this body. I know what you are thinking."
"What do you know? What could you possibly know? You're just a measly ghost desperately crawling and begging forever to enter the afterlife, plagued with unrest in eternal purgatory and unable to ever atone for your pathetic sins. You're a thief and you have no right to be here! Give me back my brother!"
Ye Mu stays stunned at the outburst, so stunned he starts laughing. The laughter begins with little chuckles but soon deviates into uncontrollable howling. It's as if he's heard the biggest joke of all time.
"I am not a ghost. It would have been better if I were."
He barely calms down and contains himself after a while, but a dancing smile still decorates his visage.
Erutan isn't even able to feel rage anymore. Seeing his little brother's face twisted into madness as if he came back straight from hell, he stays speechless for a moment. Suddenly, a strange feeling of fear and apprehension seizes him.
"Could it be... a de- demon?"
Erutan tripping over his words is the only thing betraying his inner malaise. Seemingly earnest and sincere in wanting to know more about the creature before himself. If you ignore the hand slowly and discreetly reaching for his pocket.
"Wrong. You aren't very skilful at guessing, dare I say."
Smirking as if enjoying himself, his eyes rest upon the hand reaching for the waist, a glimmer of mirth in his eyes.
Finally, his face shows an expression of magnanimity as he satiates his dear brother's curiosity.
"I really am not a ghost, nor am I a demon." As he says this, Ye Mu tries his best not to guffaw and uncontrollably laugh again. He doesn't want to scare this little sheep again.
"I am originally called Io. Sometimes they call me Ganymede. The one who named me was very passionate about looking at the skies and stars. So he could never pay attention to his surroundings. Thanks to that he is now happily looking at the stars in the skies forever. I quite like my name; here, however, my name truly has no meaning. Jupiter doesn't exist, and no one knows of Galileo."
Finishing, Ye Mu starts to frown as if deeply saddened. Unfortunately, his acting is so bad that Erutan cannot help but feel discomfit, goosebumps travelling from his arms to his spine.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Ye Mu stays silent, a gentle smile on his face.
"I broke out of jail. I am from another universe. You understand right?"