System's Mind Space.
At the black space with nothing on it, Gui Lan in his real soul appearance is seated on nothing in a lotus position with his eyes closed. He is in a state of meditation. Around him three white crystal stones are hovering around him giving the feeling of pure energy to help cure the soul. These stones are called Soul Stones. These are special stones that can help promote or suppress injuries within a soul. After a few hours one of the white stones crumbles into dust and disappears. It's effect was used up and the host at the center slowly opened his eyes. Unlike his flickering unstable soul state before, his current state is a little better. It's no longer flickering despite his weakening state. Gui Lan looks at his fingers' slight transparency. This signifies that his soul state is no longer normal.
But the qi in this star is too scarce and his punishment is still ongoing making him unable to use his qi to heal his abnormal soul state.
[Host, how are you feeling? The current percentage damage in the soul is stabilized at 46% thanks to the soul stone. But this is only a temporary suppression, as long as your soul stays within this star you would never be able to completely recover and your vessel's lifespan is greatly affected by this.]
"I understand. You shouldn't worry much about it. Don't tell him if he ever asks why?" said Gui Lan while giving hints to his system that he already knew that he had conversation with his husband a few times in the former worlds and he just turned a blind eye on them.
[Host are your…]
Gui Lan just gave him a smile, "Not much. I had few speculation of things. Don't get too bothered by it. Yue I'm going to wake up now." he said before taking his leave to this mind space and wake up in reality leaving alone his system in his silence.
——
When Gui Lan opened his eyes the lights inside the room turned off. It's very dark in the area as he looks around, he felt something was wrapped around his body making unable to move. He saw an arm caging him from where he is laying. He couldn't move as his arms were caught in it as well. It was Xie Ye, who returned to their dormitory with the rest of the members, holding him in his sleep.
Gui Lan tried prying the arm around him at first but his current vessel's strength is now even less than what his age could normally possess. Struggling for a few times, he could only give up when he felt he moved too much and accidentally woke Xie Ye who was resting beside him. Thankfully his system cleaned up everything for him leaving no traces of blood that his body had excreted from when it overloaded his abilities and suffered backlash. He could only move his body a bit and make it so his position is facing Xie Ye who is in his deep sleep.
Seeing that there are no visible effects found on Xie Ye's appearance that he head suffered from that accident during the experiment this morning made Gui Lan glad. He observes the silently sleeping figure of Xie Ye until he got tired himself. Currently his body is too weak and needs more rest than an average child because of his injured soul. Gui Lan quietly yawns as he feels sleepy at the moment. After feeling satisfied with watching Xie Ye in his sleep, Gui Lan gives the child a small, fleeting kiss in between his eyebrows.
He murmured, "It's good that you're unhurt. Good night, A'Ye." said Gui Lan before hugging the child back and entering his sleep for a while more.
This is how they usually sleep at night except for last night when he and Xie Ye got into a small quarrel of misunderstanding. As Gui Lan expected, a child's temper is only a short fuse and Xie Ye is unwilling to be separated from him for a long time. A day is his limit. Thinking about this Gui Lan entered his deep sleep as he was really tired of what happened this whole day. Even though the backlash he suffered from before is suppressed, the injuries in his soul are still there. Moreover there is nothing he could do about it. He willingly indulges all of this child's selfishness. This is because he knew that their time together had long run out since that day he saw those future sights.
Once Gui Lan entered his slumber the child whom he was hugging suddenly opened his eyes. Revealing a pair of garnet orbs which seems to glint in slight hints of light. These crimson orbs observe Gui Lan observing him intently. There're clear emotions of worry and distress within those garnet irises.
Xie Ye's thoughts while watching Gui Lan in his sleep.
'His eyes had marks of fatigue. Face is pale as if close to being bloodless like those mythical creatures called vampires in the stories. Moreover the temperature of his body had greatly lowered as there isn't enough life to support the body. He's current state is abnormal. Gui Lan usually only needs to sleep enough like a normal person does but lately he needs a longer nap time and feels sleepy most of the time. But despite taking a long rest he still looked so tired when he woke up. What is happening without me knowing something? This is giving a very uncomfortable feeling. Like he would be leaving me soon…'
This kind of thought swims endlessly in his mind. Xie Ye could not do anything about this uneasiness in his heart. All he could do is to keep this person by side at all times just in case this person will suddenly leave without his permission. Just the thought of this person leaving gave him a feeling that he would never see him again unless he allowed him to. To prevent that he must always make this person happy, not bored and always have his fun in any way. He was very afraid at the thought of not seeing him as if he had lost a sight of this person before.
As a boy, Xie Ye could currently not understand the meaning of his heart's abnormal state. He had no experience of other things and Gui Lan is the first person who became important to him. He is frightened that he will lose his precious person, his first friend and his first family. But despite the uncomfortable feeling in his heart, he doesn't know how to stop it from hurting. As a child the only action he could do is to not let go. As long as he doesn't let go then, this person wouldn't leave would he?
Xie Ye pulled Gui Lan closer to him. Holding him tighter in his sleep. Wanting to chain this person to himself for this lifetime.
