Chaper 9
The first rays of sunlight stretched across the village, bathing everything in a golden glow. The air was crisp, carrying the distant chirping of birds and the faint crackle of a cooking fire from nearby houses. Outside their home, the small family stood gathered, the moment heavy with unspoken words.
Mephina adjusted her whip, the metallic clink cutting through the silence. Despite the early hour, she looked as energetic as ever. Toph stood beside her, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Jayden stood a short distance away, his arms folded, his usual deadpan expression set firmly in place.
It was finally happening.
They were leaving.
"So, you're really going?" Lolly's small hands tightened around Mephina's sleeve, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Of course," Mephina smiled, patting the little girl's head. "I came to confirm something, and now that it's done, I've got no reason to stay."
She turned to Jayden, eyes sharp. "Like I said last night—get stronger. If you're still stuck in the Pink Plane when I come back..." She grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Don't even bother showing your face."
Jayden didn't respond.
He didn't need to. He will be long gone before she came back.
Mephina studied him for a second longer, as if waiting for something. A flicker of emotion. A reaction. Anything. But, as always, his face remained unreadable. She clicked her tongue in mild disappointment.
"Ah, so cold," she teased, before turning back to Lolly. "Don't miss me too much, kid."
"I won't!" Lolly huffed, but her tight grip on Mephina's arm betrayed her words.
The old man sighed. "Take care of yourselves, both of you."
Lolly's mother stepped forward. "And thank you… for everything."
Toph simply nodded, acknowledging them before glancing toward the horizon. "Let's go."
Mephina stretched her arms above her head. "Fine, fine. No need to get all sentimental." She cast one last glance at Jayden. "Don't slack off."
With that, they turned and walked away, their figures growing smaller as they made their way down the dirt road.
Lolly stood on her tiptoes, watching until they disappeared over the hill.
Jayden, however, remained still.
Finally, peace.
Or so he thought.
A few hours had passed since Mephina and Toph's departure, and the house had returned to a peaceful quiet. Or at least, it should have.
Jayden sat outside, arms crossed, staring blankly into the distance.
He had nowhere to go.
Not that he particularly minded.
It wasn't like he had a home before this.He was thrown into this crazy world afterall.
The old man suddenly plopped down next to him, stretching his legs with a satisfied groan. "Well, kid, you don't have anywhere to go, do you?"
Jayden didn't answer.
The old man nodded as if he expected that. "Then stay here."
Jayden blinked.
"...What?"
The old man shrugged. "You're a strong lad, and it looks like you can work. We could use the help."
Before Jayden could process that, a blur of energy crashed into him.
"Big brother, stay with us!" Lolly beamed, her arms latched around his waist like a tiny koala.
Jayden stared at her. "...I didn't say anything yet."
"You were going to say yes, right?" she said, her bright eyes practically sparkling.
Jayden opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again.
"...That's not how this works."
The old man, however, sighed deeply. "Lolly, you gotta let people think for themselves—"
"But he has nowhere to go!" Lolly puffed her cheeks.
"That's not—"
"Look at his face! He's clearly sad and lonely!"
The old man and Lolly mother both turned to look at Jayden's completely deadpan expression.
A long silence followed.
"...Lolly," the old man coughed, "I don't think his face changes."
"Of course, it does!" she huffed. "Big brother, you want to stay, right?"
Jayden stared at her.
Lolly stared back, eyes full of pure, unshakable belief.
Jayden sighed internally. He could leave. He should leave.
But the alternative was… wandering around aimlessly.
And for some reason, the thought of leaving made Lolly's grip tighten.
"...Alright."
Lolly's face lit up instantly. "Yay!"
She hugged him even tighter, nearly knocking him over.
Jayden let her, his expression completely unchanged.
The old man sighed again, shaking his head. "Well… I suppose that settles it."
The sun bathed the small village in golden light, casting long shadows across the courtyard where Jayden sat, absentmindedly staring at the ground. He wasn't particularly listening, but the old man beside him never seemed to mind.
"Lolly's father was something else," the old man muttered, his voice thick with nostalgia. His eyes were fixed on the horizon, as if looking back through time. "He was the strongest man I ever knew. A true warrior. If he were here now, things would be different..."
Jayden barely reacted. He had heard the old man go on about Lolly's father many times before. But something about today felt... different.
"He had already reached the Violet Plane at such a young age," the old man continued, shaking his head. "I used to joke that he would surpass even the legendary Cyan Plane warriors."
Cyan Plane.
The words rang in Jayden's ears like an echo from a distant past—one he wasn't sure was his own.
Then, it happened.
A sharp, searing pain exploded in his skull.
His vision blurred. The world around him flickered.
—He saw a man.
Dark hair with a tinge of blonde. Strong, piercing eyes filled with warmth.
The man was smiling.
"I'm proud of you, son."
Jayden's breath hitched.
"In a few years, you might reach the Cyan Plane… and probably surpass me."
The words carried a strange weight, heavy with meaning. But they weren't meant for him.
They couldn't be.
The vision shattered, and Jayden's eyes snapped open. His breath came in shallow gasps. His fingers dug into his palms, cold sweat trickling down his back.
That wasn't real.
That wasn't his memory.
Right?
"Oi, kid." The old man's gruff voice snapped him back to reality. A wrinkled hand waved in front of his face. "You good? You look like you saw a ghost."
Jayden blinked, forcing his body to relax. His face returned to its usual deadpan state. "...I'm fine."
The old man gave him a suspicious look before shrugging. "If you're worried about still being in the Pink Plane, don't be. You've got time to cultivate."
Jayden barely heard him.
His mind was elsewhere.
If that wasn't his memory…
Then whose was it?