Till Death Do A Spark

[Ch-6] Present.

Lei

I've been in this weird house of Sai's for a few days now. Or at least, I think it's been a few days. Time here is odd. What feels like two hours here translates close to 4 or 5 days down there apparently, back where I used to live when I was alive.

In the past few 'days', I've come to know about alot of new information from Sai. And ofcourse, also Yuxuan. Somehow, Sai has a better way of explaining things than Yuxuan, so I mostly pay attention to what she says instead of what he says.

It's another one of those 'days' when Sai, Yuxuan, and I are meant to have our usual discussions, though I can't be sure of the time— there's no real way to tell here. I settle into my seat at Sai's dining table, ready for whatever's ahead. We've been staying at her place for a while now, and oddly enough, it doesn't feel strange. Part of me wonders if Sai cast some kind of spell over us. It seems absurd, but the very thought only deepens my suspicion.

As I sit there, the scent of caramel fills the room, just as it always does. The air is constantly thick with that sweet aroma, and I can't help but wonder if it's some kind of witchcraft. After all, Sai is a witch. The smell only adds to the extravagant surroundings of the room, because every single thing present there seems immensely expensive.

The faint sound of footsteps can be heard behind me, and I turn around to look at Sai and Yuxuan. Both of them seem to be trying to hold their laughter and I only tilt my head, confused. When I ask them, they shrug it off and say, "It's nothing you should concern yourself with."

They both sit down across from me, facing me directly. For some reason, it stirs a sense of frustration in me, maybe even a bit of loneliness. But what truly matters is concentrating on repairing this place where those poor fish-like creatures are suffering, I remind myself.

I break away from whatever little trance I was in, once I hear "Hey, Lei?"

I turn my head towards Sai, who’s now leaning forward with her elbow on the table, resting her cheek in her hand. Her eyes are distant, focused on something unseen. "Mhm?" I murmur, trying to catch her attention.

"What do you think of my theory? Any thoughts on how we could make it better?" she asks, her gaze falling on me.

I think she's referring to that theory she came up with not too long ago—though it feels like it might've been a whole day ago for me. She proposed that we work as a team but follow our own expertise and perspectives, while still planning everything together. The idea was to carry out the tasks we all agreed on. "Yesterday," we already went over that. I'm supposed to keep watch while they handle the main tasks, which I've already forgotten. My role is to keep an eye out for any external threats, especially since I was the one who spotted those strange, tall, black, human-like figures "days" ago. I’m fine with that, really—I prefer avoiding anything more complicated than that.

I reply after giving it a little more thought. "What did you say again that moment? What were you guys gonna do?" I finally end up asking.

Yuxuan lazily leans back in his chair, scratching the back of his head and gazing up at the ceiling. He seems almost indifferent to the situation. "It's simple," he says. "I'm going to try transferring us to another dimension. Something she isn't capable of doing, for some reason. In the middle of that, Sai will interrupt the process and create a tear or hole in the dimension, something I'm not capable of doing. Once that tear is there, we'll be able to move in and out of the dimension freely."

"We need to move quickly, or something unexpected— or worse, unwelcome— could slip into our dimension. That would definitely cause trouble," Sai adds as she straightens up. I only nod in response.

I already want this conversation to end. I haven't gotten any sleep these few days, though I didn't even think unalive creatures would need sleep. But since I feel tired, I just want to go sleep.

My "days" here usually go like this:
talk, go out, get back in, walk around, explore, sit silently, read a book, etc. . Sai has a whole library in her house, which is not surprising, just like how nothing else is. The surroundings are so surreal. And still, it isn't too surprising. She has definitely spelled us so as to make us comfortable living here. Plus for trusting her, probably. It's just a guess though.

My attention shifts, and I spot the mark on Sai's neck— a snake-like imprint, coiled around and biting its own tail. She clearly notices my gaze, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. I quickly look away and meet Yuxuan’s eyes, which are fixed on me. Glancing back at Sai, I wait for an explanation.

"That, um." she pauses, shifting slightly again. "It signifies infinity. A snake biting its own tail is known as the Ouroboros. The Ouroboros is a symbol of infinity. Its circular shape, with the snake consuming its own tail, represents the idea of something without end, encompassing the infinite cycle of life, time, and existence."

It intrigues me. The symbol’s representation of infinity and eternal cycles resonates with the sense of timelessness and strange duration we’ve been experiencing here. It makes me wonder if there’s a deeper connection or meaning related to our situation, as if the mark itself is hinting at something profound about our journey or the nature of this place. So I ask, "Does everyone on this land— or rather, here underwater, have this mark ? Is that why there's no way to tell time ?"

"No, no. That's a whole different thing." this time, Yuxuan speaks. "I've been here before, so I can tell you it’s not the case. And no, not everyone has that symbol." I look at him, waiting for more explanation.