4.2 Third Blue Star - Soul Domain

Evening.

Institute's Children's Dormitory.

Group 0373's Room.

The white room is covered in silence as the children inside were laying on their beds asleep. But in the middle of the night while everyone else is asleep, a small shadowy figure of a boy appeared beside Xie Ye's bed looking at him.

Xie Ye who was lying on his bed suddenly opened his eyes and pulled the person in front of him to his bed. Covering themselves with the blanket. Inside the blanket two boys looked at each other. Crimson and blue green orbs staring at each other. Both of them showed no hints of emotions on their faces, but their eyes and heart said otherwise.

The garnet orbs shows distrustful yearning mixed with confusion upon seeing the exquisite figure before him. Meanwhile, the orbs with the shade of the color of sky and forest showed bewildered yearning and disbelief in response. Both their heart beats were out of control, beating erratically. After such long silence Xie Ye opened his mouth about to speak only for a small hand cold to cover his lips.

A nasal sound couldn't help, but comes out from his nose but he immediately calms down his astonishment as he uses his special ability to read the mind of the little one in front of him. The small hands were then separated from his mouth.

Mind reading. This is one of Xie Ye's special abilities. An ability to read the mind of certain people whose mental strength is weaker than his or to those who intentionally let him enter their mental domain freely. In this case Gui Lan is the latter. Gui Lan as Transmigrator, his mental strength is above those of original residents of the world. Moreover, the main character's original soul had the strength of a heavenly being.

{I know what kind of abilities you have. I have the same kind of ability but different from yours. I can use Telepathy. I wish to use it on you so we could speak through our mind. Please blink once if you agree.} - Thoughts of Gui Lan which Xie Ye had read using his mind reading ability.

Xie Ye's eyes widened in surprise, but it only took a moment for him to accept it. He is not egoistic enough to believe that only he had such a special kind of ability. Just the fact that this institute is gathering children to do human experiments with regards to the human brain. He knew that he wasn't the only one in the world who had been born with a natural special ability.

He blinked his eyes once showing his agreement to Gui Lan's request. Gui Lan who saw the boy before him blink gestured once again to the boy to read his mind.

{Our foreheads need to touch once to build connection. Please don't reject the link or it will be bad for me. Don't worry my ability cannot hypnotize someone. It only allows me to create a link with someone else and make a connection for mental communication.}

A/n: Telepathy, the supposed communication of thoughts or ideas by means other than the known senses.

Xie Ye blinked once again to show his agreement. Gui Lan upon receiving permission could only reach out his small hands and held Xie Ye's cheeks keeping it from moving. Gui Lan gets closer and bumps his forehead on Xie Ye's with his eyes closed. Only Xie Ye's crimson eyes continue to stare at the delicate face which is an inch away from his. Xie Ye closed his eyes as he felt something in his mind.

------

Soul Domain.

Xie Ye opened his eyes in a space like place. The place is filled with darkness full of stars and below him is water which reflects the starry sky. The whole area is darkness if not for the stars that sparkles on the sky there will be nothing that could luminate the place. The place gives Xie Ye the feeling of desolation, untainted beauty and endless silence.

Moving around Xie Ye walked towards the center of the place where he saw a huge and tallest white tree. This tree's heights seem to touch the sky like a single white line that connects the earth and heaven. This scene seems mystical, but looks natural in his eyes. He looks around to look for the figure of the boy who pulled him in such a place.

As Xie Ye gets closer to the white tree, he sees a child figure sleeping at the hidden roots of the tree. Under the tree is a cumulus of clouds looking like a cushion as the child laid to sleep. But the appearance of the child is different from Gui Lan's original color of sea and forest. This child has the color of darkness. Deep obsidian silky hair. Even the features of this boy are levels ahead of his outside appearance. An otherworldly beauty as if he isn't a human being. His skin is like a white jade polished to perfection and his phoenix shaped eyes give a slight hint of seductiveness with a long feather like eyelashes which gives him a feeling of wanting to reach out to touch. His sleeping figure gives a way the same exquisiteness of an ice figure with a life like sculpture. Like how the glacier gives the feelings of purity and cruelty.

Letting his urge control his body, Xie Ye's hands reached out slowly to gently touch that smooth thin ice like cheeks as his fingers landed on, he could feel the warmth that signifies life of a living being.

Xie Ye murmurs, "It's warm." his low slightly childish voice echoes in that world of darkness. Then he moves his finger to play with those soft eyelashes like he is playing with feather strands. Soft but firm.

