Chapter 5: The Girl from Afar

"whee..."

　　Suddenly, I heard the sound of children playing outside.

　　"It's morning...?"

　　With difficulty, he opened his eyes and looked at the only remaining patch of illuminated ground in the house. Xi Wang barely supported his body and moved to the side of that small patch of light. He stretched out his hand cautiously and felt the warmth of the sunlight on his palms.

　　Thanks to the food the priest brought yesterday, he had a little more strength to move today - after all, the priest regarded him as his private property and couldn't let him die directly.

　　But correspondingly, tonight... might be very sad.

　　"......"

　　Thinking of the pain he might face tonight, Xi Wang pursed his lips, withdrew his hand, chose a position that would make him more comfortable, curled up, and began to rest...trying to have more strength to face the torture tonight.

　　It is impossible to survive in a coma. In the end, you will only be awakened by ice water or the pain of coarse salt rubbed on the wound.

　　He subconsciously touched his arm which still had scars, and felt a slight pain again - this was left by the priest's knife a week ago, but it was almost healed now.

　　I don't know if it's because he is still a child and his body metabolism is fast, or if it's something else, but Xiwang's wound healed very quickly, and it would be mostly healed in about a week. If given more time, there wouldn't even be any trace left. The priest also noticed this and even liked it very much. After all, this way he could be more "unbridled".

　　Even after recovery, there will still be phantom pain... However, he has gradually gotten used to it, to the point that the feeling of "pain" has almost become numb, but it still hurts.

　　How long has it been? How long has it been since I was imprisoned here?

　　How long will this last? Can we still be rescued?

　　"......"

　　When Xi Wang thought of such despair in the future, he felt an indescribable sense of grievance in his heart.

　　I want to go out...I want to have a good meal...I want to have a good sleep...

　　My body subconsciously curled up into a ball to hide the tears that were about to stop.

　　I don't want to be beaten anymore…I don't want to be scolded anymore…I don't want to feel pain anymore…

　　I really want to agree...

　　"whee..."

　　Outside the house, the children's noise of playing has not stopped yet. It seems that something good has happened today and they all look very excited.

　　But those have nothing to do with Xiwang.

　　After a few minutes, Xiwang seemed to have expressed all the grievances he had felt over the past few days. he wiped away his tears, adjusted his breathing, closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep slowly.

　　It's going to be a sad night, get some rest.

　　However, accidents always happen unexpectedly.

　　"Boom boom boom—"

　　"Hello~ Is there anyone inside~"

　　A crisp sound and a knock on the door sounded together.

　　"Hello, is anyone here?"

　　It was the voice of an unfamiliar little girl, but a unique vitality came through in her words, making one imagine that this was a lovely girl full of energy.

　　However, Xiwang did not reply. That would be a waste of energy. Besides, if the priest knew about it, he might be even more sad tonight.

　　"Don't knock on the door. He won't pay attention to you. If you want to see him, you can come here."

　　I heard a familiar voice. It was the child living here speaking.

　　Then, the familiar sound of moving debris was heard, and soon, the sunlight shining on the ground became shorter.

　　"He's here, come quickly~"

　　A familiar voice appeared at the window as if confirming through the gap that Xi Wang was within the range that could be seen through the gap, and he quickly called out to the side.

　　The sunlight on the ground returned to its original size, and then quickly shrank back.

　　"Oh~ Isn't there someone here?"

She spoke in a brisk tone.

　　"Hello~"

　　"......"

　　"Eh? Didn't you hear me? Um... Hey~ Can you hear me? A cute girl is calling you~"

　　"......"

　　"Don't call him, he won't talk to you. And it's better to talk to him less, he's a [bad boy]."

　　"[Bad boy]? What's wrong with you?"

　　"Well... I... I don't know either, but since the priest said so, it must be true!"

　　The child who was asked this question was obviously confused and shook his head to indicate that he didn't know.

　　"But he has been locked up here since I was brought back here by the priest, so he must be a very bad kid, so the priest has kept him locked up."

　　"Hey~ No matter what happens, there's no need to lock me up for so long, right?"

　　She didn't seem to understand. After all, how bad must a child be to be locked up forever?

　　"There's nothing we can do. Who made him unwilling to correct his mistakes? The priest said he would let him go if he reformed, but he refused to do so. The priest would chat with him every night."

　　"...chat?"

　　She shifted her gaze in astonishment and looked at him inside the house. The dim environment inside the house could not block her sight, so she could see the scars all over his body.

