I walked up to hir.

Xe remained unmoving, tears streamed down hirs face, legs clattering against each other.

We were barely a meter away. I stared at hir

“Pu’er.”

“Y-yes Master.”

“I lied.”

“...”

“I don’t have the memories you speak of.”

Xe looked at me horrified.

“That’s why I only know you as a friend. And I don’t wish to pursue whatever the previous me wishes to achieve. I’m not him, he’s not me.”

“M-Master.. that means the ritual..”

I can guess a gist of things now. If Avner did something to retain Pu’er memories, he probably would’ve done it to himself too. Which means sometime in the future the memories will..

Right now. I’m just Avner, and Shin.

But what will happen when the 233rd Avner’s memories return?

What will happen to me?

“Pu’er, release us.”

“Y-yes master.”

The barrier dissipated, the demonic bastard sword returned to its original form and turned into a jewel.

“And release us from this astral space.”

“Master.. no, Avner.”

Xe took a step forward. Xe looked up at me, our eyes met, my throat was clogged, my heart raced. I was frozen in place by the mystifying beauty of hirs eyes.

“I’ll swear to protect you until your return.”

“N-No need.”

“It’s Master Avner’s will.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard, I can defend myself just fine.”

“I only acknowledge Master Avner’s will. You currently do not possess his memories. I have a responsibility to take care of you until then.”

“People will start suspecting you for NtBM if you act like someone else.”

“I will exercise caution, Master.”

Xe knelt in front of me.

What in the world is going on? I came to reject hir, now xe’s found a reason to continue sticking to me?

I don’t even know if I’ll get Avner’s memories back.

“Master, I shall..”

Everything became smeared to a blur, my stomach lurched. Feeling the weight of gravity different from the one I’m used to in the astral space, I staggered.

I heard the sound of someone dropping to the ground.

I raised my still light head to look.

There, in front of me, Pu’er just.. passed out on the ground.

[Avner, xe passed out! Should I call for an ambulance?!]

“Not yet.”

Swallowing my nausea, I made my way over to hir.

I placed two fingers over hisr nostrils, still breathing. No erratic breaths. I grabbed hirs wrist and checked hirs pulse, regular, stable, full.

Xe’s alright. Xe just fainted, that’s all.

Really, what should I do now?

[Avner? Should I call the ambulance?]

“Don’t. It’ll only create more trouble.”

It’s around 8:25 pm now. I told my parents I would be home by 8:30 pm. Damn.

What in the world.

That Pu’er Julis. What in the world is xe?

[“I’ll be slightly late.”]

I sent a message to inform them.

Turning to Pu’er once again, I realized how I couldn’t just leave hir be.

“Do I do that?”

Placing hirs glasses aside, I carefully raised hirs body over the bench. It didn’t look too comfortable.

Naturally, the last thing you would ever do. Somehow, I was compelled to.

I gave hir a lap pillow and waited.

[Avner, I thought you said you would reject hir.]

“I know.”

[How do you explain your actions?]

“I don’t know. How do you measure intelligence?”

[Intelligence can be measured in various ways. Most popular is the creation of a standard intelligence test known as Intelligence Quotient, otherwise known as IQ. There are also other measures of intelligence including a popular theory by..]

Randell’s cursor buzzed about, pulling up unnecessary tabs and trivia. This AI kept annoying me with useless info, as if to challenge me. I almost wanted to shut Randell off when I heard a groan.

I looked down, and met hirs sky blue eyes, wide open.

Xe blinked a few times.

And began panicking. I held hir down with my finger. Xe’s weaker in real life than I thought.

“Uwah!?”

“Stay still.”

“W-What happened? Where is this?”

What?

“You don’t.. remember?”

Xe flinched, turned away and hid hirs flushed face between the cracks of hirs fingers. Did I just notice blue eyes?

“No.”

“Look at me.”

I grabbed hirs face.

“No!”

Hirs eyes were blue. Previously, it was gold.

That means I can safely assume there are two Pu’er’s? What happened to the other Pu’er?

“You don’t remember what you did?”

“W-What did I do?!”

No way. So this isn’t a simple recall of memory? Things just got a hell more complicated.

Xe kicked hirs legs, attempting to get up, I released hir.

“What? I-I thought I was..”

Hirs expression turned grim. One hand to hirs stomach. It’s no wonder since I sent a blow to hirs abdomen.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

By this point in time, there’s nothing more to do but to send hir back.

“Then should I walk you home?”

“Walk me home eh? How did I leave home?”

“You don’t remember that either?”

“No I don’t..”

I took hirs glasses which I had placed carefully on the bench beside me.

“Here. Go contact your parents.”

“I-I can’t.. I don’t remember anything. Why I’m I here?”

Xe began fumbling, hirs body trembling.

A safe conjecture to think that it was Pu’er Julis that took over hirs consciousness. Getting into trouble without knowing what had been done wrong.

I know this feeling.

I placed my hand on hirs head to calm hir down.

Xe raised hirs head and looked at me.

Your fears, your anxieties, I understand them.

“Fine. I’ll call them instead. And I’ll do the explaining. Don’t worry.”

Xe squinted hirs eyes as tears dripped from hirs face.

“Avner.. thank you..”

After all, unlike me, Pu’er’s still young.

===

dotturndot: Shin (Avner) being taken over by the 233rd Avner. Could happen, you know? And, what do you think will happen to Pu’er? The lore and plot– ehehe–