Lin Xiao put down the book, the weight of everything crashing down on him. His head was spinning with questions, but there were no clear answers. If this wasn't his world, how had he ended up here? More importantly, how could he get back—assuming he even could?
He sat there for a moment, staring at the rows of shelves in the library, trying to make sense of his next move. His thoughts raced.
If the historical records were so different, did that mean everything else was too? Technology, politics, even the supernatural elements he'd encountered—were they altered in this world as well?
Where should he even start now?
His mind drifted back to the last place he'd seen anything unusual—the portal. That boy in the cave, the strange connection they seemed to share, the sudden kick that sent him into this world. He hadn't had a chance to ask questions, and now that boy was somewhere far beyond reach.
Lin Xiao sighed deeply, resting his forehead on his hand, rubbing his temples. "Think, Lin Xiao, think," he muttered. He couldn't stay in this library forever. He needed a plan, a lead, something that could give him a clue about what to do next.
Lin Xiao sighed, realizing he was running out of ideas. The whole situation was too overwhelming.
"Alright, let's just go back home and think this through," he muttered to himself, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. "Maybe I'll find some clues there… if I ask the right questions."
Heading back toward his home, the streets seemed almost too normal, a glaring contrast to the surreal nature of what he'd just experienced.
He couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong, but for now, it seemed like his only option was to return home, regroup, and try to figure things out from there.
As he walked, his mind began to churn. If his mom didn't remember the blood moons and the S.A.P.I. didn't exist, what else could be different? What if this was a different version of his world where certain events never happened, or worse—never existed at all?
When he finally reached home, the familiar sight of his house was a small comfort, though it did little to ease his anxiety. He paused before opening the door, taking a deep breath. There was no point in rushing things. He needed to approach this carefully.
He stepped inside and made his way upstairs to his room, where Xiao Bai and Little Blackie were lounging around, as usual. Seeing them brought a small smile to his face, but his thoughts quickly turned back to the problem at hand.
"Alright, let's start simple," Lin Xiao thought. "Maybe something at home can give me a lead. If I ask the right questions, maybe someone or something will jog my memory, or reveal what's going on."
He approached his cats, who perked up at his entrance. "Hey, you two," Lin Xiao said, bending down to scratch behind Little Blackie's ears. "Remember when I asked you about the blood moons and the earthquake earlier?"
Little Blackie blinked up at him, her big eyes reflecting her confusion. "Yeah, Xiao Xiao, but we already told you—we don't remember anything like that."
Xiao Bai, ever cheerful, chirped in, "Why are you so worried, Xiao Xiao? Everything's been normal!"
Lin Xiao frowned, feeling an odd pang of discomfort at their responses. It was like hitting a dead end, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something about this world, this version of his life, was off.
He decided to sit on his bed, thinking through his next steps. He couldn't question his mom too much without raising suspicion, and his cats didn't seem to remember anything strange either. But there had to be something—some little detail or clue he was missing.
Maybe he should check his room more thoroughly. It wasn't like he had a lot of other options at this point.
Lin Xiao stood up and began to slowly scan his room, opening drawers, flipping through books, looking for anything that felt out of place or unusual. There had to be something here that could tell him what was going on.
"Think, Lin Xiao," he muttered under his breath. "Something's gotta give."
Lin Xiao continued rummaging through his room, pulling out old notebooks, flipping through them, but everything seemed normal—just like everything else in this unsettlingly familiar world.
Frustration built up inside him as he ran his fingers through his hair, feeling like he was hitting another dead end.
As he slid one of his desk drawers open, he noticed something odd—a small, folded piece of paper tucked into the back. It wasn't something he remembered putting there.
With a furrowed brow, Lin Xiao unfolded the paper, revealing what looked like a hand-drawn map. It was rough and incomplete, but there was something about it that stirred a memory he couldn't quite place.
The map had no markings of places he recognized, no names, only abstract shapes and lines, but in the corner was a symbol—two circles, one within the other. Lin Xiao's breath hitched. It looked eerily similar to the twin red moons he had seen before everything changed.
"What the…" he whispered, holding the paper closer. It felt old, like it had been drawn ages ago, yet he had no recollection of ever owning it.
His cats stirred from their spots, Xiao Bai padding over to him, curious. "What's that, Xiao Xiao? I don't remember you drawing maps."
Lin Xiao shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the mysterious paper. "I didn't. At least, I don't think I did."
Lin Xiao sat down on the edge of his bed, staring at the map. If this was a clue, what was it trying to lead him to? The twin moons hadn't appeared in this world—no one remembered them except him—so why did this map with that same symbol end up here, in his room?
Suddenly, his phone buzzed on the bedside table, snapping him out of his thoughts. He picked it up, expecting another mundane message or notification, but his screen was blank.
Yet the phone kept buzzing as if it were receiving a call. Frowning, Lin Xiao hesitated for a moment before answering.