　　If we were just chatting, would this happen?

　　Bang Bang——

　　She knocked gently on the wooden board covering the window, trying to get his attention, but he remained unmoved and just huddled quietly aside as if he was asleep.

　　"Let's go, let's go. If you stay here too long, the priest will scold you."

　　"...Um."

　　She hesitated for a moment, but still smiled and left with the child.

　　After all, she was just passing by this city and saw that this place seemed to take good care of children, so she chose to rest here. But now it seems that there seems to be something wrong here...

　　"......"

　　She turned around and looked at the warehouse again. It was located in the backyard of the church, adjacent to the cemetery on one side. Almost no children would like to get close to here. Even during the day, there were only a few sounds of playfulness, which was completely different from the noise in the front yard. If it was night, it would probably be as silent as death, just like the cemetery on the other side of the wall.

　　And it is in such a place that a child lives... no, it should be said that a child is locked up. This is wrong no matter how you look at it, right?

　　The girl decided to come back and check again later.

　　"......"

　　Gone... How great!

　　Xi Wang thought so and fell into a drowsy sleep... Although it was difficult to escape in a dream, at least... it would be a little more comfortable.

　　only...

　　"Bang bang~"

　　It seemed like someone was knocking on the window board again.

　　"Hello~"

　　It seems like someone is saying hello.

　　"Bang bang~ Please pay attention to me~ Bang bang~"

　　This time I heard it. It was not someone knocking on the wooden board, but someone was deliberately imitating the sound of knocking on the wooden board.

　　Xiwang knew who it was, but didn't want to pay attention to her.

　　"Bang Bang~ Please, please~ How about talking to me? After all, I just arrived here and may need a reliable guide~"

　　"Bang bang~ a cute girl is knocking on your window~ Bang bang~"

　　"Come to think of it, have you been locked up here all this time? You don't look like a bad kid."

　　"Bang bang~ Does my doing this annoy you? If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your consent~"

　　Although there was no response to her, she continued to talk nonstop. She didn't feel bored or annoyed because Xi Wang ignored her. Her topics also stayed at a very subtle distance so as not to make people feel bored.

　　"Where were you before? I heard from others that all the children here were brought back by priests. I seem to be the only one who found my way here... So it seems that I am still very special!"

　　"Did you come here by yourself?"

　　Xiwang spoke for the first time.

　　"Oh! You finally paid attention to me. That's what I said. How could a girl as cute as me be disliked by others?"

　　She seemed very confident.

　　Xiwang raised his head slightly and looked at her through the remaining gap.

　　The brilliant sunshine outside shone on the tips of her pink hair, and her bright blue pupils carried a hint of strange pink. Just by glimpsing a corner, one could still tell that she must be a cute and lively girl. Just as she said herself, she was indeed a very cute girl.

　　I don't know if it's my illusion, but Xiwang always feels that she is glowing, which makes me subconsciously want to retreat... Maybe it's because the sunlight outside is too bright.

　　But there is also a yearning thought. After all, she is so eye-catching and so gorgeous... Maybe it's because the sunshine outside is too bright.

　　Xi Wang comforted himself, and the fantasies that subconsciously emerged were also dispelled by himself, returning to the cold reality before him.

　　"Hmm?"

　　The girl who noticed his gaze was a little surprised, and then a little confused, part of which was directed at him and part of which was directed at himself.

　　Especially his eyes that were as calm as water. She seemed to see a hint of gold emerging in his dark pupils, like stars twinkling in the night, giving her the illusion that she had found someone of her kind. However, all this was fleeting, like an illusion.

　　But she still remembered this vague feeling and was determined to think that he needed help.

　　So she spoke:

　　"What's wrong? Is there something wrong?"

　　"You'd better leave here as soon as possible."

　　That's all Xi Wang said in the end.

　　"Leave here and go somewhere further."

　　"But I just came here from far away... Isn't it a bad idea to just send me away like this?"

　　"......"

　　"Ahem... I know you didn't mean that. I was just joking just now. It's just a joke~"

　　"I know."

　　Xiwang's voice remained calm.

　　"But I'm not kidding."

　　He was serious about getting this girl out of here.

　　"This is not a good place to stay. Don't go to the police station here. Leave here and find a safe place farther away. If possible, find someone you know or trust and tell them that there are children here who need help."

　　He hadn't spoken such a long speech in a long time, so his words became a little discontinuous.

