134 What would the future hold?

Lia could only see how Zero gradually disappeared from her sight as her view was completely taken up by bright light. Her surroundings swallowed her up until she fell and fell.

Until she hit the hard ground and all of her bones broke. Blood sprayed and formed a pool around her body.

Zero watched with pained eyes as the only person he wanted to have in his life vanished without ever telling him the truth. Zero hoped one day. Maybe one day they could meet again.

Loud, imposing and threatening. From behind, not one but several footsteps appeared, when they stopped they sent Zero's whole mind and heart into a frozen slumber.

Before Zero, the circle emitted once again the colourful light and then went out completely. Now it was see-through and an ordinary circle that was stabbed into the ground.

A long sigh escaped and field Zero's ears. Zero finally turned around and met Timo, escorted by a few soldiers.

"Zero, do you have any idea what you did?" Timo's dead eyes relentlessly pierced into Zero's fragile heart.

Timo's view fell onto Zero's fumbling hands and saw the golden ring.

Timo stretched his hand out and two soldiers immediately rushed to Zero and captured him.

"For stealing the Ghost King's property, Zero you'll be arrested."

Zero knew what he was doing and he hoped with this he could repay Lia what she had done for him.

"Were you the one telling Nana to ask me for the password?"

"Yes."

Tim showed a smile, "Where's Kim? Teacher Kim?"

"I don't know," Zero remained strong in face of Timo's intimidating stare.

"The guards told me you have come with a woman."

"I don't know."

Timo sighed, "Thanks to your action, the portal to the Mortal World can't be used anymore for a while. This was our only chance. Zero, what you did was foolish. When Kim comes back, she'll be detained right away."

"She won't," Zero had confidence in Lia.

"Whatever, take him away," Timo was slightly angry, after all, now that the council was missing members, going to the Mortal World was almost impossible.

It needed the council's and the Ghost King's approval. And with Min's personality, he wouldn't appoint new council members. So now that the mortal gate randomly opened on its own, it was the perfect chance for them to send someone to continue their plan in the Mortal World. But now that was ruined because of Zero.

On the other side, Zero knew the fate that awaited him. He threw his future away with this reckless action but he didn't regret it. When he saw that Timo left the academy, for some reason, Zero became suspicious. Then when Timo came back with two soldiers, Zero followed Timo to hear that they were looking for Lia and Nana for stealing something like a ring.

This was when Zero made up his mind. He needed to get Nana out and then Lia, because Lia was the one Timo was after the most, Lia couldn't stay in the Immortal World, not until Timo would forget about her.

It was convenient to hear that the portal to the Mortal World would open any minute and only when a person was sent through, it would close again.

On the spot, Zero decided to take the blame for Lia and have her take refuge in the Mortal World. Zero had no confidence in his power being an asset as an exorcist, so he had long given up on this dream.

But because Lia believed in him, Zero decided to train as she wished, despite knowing there was no future for him with his power. Lia gave him an invaluable experience he would never forget. He was glad to have attended the academy and even though he had to suffer, he was happy to have met Lia.

So, for him to forsake his future for her- that was worth it.

Zero stared at the never-ending darkness in front of him. Would he ever be able to see Lia again? The answer was probably no.

Yet, he still, with a beautiful smile, took a step towards the darkness and was swallowed up.

***

The blood around Lia didn't disappear, instead, it soaked into the ground of the streets and formed a hard crust. Lia's broken bones slowly healed.

She sat up and held her hand in front of her eyes. The bright sunlight was blinding, she could barely make out her surroundings.

But then a loud honk quickly made her jump to the side as something flew past her and a man out of it screamed at her, "Crazy girl! Watch where you go! Don't lay on the street!"

More profanities followed but the male was now too far in the iron cube that carried him away.

Was that a car? Lia widened her eyes and frantically looked around.

No, no, no! Where was this? What was all of this?

The streets looked the same but all of these weird things covered the streets and rolled away. All of them were only things that Lia has seen in those mortal films.

Cars, bicycles, motorcycles and, and, and, Lia couldn't believe anything she saw. There was no way!

The clothes the surrounding people wore who stared at her as if she was crazy, were also totally strange to her.

And the big and tall glass buildings, the shops with words she didn't understand, the pictures with items, food and things she only ever saw in those films, followed her everywhere she went.

Lia could hear the whispers of the people and surprisingly could understand what they were saying.

"Look there's someone cosplaying."

"I wonder where she got the dress from."

But Lia didn't want to hear, didn't want to see. It was all too much for her to digest. There was no way Zero sent her to the Mortal World. There was no way that circle was actually the portal.

While Lia was walking, she was spinning around, her head moved to all sides, to absorb the information waves that entered through her eyes.

She was lost and wandered with no destination or clue about what to do. All she knew was to go back home, back to the Immortal World but how?

She had to return immediately or else, Xavi and the others would worry. Why did Zero send her here? There was no way he didn't know this would bring her to the Mortal World, right?

Lia faintly guessed that Zero had some intentions but she couldn't guess what.

For a long while, Lia just blindly walked around. She apparently fell from heaven onto the street. It seemed like the portal randomly sent her anywhere, so she couldn't go back that way.

But now that Lia witnessed the Mortal World with her own eyes for the first time, it really was different from the Immortal World. Definitely more convenient, modern and beautiful.

Lia thought as the sunset dyed the peaceful sea before her in orange and red light that hit the horizon. It was exceptionally magical.

But no matter how beautiful this place was, it wasn't one Lia belonged to. What was she supposed to do now? She had no clue, no power, no money and no one to help her.

"Ah! Big sis catch!" Hearing those words, Lia turned around and caught a black-white checkered ball.

A pair of young boys ran up to Lia, "Thank you!"

The boys took the ball and ran away again before one came back.

"Big sis you have a weird dress, like these in that one place."

"Place?" Lia grabbed the boy, her hope rising, "Which place are you talking about?"

"You're weird," the boy laughed, "The centre."

"Can you show me?"

"What do I get?"

Lia fumbled in her clothes but had nothing. The boy saw her sad look and agreed, "Ok, I'll show you!"

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