Immortal Ascension Tower - Book 1: Reborn! [CH 1 - 75]

Chapter 66 - An Empty Name

A sleeping child laid on a bed covered by plain white sheets. He looked really handsome, with long, straight black hair, a small, pointy nose and a small mouth. The boy was sweating profusely, as if he was having nightmares.

A girl was kneeling beside the bed: she had red skin, beautiful crimson hair and scarlet eyes filled with concern. Hidden behind that concern tough, was great pain, grief and... coldness. It was as if her heart had been frozen and was encased in ice.

"Aaaah!" The boy suddenly jerked awake. He panted for a bit before calming down, he brought one of his hands to his face as if to assure himself that it was still there.

The girl's eyes lit up and she immediately grabbed his other hand "Are you alright? What happened, why were you scared?" The boy was about to retract his hand when he saw the girl's expression. The boy could see that behind her mask of concern, her eyes were filled with sadness... And grief.

The boy tilted his head "Why are you so sad, miss?" He asked.

The woman flinched and then her face darkened. The girl shook her head "It is nothing, you don't need to worry about it. It will pass soon..." although she said that, it could be seen from her expression that something important was indeed bothering her.

The boy pondered for a while then his eyes lit up "If you smile happily while you are sad, you will get better!" he grinned himself "Try it, miss!"

The girl gaped for a while but then smiled bitterly. "Like... this?" She asked as her fake smile trembled.

The boy examined her face and frowned, then he shook his head. He turned, giving his back to the girl. She tilted her head in confusion and, just when she was about to call out to him, the boy turned.

"Booo!" His eyes were crossed as he looked down at his nose, his tongue sticked out of his mouth and he was pinching his cheeks, resembling a meat bun.

Overall, his appearance was pretty funny and, the girl, took by surprise, stared in disbelief before bursting out with laughter "Pffff... Ahahah!" She kept laughing for a full minute while the boy looked at her, mesmerized.

"Not fair, you took me by surprise!" She pouted when she finally managed to calm down.

The boy didn't respond and suddenly seemed to snap awake from a dream. He then sighed and spoke "Wow, miss, you are so beautiful when you laugh!"

The girl blushed and she felt something that she had not felt for a long time: happiness and... peacefulness. Her trembling heart, troubled by the death of her mother seemed to have calmed down, as if someone had cuddled it and sent it to sleep.

She stared at the boy gaping and then smiled warmly as she asked "Child... Do you remember anything? Like, where are you from or what is your name?"

The boy opened his mouth as if he was about to speak, then his previous cheerful attitude changed as confusion took its place. He opened and closed his mouth numerous times, but no sound came out.

He looked down at his hands and he could see that they were trembling "Nothing... There's... Nothing..."

He looked up to the girl, his eyes growing red and tears welling up. Suddenly, his eyes began glowing golden from their previous blue hue "Miss, I'm scared! The darkness! Everything is dark!" He grabbed his head and then began to yell as two golden beams came out of his eyes "Aaah! No! The void, it is coming! The Mountain! The Mountain! It is cracking! It is going to crumble!"

The boy trembled as what seemed to be a golden mist seeped out from his gaping mouth and then dissolved into the air.

The girl was shocked by what happened and was cursing herself in her mind for asking that question "Child, calm down..." she caressed the child's head and then hugged him tight.