As a sign of affection

Inside a pavilion, a woman was sitting on a stool with her lilac robes cascading down on the floor. She was a young immortal, and her long hair looked like wisps of night gloriously sparkling due to the reflection of the water.

The pavilion was surrounded by water with clusters of lotuses blooming here and there.

She was leaning on her hand and was staring far off into the distance as if she was looking into some unfathomable future.

She felt someone entered her space and she smiled and said,

"You have become an expert in making people wait for you, especially me."

She turned to look at Bai Hua who was now in his real form. His long dark hair was shimmering as if there were gold dust on them.

He smiled and said, " You didn't die from it. So, all is fine."

"So, would you tell me now why you wanted to see me?" he said taking his seat.

"Did you meet anyone last night?" she asked with a mischievous smile.

"Uh... Remember? Because a certain someone wanted to get her revenge, she even came to witness my discomfort. Of course, I met many people last night."

She sighed and helped him, " Did you meet anyone or saw anyone suspicious?"

That shocked him. How did she find out? Was she spying on him even in the palace garden? He couldn't tell. She was too mysterious and also impulsive. And without his memories, he was powerless to do anything to her. Heck, he doubted if he could even beat her in a fight just with the strength of his soul.

"Ah... I indeed saw something suspicious. It was not a person. But an apparition. It was a woman. She called herself Anna, the Fire Witch. I was meaning to tell you. I thought you'd know since you say you have been waiting for thousands of years. You might have come across her."

He had thought he would seek Imsong out to ask her about last night's incident, but she was faster and had called for him before he did.

She had lost her relaxed posture after he said that.

"You meant you saw a fire puppet of Anna. It may look like her but it's not her. Did she say anything to you?"

He was right! She did know about that fair woman.

"She said that she was not my enemy and to remember her name. She also added that she'll be back."

"Mmm... anything else?"

Why does he feel like Imsong was interrogating him for some crime which he was not even a part of it?

He sighed and disclosed all the details, "She was wearing a red robe. She smelt like smoked apple. She didn't appear for long. And oh yes, she took out a hair accessory and referred to it as an artifact. She said that the artifact does not lie," he took a deep breath and finally said, "that's all."

"Hmm... did you, by any chance, like the smoky scent of the apple?"

"Umm... I think so. I liked the scent."

On hearing this she suddenly made a move and flicked his forehead.

"Hey!"

She laughed and said, "Your memories are starting to recover."

"Does the artifact look anything like this?" she asked and took out the same artifact that Anna, the Fire Witch was wearing on her hair.

He was puzzled and shocked, "Where did you find this? No, how do you have this?"

She smiled evilly and said, "Don't you remember? It was yours. And you even saw it yesterday. Your father showed it to you."

"But wasn't that an old and dusty artifact?"

"Yes, it is. Even now. But well, like I said, I am your key. I can draw out its real form. And you are here too. So it recognizes you."

He suddenly thought of something and asked, "Why did she appear in the kingdom. She seemed to be searching for someone. For me?"

"Your aura maybe subdued outside this space and you can be a normal mortal but it might have sensed your soul. You may not have touched it but it alerted her."

"Won't it alert her now then?" he abruptly stood up and exclaimed, "Wait, how does it even have a connection with her?!"

"You're so ignorant without your memories. Sigh, my space cuts off any link with the outside world. So, calm yourself. And she has a link with this one because both of the artifacts, hers and yours, are twins. They are a twin artifact. That is why they have a connection."

And then she dropped a small bomb, "She gave it to you, this artifact, as a sign of affection in your past life."

She was enjoying this.