　　"…Um, I'm alone, ok?"

　　"I know."

　　Because people with kids won't come here.

　　"I'm pretty good too, huh?"

　　"Um."

　　Because ordinary children can't run far by themselves.

　　"So you believe that I came from far away alone, right?"

　　She suddenly became very excited.

　　?

　　The topic jumped so fast that Xiwang was a little confused.

　　"Let me tell you, the other kids didn't believe I came here alone. I told them in detail about the scenery in other places and what I encountered, but they just didn't believe me. The nuns were the same. Their attitudes were perfunctory. The priest was the same. It was obvious that he didn't take it to heart. It seemed that he was always thinking about something else."

　　"You know what? I once walked through a winter forest by myself! The white snowflakes spread on the ground like a pure white carpet, and the snow-covered forest seemed to be glowing under the sunlight! Hey... Although I almost got lost in the middle, I met a kind person who took me out in the end! His daughter is very cute! She is just a little bit different from me~"

　　"Another time, I found a huge flower field. It was huge. I thought there was no one there, so I played there for a long time. But I was caught by someone... Although they didn't make a fuss about it in the end, I still helped them take care of the flower field for a few days before leaving... I didn't want to stay there for too long!"

　　"Another time, I passed by a small town by the lake. The lake water there was like a mirror. At night, it could reflect the starry sky. I could even count the stars by looking at the lake! But I fell asleep halfway through counting that time... The people there were also very nice! Everyone was very welcoming and treated me to a special snack, which was a bit like a small biscuit with cream and jam on it. It was sweet and a little salty, but very delicious! But when I got there, the mayor was discussing something with someone. It seemed that he wanted to renovate the town..."

　　"And what else..."

　　......

　　She talked incessantly, describing the many landscapes she had seen, the people, events, and things she had met, and vividly describing her journey.

　　She is like a favorite of God. Everything and everyone she meets is beautiful. Even if she encounters difficulties, she will always be able to solve them in the end.

　　Honestly, telling a child who is "locked up" here about these things happening outside always feels like showing off, as if "Look, I can play outside, but you can only stay here~" as if I'm deliberately exposing someone's scars.

　　However, Xiwang felt that she might not have thought so much, but simply wanted to share what she had seen and heard along the way, sharing everything she had seen and heard with a "trapped child who had never gone out", just like she told everything she had seen and heard to the "child who had never left the church".

　　So Xi Wang did not interrupt her, but emphasized it to her again when she took a break:

　　"You should go now."

　　Whether she wanted to escape directly or rest in the church for a night, it was time for her to leave. She had stayed here long enough, and she must have said enough.

　　"Hey~ Are you going to chase people away after listening to their stories? That's too much~"

　　?

　　"But after thinking about it carefully, it seems that it is indeed time to go... Yeah, I'll come again next time~"

　　"I hope that next time we meet, I can see that you are not alone."

　　"......"

　　Outside the window, she blinked her eyes, and then they curved like a crescent moon, revealing obvious joy.

　　"As expected, you are not a [bad boy]~"

　　?

　　To be honest, Xiwang could hardly keep up with her thinking.

　　"Oh, oh, since we are about to say goodbye, could you please tell me your name? Please, please ~ so that I can find you next time ~"

　　"......"

　　"Bang Bang~ Please, please~ I will tell you my name too~ After all, we are friends~"

　　She deliberately imitated the sound of knocking on the wooden board and spoke in a light and joking tone.

　　'No, we are not friends yet, right? After all, we only talked for a while, and most of the time you were just talking to yourself.'

　　However, Xi Wang didn't care so much. He just hoped that she would leave quickly, whether to escape or to stay and rest for a night. Otherwise, when the priest came, it might not end well. After all, the [free activity] time was about to end.

　　"Xiwang, my name."

　　He said softly, then urged again.

　　"You should go now."

　　"[Hope] Ah... what an interesting name~"

　　She seemed to have thought of something interesting, and her tone of voice rose unconsciously. She also realized that the "Xiwang" he said and the "hope" she said were probably not the same word.

　　However, when she realized the environment he was in again, she couldn't laugh anymore.

　　"As for me, my name is Elysia, just call me Ely, don't forget me okay~"

　　Her voice gradually faded away. Judging from her position, she probably wanted to rest here for a night.

　　That's fine.

　　Xi Wang thought so, closed his eyes, and began to rest.

　　The night is coming, and... I'm afraid it will be as long as before.