Chapter 141: Cave
Lin Xiao opened the door, expecting to find the top of the lighthouse—perhaps a room with a panoramic view of the sea, or even some sort of control room. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of a damp, dark cave.
The air was thick with moisture, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed off the stone walls. The transition was so sudden and jarring that Lin Xiao blinked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
In the middle of the cave, illuminated by a dim, otherworldly light, lay a figure—a young boy in black clothes, chained to the ground.
The chains were thick, old, and rusted, yet they pulsed with a faint energy, as if they were not merely physical restraints but something far more sinister.
The boy appeared to be in a deep coma, his face pale, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. Despite the boy's unconscious state, Lin Xiao could tell he was very much alive.
A strange feeling stirred within Lin Xiao as he looked at the boy. It wasn't recognition exactly, but something close.
A faint pull, like an invisible thread connecting the two of them. His heart beat faster as he stared at the boy, trying to figure out why he felt this strange connection. But as quickly as the feeling had appeared, Lin Xiao shook it off.
"No, I don't know this guy," he muttered to himself, taking a step back. "He's just a stranger."
Still, his eyes lingered on the boy. The black clothes were tattered, and the boy's face, though calm in his unconscious state, bore the marks of something deeper. It was as though he had been there for a long time—too long.
The cave itself felt ancient, as if time had stopped within its walls. And yet, Lin Xiao couldn't ignore the faint sense of familiarity that gnawed at him.
"Why do I feel like I know him?" Lin Xiao whispered, his brow furrowing. He walked closer, despite the unease that settled in his gut.
His hand hovered over the boy's chains, the faint pulse of energy vibrating through the air. He wondered who—or what—had put this boy here, chained and forgotten in this desolate cave.
Lin Xiao knelt beside the boy, examining the chains more closely. They weren't just metal—they had symbols carved into them, ancient and glowing faintly with a strange, blue light.
The light pulsed in time with the boy's breathing, as though the chains were connected to his very life force.
"Who are you…?" Lin Xiao murmured, his voice low. He reached out, instinctively, but stopped just before touching the boy. Something told him not to interfere. Not yet.
But the connection he felt was growing stronger. It was as if the more he looked at the boy, the more familiar everything became—like a half-remembered dream, slipping through his fingers.
He had no memory of ever seeing this boy before, but something deep inside him screamed that they were linked in some way. A bond that transcended the physical, reaching into realms he didn't fully understand.
Lin Xiao's hand trembled slightly as he pulled it back, shaking off the strange sensation. He stood up, taking a deep breath, and forced himself to turn away from the boy.
"This has nothing to do with me. I don't have time for this," he told himself, trying to bury the nagging feeling in his chest. He needed to figure out how to escape this strange place, not get tangled up in another mystery.
But even as he stepped away from the boy, his thoughts kept drifting back. The eerie cave, the chains that seemed more than just physical restraints, and that overwhelming feeling of connection—none of it made sense.
And yet, Lin Xiao couldn't shake the thought that this boy was somehow important. That maybe, just maybe, leaving him here was a mistake.
Still, he steeled himself and began walking toward the exit of the cave. Whatever this was, he had to focus on getting back to his world.
But as Lin Xiao reached the mouth of the cave, a soft whisper echoed behind him, so faint he almost thought he imagined it.
"Help… me… Xiao Xiao....."
Lin Xiao froze, his heart skipping a beat. He spun around, but the boy remained as motionless as before, still chained, still unconscious.
Lin Xiao's heart raced as the whisper echoed in his mind. "Xiao Xiao..." It was a name only a handful of people knew—his family, his closest friends. Hearing it in this dark, unfamiliar place shook him to his core.
He spun around, eyes fixed on the unconscious boy, still chained and motionless on the ground. There was no way this kid could have known that name.
"How...?" Lin Xiao muttered, taking slow, cautious steps back toward the boy. His mind raced, trying to make sense of what he just heard. "Xiao Xiao…?"
The boy didn't move. His chest rose and fell steadily with shallow breaths, still trapped in whatever deep sleep he was in. But the connection—something was growing stronger. Lin Xiao could feel it now, like a thread of energy pulling at him, urging him closer.
"Who are you?" Lin Xiao asked, his voice barely above a whisper, though he didn't expect a response. The chains glowed faintly with their eerie blue light, and the pulse of energy beneath them seemed to grow stronger, resonating with the boy's every breath.
As Lin Xiao stood over him, he clenched his fists, feeling both curiosity and dread. There was something deeply wrong about this place, this boy, and the fact that he had whispered Lin Xiao's nickname.
His mind darted to the possibilities—maybe this was a trap, a trick by some force in this strange world to lure him into something dangerous. But another part of him, the part that had felt that pull, knew this was no ordinary coincidence.
He crouched down beside the boy, his eyes narrowing. "Why do you know that name?" he asked again, his voice firmer this time, though still met with silence.
His hand hovered just above the boy's chest, where the chains crisscrossed. The temptation to touch the chains, to try and free him, surged through him. But something held him back—a nagging feeling that he shouldn't interfere just yet. He didn't know who this boy was, or how he was connected to him.
The cave felt heavier, as if the very air had thickened with tension. The strange symbols carved into the chains pulsed in time with the boy's shallow breathing, glowing slightly brighter, casting eerie shadows on the cave walls. Lin Xiao's heartbeat quickened as he considered his next move.
"Who are you?" Lin Xiao repeated, this time more to himself, frustration creeping into his voice. He couldn't just leave now, not after hearing that whisper. But at the same time, everything about this situation screamed danger.
Suddenly, the boy's body twitched. A barely perceptible movement, but enough to make Lin Xiao's breath catch. His eyes widened as the boy's fingers flexed, just slightly.
"Help... me..." the whisper came again, clearer this time. It was like it was echoing inside Lin Xiao's head. But it wasn't just a plea. There was something familiar in the voice now, something that tugged at Lin Xiao's memories, buried deep.
"I know you…" Lin Xiao murmured, barely believing his own words. But it felt true. Somehow, somewhere, he had seen this boy before.
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