[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 321: Xion In Wonderland

"Can he make it out alive? What if he failed again?"

The voice echoed softly with uncertainty. Yet it was oddly familiar. Xion could more or less recognize it as... his own?

But his lips were definitely closed. Was he hallucinating?

Before he could make sense of it, another voice trickled into his awareness. It was feminine, warm, and soothing like lullabies whispered in candlelit temples.

"He will," the woman said, clearly smiling. "He is one of my favorites for a reason."

Cool, comforting fingers combed through his hair.

It didn’t take Xion long to realize he was sleeping on the same plush couch as he had years ago.

His head was resting on Myrthia’s lap. Trying to get rid of the haziness that made his limbs float, he focused on the voices once again.

"He’s stubborn, yes. Yet so very sweet," the goddess added playfully. "Don’t you already know that?"

Xion wanted to scoff. Am I stubborn? Since when? And I am not that sweet either. Darius is.

Either the woman could hear his thoughts, or the one she was speaking to felt likewise. Soon the other voice, a childish one this time, snorted.

"He isn’t stubborn, he is simply not meant to be human."

Xion, "..." I am happy to be human, thank you very much!

"And sweet? Ha! Wait till he learns I got him killed. He’ll probably strangle me before I can explain."

What? Xion’s brow twitched. He needed to open his eyes right that instant!

He had questions. And somehow throttling a talking cat had firmly made its way on his to-do list.

But... maybe he’d just scare the creature a bit instead? After all, if it weren’t for that incident, he might never have met Darius.

The goddess laughed, her fingers never stopping their tender path through his messy hair.

"He’s most likely going to forgive you."

"How can you be so sure, Mother?" the cat asked, this time the voice was tinged with guilt.

"Because Xion is an open book. It is fairly easy to read him and..." she began, then paused, as if choosing her next words carefully.

"And?" frёewebηovel.cѳm

"And?" two voices, one of little Xion and one of that cat, urged at the same time, sounding almost impatient.

"And... Xion is the one who asked you to approach him in the first place," she said.

Lies! Xion wanted to retort. He never invited a wild, talking cat into his life.

"He can’t see now." Cat’s voice dropped to a whisper.

The silence that bloomed after that was not comforting anymore.

Xion shifted his head slightly, trying to orient himself toward the voice. His lashes finally managed to open.

What he saw was a world full of soft blurry color and shifting light. As he squinted, the shapes became clearer.

"Awake sweetheart?"

The Goddess had called him ’sweetheart’ before too. He had come to like this nickname, though more credit went to Darius rather than Myrthia.

"Hmm," Xion mumbled, nuzzling against the palm like a kitten trying to get more head pats.

The goddess smiled at his actions. A golden chocolate hue of her skin glistened under the ambient light, and her hazel eyes held centuries of knowing.

Her black hair, so similar to Xion’s, cascaded like silk ink over her shoulders glowing with warmth. She looked as divine as ever.

Just beyond Myrthia’s side, seated cross-legged on a cushion, was a boy who looked exactly like Xion had five years ago.

Black hair, pale skin, and those same blue eyes.

Maybe because he was a soul now. Little Xion hadn’t grown at all since they last met.

The child waved shyly at him and Xion responded with a smile.

"Hey, Xion, are you alright?" a small black cat perched on Myrthia’s shoulder asked. Its wide amber eyes peered up at him with a mix of regret and hope.

Ah. So it was really a talking furry cat.

Xion felt his lips twitching despite the annoyance that came with the ache thrumming in his left eye.

"You killed me," he said plainly, ripping through any pretense like fragile paper mercilessly.

It was comical really, how those slit amber eyes widened as the little kitty heard those accusing words.

Then the black fur bristled like a sea urchin, "You asked me to do that! How was I supposed to know you were foolish enough to jump into the pit?!"

Instead of getting angry, Xion laughed. The warm hand made the ache in his head vanish, and he felt his breathing ease.

"Why would I ask such a stupid cat to approach me, mother?"

Xion stared at Myrthia who smiled at him indulgently. "Maybe you wanted to remind yourself of something?"

"Something so important that I put my life in this cat’s paws?"

This time little Xion who had been silent all along laughed along with Myrthia.

Although it was weird to see his smaller version laughing so happily, Xion found the situation amusing nonetheless.

Especially when the cat’s bulging eyes became even rounder in anger.

"You!" The poor cat snapped. "You asked and I quote your words, ’Please remind me to protect Zen,’ and I was going to do exactly that. How would I know that you would slip?"

"...Zen," he murmured aloud.

The moment the name left his lips, something strange happened.

A heavy thud resounded within his chest.

It wasn’t pain, no. It was recognition.

As if his heart itself had been waiting to hear that name, like it had been sealed away somewhere in his bones, and now it stirred restlessly, aching for something long forgotten.

"Zen...Zen," he repeated, slower this time.

Why did it feel so achingly familiar?

The arrival of his blindness had brought him the same feeling. However, he still couldn’t digest if it was good or bad.

His delicate brows furrowed, but there was no answer. "Who is Zen?" he finally asked aloud.

The cat froze mid-lick and lifted its head. Its amber eyes blinked slowly.

"I... don’t know," the cat admitted, tail curling nervously. "That name feels odd to me too. I’ve heard it. Or maybe... dreamed it?"

Even without noticing how it avoided directly looking back at him, Xion could tell that cat was lying.

He tilted his gaze to look at little Xion who also shook his head in denial.

In the end, Xion could only ask the person who knew everything. "Mother, who is Zen?"

Instead of replying, Myrthia amusingly tapped his forehead. "It’s time to wake up."

His eyes widened, "Wait! At least, tell me if I can get my eyes back or not!"

However, it was already too late. That single touch held the weight of galaxies in it.

Myrthia was already pulling away from his fingers, her form blurring like watercolor in the rain.

The golden space around him wrapped and twisted. The wind whispered in reverse, and the cat let out a startled meow.

Just like that the light fell away and he plunged deeper into the waiting darkness.

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