Everyone nodded in agreement, and I followed suit, a small smile tugging at my lips.
***
Back at the house, my mother opened the door, a tired sigh escaping her lips.
"Ahhh, I'm so tired..." she groaned, collapsing onto the couch.
"Lazy Mama," I teased, a smile tugging at my lips.
"I'm an introvert!" she protested, feigning indignation.
"An introvert who started the conversation," my father quipped, standing beside me with a smirk.
My mother giggled, her fatigue momentarily forgotten. "Oh, hush you."
I left them to their affectionate banter, ascending the stairs to my room.
Click! The door closed behind me, sealing out the sounds of familial bliss.
"So, you're back," the Harbinger's voice greeted me, its presence no longer a surprise.
"Woah! Don't just suddenly appear like that..." I chided, but my voice was steady, the initial fear replaced by a growing curiosity.
"..." The Harbinger remained silent, its wide smile and black robes as unsettling as ever. "It seems our conversations are limited to this room, aren't they?" it finally said.
I nodded, my heart still pounding from the recent encounter with the flying fish.
"You seem less afraid now," it observed. "Remember our meeting at the warehouse?"
My mind flashed back to the chilling encounter at the minimarket. "Yes, what about it?"
"Turn on the TV," the Harbinger instructed. "Watch the news."
Without hesitation, I hurried downstairs. My parents were still cuddled on the couch, lost in their own world. I snatched the remote from the coffee table and switched on the news channel.
"Hmm... what's going on, Xian?" my mother asked, her voice muffled by the pillows.
I didn't answer them, unsure of what to say. My fingers flicked through the channels, a sense of dread growing in my stomach.
Finally, a familiar scene appeared on the screen. A news anchor was reporting from a location I recognized - the minimarket where my father had stopped earlier that day.
"Hmm, what's that?" my father asked, his interest piqued.
The headline flashed across the screen: 28-Year-Old Woman's Body Found in Warehouse of Minimarket.
Both of my parents leaned closer to the TV, their faces etched with concern.
My father, recognizing the location, exclaimed, "Wait, isn't that the minimarket we always go to?"
"Really?!" my mother gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
Just then, the Harbinger's voice whispered in my ear, sending chills down my spine. "I was leading you there, urging you to go inside and help the woman who was being killed by a worker... but it seems you were too cowardly to save her."
I trembled, the truth of the Harbinger's words sinking in.
That was the reason it had brought me there? It had been trying to guide me to save a life, but I had been too scared to act.
I looked at my parents on the couch, their faces pale and their eyes wide with shock.
"How cruel people can be these days..." my mother whispered, her voice trembling.
I turned back to the Harbinger, my face mere inches from its shrouded hood. I could only see its unnerving grin, a dark crescent in the dim light.
The weight of guilt pressed down on me. If I hadn't been so afraid, could I have saved that woman's life? The Harbinger's words echoed in my mind, a relentless accusation.
"I know what you're thinking," it whispered, its voice a chilling caress against my ear. "But it's not your fault. Not yet. You are still weak, unawakened. But soon, you will be ready."
I shuddered, the Harbinger's words both a promise and a threat. I turned back to the TV, my mind a whirl of conflicting emotions.
The news report continued, detailing the gruesome discovery of the woman's body in the warehouse. The police had no leads, no suspects. It was just another unsolved murder, a statistic in a city filled with violence and despair.
But for me, it was a turning point. The Harbinger's revelation had shattered my illusion of normalcy, revealing the dark underbelly of the world I inhabited. And I knew, deep down, that I couldn't ignore it any longer.
I had to embrace my destiny, whatever it might be. I had to uncover the secrets of my family, my powers, and the Otherworld that beckoned me from the shadows.
The journey ahead would be dangerous, of that I was certain. But I wouldn't face it alone. I had the support of my newfound family, the Unveiled, and the enigmatic guidance of the Harbinger.
As the news report ended, I turned to my parents, a newfound resolve in my eyes. "I'm going to bed early tonight, I have a lot to think about."
They looked at me with concern, but didn't question my decision. They had always respected my need for solitude, my tendency to retreat into my own world.
As I climbed the stairs, the Harbinger's words echoed in my mind: "Soon, you will be ready."
I didn't know what the future held, but I was ready to face it head-on. The time had come to embrace my true self, to unleash the power that lay dormant within me. The time had come to become the Unveiled.
Closing the door behind me, I collapsed onto my bed, exhaustion washing over me. The weight of the day's revelations pressed down on me, a confusing mix of fear, excitement, and a strange sense of anticipation.
A soft glow emanated from the corner of my room, and I turned to see the Harbinger standing there, its form shimmering in the twilight.
"You seem troubled," it observed, its voice a gentle whisper that belied its menacing appearance.
"I am," I confessed, my voice barely audible. "I'm still trying to process everything I learned today."
The Harbinger floated closer, its presence a comforting warmth in the dimly lit room. "The path of the Unveiled is not an easy one," it said, its voice filled with understanding. "But it is a path of great power and purpose."
I sat up, my curiosity piqued. "What is my purpose?" I asked, my voice trembling with anticipation.
The Harbinger smiled, its grin widening impossibly. "That is for you to discover, Xian Ying," it said. "But I can tell you this: your destiny is intertwined with the fate of the Unveiled. The choices you make will shape not only your own future, but the future of our kind."
I nodded, a sense of determination solidifying within me. "I understand," I said, my voice steadier now. "I'm ready to embrace my destiny, whatever it may be."
The Harbinger reached out a shadowy hand, its touch surprisingly gentle. "Then let us begin," it said, its voice filled with a promise of both darkness and light.
Hmm... If I remember correctly, I still haven't given it a name... I wondered if simply calling the name would make it appear.
I turned towards beside me and whispered, "▇▇▇▇..."
The Harbinger tilted its head, its smile widening. "Huh, trying to summon me and give me a name?"
I nodded. "Yeah, but it seems I can't..."
"Hmm..." The Harbinger pondered for a moment. "You should ask your mother about the local healer she took you to. I must go now; your Blue Blood is draining simply from being in my presence."
"Blue Blood?"
"It's the name of the energy that fuels our powers," the Harbinger explained. Then, it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"Blue Blood... Well, it makes sense, considering my father's royal ancestry," I mused, a sense of wonder filling me.
< Chapter 014 > Fin.