"Even if you suddenly disappear, I will definitely find you. As long as I can find you we will be together forever." whispered Xie Ye but only the darkness seems to hear his words.
——
When the sun had risen everyone noticed that the relationship between Xie Ye and Gui Lan had returned to normal. Their sticky moments had gotten longer though. Like conjoined twins unable to separate from one another. They are currently at the cafeteria eating breakfast. This morning when they woke up Gui Lan had asked the adults in their group to move his name to be placed together with the rest of the members. Starting today he will undergo the experiments with them as a group.
In the middle of eating.
Gui Lan is unable to use the spoon is holding as the one beside him is feeding him using his own spoon. Alternating spoon feeding him and eating his part. Of course, everything he didn't like to eat was eaten by Xie Ye instead. Xie Ye had become even more caring towards him after their misunderstanding. He treated him as if he didn't know that the original age of this vessel is already in adult stages for unknown years.
"Eat a few more Lan'er. You look a bit sickly lately." said Xie Ye who is positioning a mouthful of food in front of Gui Lan.
Seeing a small mountain of white rice and meat on the spoon, Gui Lan happily opened his mouth and allowed the spoiled child to feed him.
Gui Lan whose cheeks are bulging as he chews like a little hamster. "I'm not sick. Just a bit more sleepy as I've been using my ability for long periods of time. There is nothing wrong with me." he replied while pouting as if Xie Ye wronged him.
Seeing Gui Lan pouts Xie Ye could only smile at him helplessly. Patting his back to calm his anger, "Lan'er anger is bad for the body."
"Hmph! Eat your own. Don't forget to eat this, that and those." said Gui Lan while pointing at all the dishes with vegetables on it. Especially those in green and orange in color. [Green peas and carrots are top of Gui Lan's list of dislikes.]
"Yes. I will eat it all for you, Lan'er." said Xie Ye while coaxing the angered child.
——
After breakfast the children entered that glass made room once again but this time Gui Lan is together with them. An additional subject entering the list made not apparent changes to the setting to the experiment in that laboratory of sounds. Though the number of children inside the room had reduced and some children had violent reactions as they were placed inside the glass room. This time some children were banding on the thick glass wall while crying. There's obviously traces of fear, fatigue and terror within their eyes. The experience they had undergone last night left some traumatic memories in their young minds. There are even some children who had gone hiding as soon as they were thrown inside the glass cage.
Among the children only Gui Lan's group entered the room without any struggling movements but in the eyes of the scientists in the laboratory they thought that this group had long given up living and didn't pay more attention to this considered dead group.
Inside the room, Xu Lun took the lead of the group trying to go to the corner of the room they occupied yesterday but unfortunately they've entered the room late and someone group of children overtook it. Seeing their group approaching some children from the opposite group bare their teeth on them in defense.
"Go away! We got here first!"
"This is our place now!"
"That's right! We came here first."
The children from the opposite group shouted at them. Xu Lun was getting angry but was stopped by his friend on time.
"You brats… I…" Xu Lun was suddenly grabbed on his shirt from the back by Yun Li.
Yun Li spoke, "Calm down. Look for another place instead."
Xu Lun snorted angrily at the other children, "You're lucky."
After taking a different corner of the room, the position they choose is a bit closer from the wall of speakers while making the rest of the members frown. They haven't felt the full effect of the sound wave thanks to them losing consciousness because of the medicine they got from Lin Ye. But this time they were told that the management had made some changes to the sound waves and they didn't know if the medicine would be effective again this time. In the face of the question of what to do next they all move their eyes on Gui Lan's figure. After all, despite his age, no one really could deny the authority of his high intelligence quotient and aloof presence.
Li Xing was the one who asked the group, "What should we go to A'Lan?"
"Don't worry. I can solve it but before I begin I want you guys to calm down and listen to my instruction." said Gui Lan.
Everyone nodded in agreement to his words. This time their conversation was shared only in their group. Though they didn't use the mental link as usual they lowered their voices enough only to be heard by them.
"Good. First off, after my abilities upgraded that day I've awakened another ability. This ability is called 'Authority', it's an ability that will allow him to impose absolute commands upon any existence, even reality itself." explained Gui Lan.
Yun Li, "Absolute command. Is it only on living things?" he asked, completely interested in his cousin's new ability.
"No. I have absolute command over all living things and nonliving things. Even the reality itself. It's a higher version of mental ability if telekinesis but in a form of command instead of just thoughts." replied Gui Lan.
Xie Ye who remembered what happened to him yesterday. "So my body moved on its own yesterday because of this ability?" he asked.
"Yes. I can even command the target to do something against his will unless the target's will is at the same level or stronger than mine. It is impossible to disobey my authority. Don't worry it won't hurt~" said Gui Lan while a mischievous smile on his face.
The rest felt shivers on their skin when they saw him smile that way as if he is having fun in the current situation. They couldn't understand fully where their fear came from but Gui Lan's smile made them feel cold down to their spine. Then as soon as the lights turned off Gui Lan used Authority on them. The command's contents are: 'For the whole day you are now unable to hear any sound waves within this room. There is no effect on you and it will be like you are deaf.'
