Seven Chances

Chapter 7: Revelations - Part 2

"A-Li..." Madam Lang began softly and sadly. "To me, you're as good as one of my own, biological children, but... you're adopted."

"I actually sort of remember," Lang Qingli spoke up. "Since I was... four, right?"

"That's right," Madam Lang confirmed. "You were once Huangfu Qingli, the daughter of the Huangfu clan. Your parents died in a battle against Kunmeng's forces, while the rest of the Huangfu clan died out as a result of a curse. The same one that you have."

Great! I'm cursed, Lang Qingli sighed sarcastically. "I... have a curse? What will happen to me?"

Guo Yu stepped up, his brown eyes shining with sadness.

"Lang-xiaojie, I presume that you remember the time when something similar happened to you, when you were seven. It appeared that you entered a strange, unconscious state after your confrontation with Miao Suqing-guniang. According to what you told the healers at Qianyang College, you felt like you were watching Miao-guniang, but it felt like you weren't really there since no one noticed you. Afterwards, they deduced that you have a curse known as the Seven-Strike Death."

Judging by the name, Lang Qingli was more than certain that it was not a pleasant condition. "Guo-dafu, what are the effects of the curse?"

"Think of your soul as a line or rope of some sort," Guo Yu explained. "Each time you build up a positive relationship, be it platonic or romantic, with someone, they create a sort of divergent path from the 'line' that is your soul, and as you get closer with each other, that 'divergent path' becomes stronger. However, if a friend betrays you or turns out not to care about you, or if a crush or romantic relationship ends up with broken hearts, that divergent path disappears, along with a small amount of the 'line' that is your own soul. Once it happens seven times... I'm afraid it'll be too late."

Her heart in her throat, Lang Qingli slowly lifted her head to meet the brown eyes of Guo Yu. "Guo-dafu... what do you mean by 'too late'?"

It wasn't Guo Yu who answered; Madam Lang was the one who confirmed the question. "After seven fake friendships or sad endings, your soul will be torn out of your body, ripped into seven pieces. Each piece will be forced to stay in the life of one of those people who betrayed you, watching them as they continue their life. Even the Soul Wanderers won't be able to reach you; that's how severe the degree of damage done to your soul is."

"So... I'm assuming that I have five more before that happens, after Wang Xiaofei and Miao Suqing?"

"Correct."

"Guo-dafu, one more question. Is there any way to reverse the damage?" Lang Qingli asked anxiously.

Guo Yu sighed. "I'm sorry, Lang-xiaojie. There is no known strategy to heal the damage."

Lang Qingli nodded her head, feeling numb with shock. "Thank you, Guo-dafu. Am I... am I free to go?"

"Yes, you may do so."

* . °•★|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° .*

The next few days passed in a blurred flash for Lang Qingli. She was only just functioning properly, and her actions were only semi-conscious. Onn the fifth day of this Lang Qingli made a request to her mother to take Qianyang College's year-skipping exam. She needed a break from all of the drama going on at school, for school wouldn't end until the seventh month, plus she wanted to get used to her newly-discovered (at least to herself) condition.

Lang Qingli spent the next couple days studying and preparing for her exam. Surprisingly cool and level-headed about it (probably due to her fiery desire to pass the exam and take a break), Lang Qingli passed the test smoothly, proceeding to withdraw from Qianyang College for the year immediately.