01. The empty book

Sky dazedly open his eyes as he felt the warmth of sun on his face. The green view around him is now no unfamiliar to his eyes as his been in the same place for this past few days

Tall trees, lush green grass and those unfamiliar flowers --must be wild flowers --are all around him.

Despite just woken up, he still felt sleepy, rubbing his eyes as he once again scan his eyes on his surroundings.

Few days ago, as his last memory serves him right, he was celebrating with his small circle of friends as their midterms' hell week has passed. They are eating in an eat-all-you-can kind of restaurant. They have been there for the past few years since their little circle of friends formed.

After that, they all decided to go in a KTV bar to have a little drink and sing a few songs as their night has just begun.

Then... a police, yes it was those police who seem to have raided that KTV bar with the reason not known to them. Then...

Sky frowned as once again, his memory failed to remind him what happened after that that night.

The next thing he knew of, he was already sitting under the huge tree inside of this wild forest. And it has been a few days since then. Nearing a week.. maybe a 4-5 days?

That short span of days has passed with his either sleeping or eating the fruits that this tree has while circling his eyes around. Many times before he thought of wandering around to find atleast someone who owned this forest or anyone but just the thought of him walking he felt already tired.

He also attempted to overcome that laziness'cause he knew that he wouldn't go anywhere staying --waiting for unknown in the same spot. But he didn't even taken a few steps before deciding to stop and sit back down on the grassy ground, really tired. It wasn't that type of tiredness that comes off from a hard labor. It was an exhausting type that he didn't know where it came from. Somewhere in his body keep telling him that he's tired. That it would be better if he's asleep.

His train of thoughts were put to a stop as he heard some noises. Noises in this forest are of normal to him now since this type of wild forest doesn't seem to be a private property, maybe a government property? But the noise he heard just now seems different from what he has been hearing this past few days?

"A kid! There's a kid over there!"

He blinked away the sleepiness he felt as he subconsciously followed that voice, though, no one is in his range of sight, he still can hear it clearly together a few couple of footsteps seemingly running towards his direction.

They must be the owner of this place?

Not long after, he finally saw a three figures. Their attention is on him as they talked about something to each other.

So, they are men... It seems that this is not that isolated ha? He's been here for the past few days and he haven't seen a single person --well he haven't moved out from this tree since he climbed up the very first time he woke up in this place.

"Isn't it normal to have a kid anywhere, literally anywhere?" The other guy asked, confused. What's new about seeing a kid, right? It's not as if they haven't seen one before.

"Have you seen a kid in this kind of forest? Where spiritual beasts are everywhere?" The another one asked back, rolling his eyes as if saying how stupid that guy to asked such a thing.

The former guy crossed his arms in front of his chest, "who knows, maybe he's with his family and they just temporarily leave him there?"

The latter guy clicked his tongue, his friend is really stupid ah. His beyond recovery na. "What kind of parents would leave their kid as small as he is in the middle of this dark forest?"

Though, named as dark forest, on the contrary, the said forest is full of vitality, rich in spiritual energy as countless spiritual beasts resided in here. It was also a very known hunting ground for the youngsters who wished to consolidate their cultivation or strengthen their combat ability.

Sky closed his eyes again. For the first time, he felt like it was a really good time to take a nap ah. Those three guys seemed not harmless and obviously they are not talking about him as they are only interested on the kid that they saw.

But he opened his eyes again and move his hand to his eyes to see that small and tender like it was bathed with milk all year round before.

Right. He's not the same as before. This body is so small. A kid, yes. But he doesn't know in what age is this body now.

His childhood memories though, a little blurred, but he's hundred percent sure that he didn't have this memory when he was young. No familiarity would be felt in this place, even a little deja vu like feeling, there's none.

Maybe he's the kid they are talking about? Who knows but the sleepiness soon took over all of his senses.

The warmth of the sun with the addition of the cool fresh air, it really makes him want to sleep more. This kind of moment is very rare to his everdays' as he was always busy if not on his homeworks or school projects, it would be his part time jobs.

Yes, he doesn't only have one part time job. It was actually three. Him being a paid librarian assistant in his school, a tutor on weekends and every after school on weekdays, he has to go to the computer shop nearby.

Quite tiring but that's how his life go on.

As the three guy went near the tree, even the third guy who kept silent all the way there was shocked.

The kid they just saw is really up in the tree, sleeping with it's stomach pressing against the strong and thick branch, all his white small limbs are lazily dangling in the air. His short hair was being swayed to dance by the gentle breeze of the air. His face held a peaceful appearance.

"I clearly saw his eyes was opened earlier. He was clearly awake not long ago! How can he be asleep now?" The latter guy asked, dumbfounded. This kid... He looks like he's having a good night sleep, it's making them speechless ah. Maybe he's from the wealthy family? A little lord? But... They have never ever seen a kid not to mention an adult to sleep comfortably, especially in this forest where dangers are everywhere!

"Yes, I saw it, too. Maybe he was drugged? Ahm, under a protective array ---that would be impossible." No one in the trio can felt even a single trace of an array which is really impossible. No matter how powerful an array is, it would at least leave one trace.

