No matter how much Lim racked his brain, he couldn't remember anything about Felix. More so, the person 'Felix' wasn't in the story. Not as the main character or even many of the side characters.
'If I remember correctly, the Valerius Family only has one son.'
And he was at an age where coming to the academy wouldn't suit him. Though he didn't appear in the story much, heck, Lim even forgot his name and was sure.
'No, Valerius is meant to be here.'
This wasn't Felix's world, someone not meant to exist. But here he was, walking down the street, marking his legacy.
'I have to find out who he-'
Lim stopped thinking and felt shivers run down his body.
"[Blink]"
Within a second, Lim was inside an alley. Nobody was there, except some cats fishing in the large bin.
He was glad. Anyone who saw him would think he ran away for his life from a ghost, a demon, or something even worse.
'What is he?'
For a second, he made eye contact with Felix. Maybe it was less than a second. But that was enough.
The never-ending abyss and the veil of unknown in those green eyes were enough for him to make use of his [Ability].
Drenched in sweat, he took in deep breaths, to stop the fear running in him. But the moment had been imprinted onto his mind, never to be forgotten. A millisecond of eye contact pushed him to the limits.
'He's not ordinary, that's for sure.'.
But for now, Lim needed to get out of the alley. The moment shook him so much; he used [Blink] without properly assigning a location.
'Thank God, I didn't end up in a gutter.'
Before he left, Lim waited for that thing to happen. Since [Ability] could be used without mana, they were quite powerful tools, but every [Ability] came with a drawback that no one could avoid.
[Blink] an ability that let him teleport five hundred metres from where he stood was an A-rank [Ability]. He could use it anytime endlessly, only if he could control his urge to puke blood, which was impossible.
There was no crack in the power that could be exploited to escape the after effect.
Lim covered his mouth, went to the side and puked there.
"Blargh."
Blood flowed down and he couldn't stop the urge..
It wasn't a pretty sight. The burning pain in the chest and the leg also wasn't easy to shrug off. He held his shirt, trying not to scream.
Once the urge stopped, he took a cloth and wiped his lips and the blood flowing down his chin
'I still can't get used to it'
Lim then walked out of the alley and again he was amongst the crowd of students far from where he was before. The focus now should have been on the heavy suitcase he carried, the pain running on his body and not stepping on anyone's shoe.
But fear just didn't seem to part away from him.
******
"Room 896."
Lim said as he stood in front of his door and opened it with the key he received from one of the staff.
He opened the door, the first thing he did was put down his luggage. Drinking a glass of water, he looked around the room. There was a table next to a comfy-looking bed, a closet and a bathroom as well.
There also was a small kitchen counter just ahead of the door.
'It's like those one-room apartments. Some of these would cost half of one's monthly salary just for a month's rent."
He was getting to stay here for free, and honestly, it looked better than the basement and cabin. But he still missed the basement.
Lim then opened a suitcase and took out a black suit, packed inside a blue suit bag.
At first, going to the welcome party wasn't part of his plan. Acting like a seventeen-year-old, and socialising with students younger than him, if he considered his age back on earth, was a pain in the ass.
Also, the someone who he wanted to see wouldn't be coming, anyway.
But now there was another person he wanted to meet, not exactly shaking hands but investigating him.
But before that, he needed a good amount of rest.
The long train ride, being with the crowd, carrying the luggage and using [Blink] took a toll on him.
He jumped onto the bed and felt the soft and cold pillow on his face .... the best feeling ever.
'Let's take a fifteen minute nap.'
******
Lim took more than a 15-minute nap. He slept for two hours straight and now was twenty-five minutes late to the party.
He walked towards the hall at Section V. Some guards were at the door, and students, like him, rushed to get in. It wasn't an event they could miss or wanted to.
'Goddamn, what was the budget to build this?'
Calling the hall magnificent would be an insult to it. It was something more than just that. It blended in with the surrounding, adding more to its beauty. Not a work of science, but magic..
And as Lim was about to go in, that moment came back to his mind.
'How can a pair of eyes traumatise me?'
Maybe it wasn't just the look. Lim knew Felix had turned to him on purpose. Through the crowd, he looked for Lim, and that's what scared him.
In the end Lim didn't go in. Instead, he walked to the bushes decorated around the hall and hid behind it. Peeking in and out through bushes, he looked through the window.
He could see many students. Most of them were in circles with their new friends. And it was clear on what basis as well.
'This isn't a welcome party, but an ego boost for the nobles and a surrender ritual for the commoners.'
He didn't have any friends, but knew friendship wasn't meant to be forced this way.
But he couldn't see Felix anywhere. He has good eyesight, so the distance didn't matter. If he was there, nobody would be near him. Nobody had the guts to do so.
'Where are you, Felix boy?'
"Ahem-"
Startled, Lim looked to his left. Felix boy was there. The worst person that could find him.
Lim felt his legs shake again. He couldn't look straight at Felix. Experiencing the unknown once was enough.
'Not again. How does he always know where I am?'
And this time he couldn't use [Blink]. Felix would never let him be if he disappeared into thin air.
'I have no choice but to use deception.'
Lim tried to be calm and confident. His plan to escape was simple. Reach his hand out as a handshake and then punch him.
It was a bad plan. A really bad one. Running away now seemed the best option, but Lim didn't care.
'I will knock him out, tie him and question him. After all, violence is always the answer.'