And as if hearing him the sleeping figure before him languidly opened his eyes. Revealing the color of the deep blue sea whose horizon is endless.

Xie Ye's eyes widened, but it wasn't of shock but because of the sudden feelings of attraction and yearning. He could feel his heart beating out of his control. As their eyes met, a spark that numb his body was felt all over. He almost couldn't stop himself from pulling the boy into his embrace. He instantly retracted his outreached hand and took two steps backwards as he averted his eyes from those sapphire eyes and then he heard a mellow but playful voice.

Gui Lan spoke, "Hehe. You're able to enter my soul domain. Amazing~." there's a hint of laziness in his tone. He sat up as he observed the boy with orbs with the shades of glittering galaxies within those endless darkness.

The voice is something he never heard before but it leaves him the feeling of familiarity. It is not Gui Lan's voice but his way of speaking is the same as that of Gui Lan from the cafeteria. Feeling estranged, Xie Ye moves his head to look at that figure only to see him smiling. His smile seems sweeter than honey and within those celestial blue eyes were emotions of yearning and passionate love. Seeing this Xie Ye's heart almost leaped out of his chest. Unbearable, making him breathless.

"Why... Why is your appearance... Different from before?" asked Xie Ye.

Xie Ye saw Gui Lan suddenly raise his eyebrows as if slightly startled then he heard him giggles as if he heard something funny.

"Hm? Hehehe~ it seems you haven't seen your appearance yourself." replied Gui Lan.

With a wave of his hands, ripples appeared under their feet. A mirror like reflection on clear water appeared before Xie Ye. Then he saw his current appearance. Looking at his face he could see that it was different from his original appearance. Dark obsidian hair and irises with gallant dark eyes whose depths show horizons of endless galaxies.

Xie Ye was astonished upon seeing his current appearance.

"This... is!?" said Xie Ye in shock.

Gui Lan stood up from where he is and walked towards Xie Ye. The water mirror drops as Xie Ye finishes looking at his face.

Gui Lan could only give him an explanation.

"This is a soul domain. My soul domain. Inside of this place only someone's soul is able to enter. Your current appearance is the original features of your soul. It is different from what is outside. As the body is an embodiment of mixed genes from our predecessors. In layman's terms our parents." explained Gui Lan.

Xie Ye, "Why did you pull me in this place? I thought you only needed to create a link in our minds." his face remained calm as if nothing could move him.

If Gui Lan didn't see the turmoil within those black eyes, he would have thought this person really doesn't care for him. Deep within those eyes were chaos of emotions. Bewilderment, distrust and yearning. He ignored all those and held the left hand of the latter. He continues to speak as he moves his fingers with movements of tying something. Xie Ye despite his confusion allowed Gui Lan to do whatever he wanted. He could understand the meaning of his emotions yet but he unconsciously let the person before him do whatever he wanted to him. Leaving his cautious and distrustful nature to be left in silence.

"Okay I'm done." said Gui Lan as he finished what he wanted to do.

Xie Ye lifted his left hand only to see his little pinky tied up with a red gold string. The other side of the string is connected to Gui Lan's right little pinky. He then saw Gui Lan raise his right hand for him to see.

Gui Lan, "This is the link I've made. As long as you speak in your mind I should be able to hear it. There is no limit of distance but... It will depend on me whether I want to reply or not. By the way..."

Before Xie Ye could lift his head to look at Gui Lan he suddenly felt a force pulling him out of the space. In his last moments of consciousness he heard Gui Lan's voice lingering in his ears.

"I am not the one who pulled you here. You've entered on your own without me knowing. Only a part of your soul is awake but... your obsession still exists. Heh~"

Xie Ye was suddenly engulfs with darkness. With slight dizziness in his head, he groggily opened his eyes to see no one in front of him. Gui Lan who is supposed to lain beside him suddenly disappeared. He felt his heart sink as he sat up listlessly looking around for Gui Lan's figure. He finally feels what fear is like. His eyes were swimming around as he could even hear the loud beats of his heart. When he thought that his control is about to awry from madness he heard Gui Lan's voice. In front of him Gui Lan shadow's towers him while the person itself stood in front of him holding a glass of water in his hand.