The third guy shook his head at the former's words. "He's not drugged." With that peaceful expression, who would say that this kid is drugged? "He's just asleep." No matter how strange it might sound to them, the kid is really just asleep. With his cultivation, three grade higher than the two, with his spiritual sense, he can tell that there's no sign of being drugged in the body of this kid. At least, there's no physical sign. But he can't tell confidently that he's a hundred percent sure especially that he can't use his spiritual sense to farther examine the internally the kid.

The latter guy nodded his head in agreement. "So what would we do now?" Should they let this kid here? Blindly hoping for his parents to come to pick him up? Or should they wait for them to arrive to pick him up just to be sure of the kid's safety?

Though they are a complete stranger to this kid, but seeing him here all alone sleeping defenselessly, they can't help but to feel a little responsible of this kid's safety.

The three guys, like any other youngsters in the nearby villages, they, too are here to kill and hunt spiritual beasts to farther enhance their fighting ability.

"Aren't we supposed to be back before it went dark?" The former guy asked his friends. "If we still wait for this kid to wake or to be pick up, we're not sure if we can make it in time." The forest is more dangerous as the sun went down. Majority of the spiritual beasts in this forest are nocturnal. They are more active and stronger at night time. So they can't stay that long here.

They are not even sure how this kid stay alive in this forest, being surrounded by those spiritual beasts. Maybe he's not even here that long? Maybe he's only here alone for an hour at most?

"Let's just bring him on the temple. Then report his whereabouts in the Magistrate's office to make other arrangements for this kid. And let the mayor of this city to announce about this kid for his parents." The third guy said with finality in his tone. He, too knew that it's not ideal to stay longer in this place. It may look peaceful with all the greens and everything being fresh but the fact that it was once called by everyone as the dark forest is enough to make them guarded their whole stay here.

Thus, without waking up the kid, they brought him out of the forest and dropped him off in the church under the priest's care. After that they went to the Magistrate's office to make a report about the kid's whereabouts.

Sky was awakened once again due to the voices speaking --this time they're quite near to him. Must be just around him.

He lazily opened his eyes and two adults, standing beside the bed... the bed?

He looked around him confirming his thoughts. He's indeed in the bed, inside of an old-style --or rather looking room. With wooden things inside. Wooden wall, wooden ceiling, wooden floor, wooden small coffee table, wooden round chair. There's no curtains in the room, not even in that square double door-style of window. No carpet either.

He turned his head to that two middle aged men who's also looking at him, silently observing his little of movements. It seems they have ceased their chats the moment he woke up.

He blinked his eyes, not removing his sight towards the two adult. The two strangers are also looking at him like they were waiting for something...

Finally, one of them blink before smiling towards him. "Hello, little one. How are you?" His tone is gentle like he was afraid to scared him as he spoke slowly.

".. I'm fine."

Focusing his mind on one thing... They do speak a very different language from the english he knew of. No, it's even far from the english. It's something sounds familiar to him. The tone too is a little familiar, but he can't point a finger to pinpoint what's make it familiar and how can it be familiar to him.

But strangely enough, though he clearly speak different, but they seem to understand each other and he doubted if they knew that he has just spoken in english.

The one who just talk to him, once again, he smile, and he reached his hand to his wide sleeve and pull out... something before giving it to him.

"When you were brought here. This notebook is already in your body. It was tied with your belt." It's actually not tight, and seeing the kid's small body, it's already strange to actually realize that the notebook isn't lost. "May I know your name, so that I --we know how to address you properly."

Sky blinked his eyes a few more times before propping up himself in a sitting position with the help of the second adult whom eagerly came to his side seeing his movement.

He took the bundle of papers from the other adult.

Opening it. Maybe he can find something? He knew that it isn't with him before. Or maybe, just like the adult says, it's tied in his belt, and he's too busy sleeping to actually noticed?

"You can call me Sky." He answered the last question raised by the same adult. Closing the empty notebook. It's really empty. He first thought that it was something like a diary and such but, it doesn't have even a single line inside.

After a little more inquiry, the pair finally leave him alone in that room. Later someone would come to deliver his meal. And he says thanks to them in advance for that meal.

Base on that adult who says that he's name is Lian Shu, he's the one kept talking to him the whole time. The other one he's with that remained quiet yet a little attentive was said to be called Ming Jiao. They were both wearing an orange gown --well it does look like one --the one with a wide long sleeves adn their head is surprisingly shining. The two both are bald. Yes. Strangely enough, it doesn't look weird on them. In fact, he found that that bald head suited the two men.

Three young men brought him here when he was still asleep thus they can't question him about his guardians or parents. The three also told them that he was actually found inside of the dark forest sleeping all alone. And that they don't have a single idea of whose are his parents or his guardians.

And yes, they also clarified before leaving that that empty notebook is tied in his belt the moment they picked him from that tree.

Looking down again. Even the thick brown cover is blank. The pages are not that smooth and white like what he was used to seeing. It was a little crumpled, and smokey brown, telling him that maybe it's actually older than his beloved grandpa.

Once again, he opened the book. It's really empty. No matter how slow, turning a page per minute, the result is still the same. Not even a single page contains a small line or a single letter.

Later, as the adult says before, someone came, this time he was much younger than the previous two. He look like he was just in his mid twenties. He was holding a plain looking tray made out of wood that was holding the meal for him.

So there's still someone who actually used wood in making trays?

And the so called meal is actually a.. soup and a tea.

Sky: ... he don't want to admit but he was actually expecting something with dessert on.