And like he thought, Felix hesitated but reached out.
'Got you.'
Lim pulled his hand back and started channelling mana from the pit of his stomach to his right hand. The surrounding air moved towards his hand, making the punch faster.
'Get a taste of my art unknown being.'
He threw the punch and after that, all he heard was
*Crunch*
'Huh?'
He lost strength in his legs and the world around him turned dimmed. All he felt after that was falling face first on the ground, kissing the dirt.
******
"Hey."
"Hey."
Felix said as he lightly slapped Lim. Once Lim was knocked down, Felix pulled him away from the hall, deep into the bushes, and sat him beside a tree.
He didn't have water to splash Lim, so slapping was the best and the force behind the slap got stronger and stronger, until Lim opened his eyes.
Felix's palm was in front of him, just inches away.
"There was a bee on your cheek."
Lim touched it and felt an electric shock through his whole body. What kind of bee stung like that?
He looked around and realised what had happened.
'Punching one of the top ten students without knowing his weakness was my mistake. But what choice did I have?'
Sometimes, no, most of the time, violence isn't the answer.
'And why is he staring at me?'
Felix stared at Lim's face, sweaty and somewhat scared.
"Interesting?"
"What's interesting?"
Lim asked.
"Your face. It's been a long since I have seen one."
Felix replied, still staring, curious and amused.
'Am I that ugly?'
Lim thought. It was akin to being stared at by a kid as he enjoyed his vanilla ice cream.
But that was not the case. Felix showed the utmost curiosity. More than he had shown all in his life altogether.
"So, are you going to disappear like before or try to punch me?"
Lim sighed and shook his head. No matter what he does, it wouldn't matter. He wouldn't be able to hide in the academy. Felix would find him.
And fighting him- Lim didn't want a broken chin.
Felix didn't take his eyes off Lim for once, didn't blink for a minute or so.
"What's your name?"
A genuine and simple question.
"Lim."
"Valerius Felix."
He said and reached out for a handshake. Lim looked at Felix's face in his hand and shook it.
"Now"
Felix tightened his grip.
"Tell me, what are you?"
He asked. It was a trap in the form of a handshake. Lim was getting a taste of his own medicine. The grip was quite strong and Lim couldn't retract his hand back anymore.
"Human. What else do you think I am–argh my hand."
Felix yanked him against the tree.
"I am not a fan of jokes, you see."
Immediately, he was aware of his action. Felix let go and sat on the floor. What he did wasn't the way to go about it.
He wanted answers, but threatening wasn't the way. After all, it had been long since he "seen" someone.
"I apologise for hurting you. And it is my fault for asking such a vague question. I seem to be impatient around you."
His voice had warmth, the hostility he had before was gone.
"Where are you from? Who are you parents? And what kind of magic did you use to vanish in an instant?"
'Does he have a personality disorder or something?'
Lim thought, but it was better to talk this way, and not get his head pushed through a tree.
"There is a small town to the north. Thar, that's where I am from."
"Thar? The place is famous for apples.?"
Felix asked.
Lim nodded while massaging his hand.
"Yes. And about my parents... I don't know who they are."
Not even in this life did he ever know about the identity of his parents. He did try to find about but there wasn't even a clue about them.
"It must be uncomfortable for you to talk about them."
Felix didn't want to remind him of the terrible memories. Past like these were meant to be forgotten. Just like how he wished to, but still was weak to do it.
"You are quite understanding."
Lim complimented, trying to steer the conversation in another direction.
"Thank you. But let's not get off topic and tell me about your power?"
Felix was quick to catch.
Lim took an enormous sigh and thought about it.
[Blink] was his trump card. He wasn't going to keep it a secret, but letting someone see the ability and tell them how it worked was different.
But Felix knew, and talking about it to him, didn't feel vulnerable.
"It's called [Blink]. An [Ability] that lets me teleport from where I am to 500 metres around me."
"And what's the drawback?"
Felix asked.
"Puking blood and a burning pain in the chest and legs."
The after effect of the [Ability] wasn't pretty. At the beginning, Lim even fainted when he trained with it.
"Hmm. That is a cool [Ability] but I am glad not to have it."
None of them spoke for two minutes. Lim kept looking away, and Felix just stared at him.
"Now for the last question. Tell me the truth, no matter how difficult it is to say. In return, I will tell you something that nobody knows about me except me."
"Do we have a deal?"
Lim wondered what the question was going to be. But the proposal was enticing.
"I don't have any choice but to take it, don't I?"
"Yes."
Lim sighed again,
"You are forceful."
"I know."
Felix replied
"Haa, fine. I accepted the deal, so what's your question?"
Felix pointed at Lim, towards his chest.
"You are Lim from Thar, with an outstanding [Ability], but there is something more. You are something more that isn't meant to be here .... Who are you?"
Goosebumps spread around Lim's body. The worst question was asked. Something he had to hide, until the end, was now to be revealed.
'Should I lie? No, that's no use, his eyes know…. he knows.'
From the start, Felix read him like a book.
'I wonder if it will give him an existential crisis?'
"Do you think you can handle what I am about to say?"
He asked.
"Yes.... maybe and definitely not if you say you are a woman disguised as a man?"
And there goes all the seriousness Lim had built up. s
'This guy…I should just say it.'
He took in a few deep breaths. Nervous and worried, and he looked at Felix, especially his eyes, facing the unknown.
"I am The Author. Creator of this world."