Gui Lan could see the cold sweat on Xie Ye's face. Seeing his current expression made him feel a bit guilty. He was intending to wait for him to wake up but he got thirsty. It usually takes time to come out from a soul domain especially if the space isn't your own. Seeing Xie Ye ashen face he felt worried that the latter might have experienced some backlash when he pushed him out of his soul domain.

Putting the glass of water at the side table Gui Lan took out a clean handkerchief from the inventory space to wipe Xie Ye's sweat gently. Even when his system is not around, Gui Lan is still able to use the System Mall. After exchanging 3 redeeming ticket for a red string of fate, he now only has 4 tickets for redemption. He took the clean handkerchief from his personal items stored in the system's inventory.

Gui Lan asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Xie Ye's chaotic emotions subsided upon seeing Gui Lan's worried expression. Seeing this Xie Ye feels what care and kindness are for the first time. He held the slender wrist which could be broken with slight strength. The pulse that lingers in his fingertips made him feel the life of another. He could imagine the endless flow of blood that just took one hard bite on such a pale wrist but by doing so he will lose this precious living thing in his hands. He didn't wish to lose it and he could only control the madness in his mind. He let go of the other's wrist and could see the traces of his grip on such a pale skin.

And then he looks at Gui Lan with tenderness he never expected to come from him.

Xie Ye spoke, "Had a nightmare. I'm afraid. Can you... hug me in my sleep Lan'er?"

Silence ascends between them but Xie Ye's silvery orbs never leave the figure of Gui Lan before him. He didn't speak at all but waited for the latter to speak. There's no impatience in his eyes as if he could wait for eternity for the one before him.

Seeing the childishness on his beloved's face, Gui Lan chose to spoil the other like he had always done before. He is willing to indulge to his every request no matter how weird it was. As long he would stay by his side.

Gui Lan showed a helpless but doting smile while staring at the person before him. In this world he met his man too soon. It is usually his beloved who caters to his every whims now he is willing to pamper this young husband of his to every single request.

"Okay." replied Gui Lan as he laid on the bed with Xie Ye in his embrace.

The child wraps his arms around the other's body, seemingly afraid he would disappear all of the sudden. Gui Lan could only hug the child back and pat his back gently. Soothing the child to sleep as he hums a lullaby to his ears.

The humming of his precious person is calming. As if his heart strings were tranquilized Xie Ye's eyelids slowly close while the scent of Sweet Peppermint enters his nose soothing his mind. Then before he falls in complete slumber he heard an alluring voice lingering in his ears saying,

"Sleep my love."

------

A moment before Xie Ye entered Gui Lan's Soul Domain.

Seating at that soft cotton like clouds under the tall tree. Gui Lan was deep in his thinking that he didn't even notice himself muttering his thoughts aloud instead.

"I was hasty just now. Just because Yue isn't around for me to ask whether this child is my husband in this world, I didn't think twice before taking control of his consciousness. Should I pull him over in my soul domain? But I never like strangers entering my domain, it makes me feel dirtied. If it's my husband's soul then it wouldn't matter but... If that child's soul isn't A'Xia I might not be able to hold back the urge to eliminate it. Shit! I've never been this irrational in my life. Fuck! Does loving someone lower one's IQ!?"

After throwing tantrums here and there Gui Lan finally gets tired of it and lays on the soft mattress like thing under him.

Gui Lan upon pulling Xie Ye's consciousness out of his body, he didn't let the latter enter his soul domain right away. After all a soul domain is someone's most inner part of his soul any damage done in this domain is inflicted upon his soul. An injured soul can cause weakness in the vessel to appear like being overly sick or detrimental in the mind.

"Tsk! Forget it, I'll take a nap first." unable to make his decision Gui Lan first thought of ignoring it. After all there is no concept of time within the soul domain.

After he fell asleep he was suddenly awakened by someone's touch landing on his cheeks. Obviously it's a finger just rage almost blew up until familiar gentle but teasing caress on his eyelashes was felt. In his life there is only one person who likes to play with his eyelashes while he sleeps. It was only that person. The man he gave his everything to. He slowly opened his eyes controlling his excitement and expectations. As the blurriness in his eyes dispersed, what welcomed him were those similar looking features, especially those gorgeous obsidian orbs filled with stars and countless galaxies. Even without his system's remarks, he is sure that this child's soul before him is that person's soul.

Knowing this, Gui Lan's emotions surge with uncontrollable yearning and satisfaction.

'Found you, My Love.' Thoughts of Gui Lan behind his sweet but enchanting smile.