Chapter 575 – Parting Ways…?

As I opened the door to the cabin my mother and father were staying in, I found it deserted. It was completely empty, and the only traces of someone ever living there were the used cookware. 

Frowning, I walked over to the table where the letter was left, and picked it up and read it.

Dear Kai Kai.

If you are reading this, then chances are your mother and I have already departed. Do not come searching for us. Where we went is a very dangerous place, and with your current understanding of Chaos, you cannot enter. Furthermore, to prevent you from trying to track us down and following us, your mother and I have decided to set a lock in place below this cabin. The key lies with you and Xuan Yu, working together. When the two of you have truly bonded and the powers of Chaos and Order within you have grown to unison, will be when you can come searching for us once more.

I apologize for not letting you know about this in-person, and hiding it from you in the first place. Please understand this is something your mother and I only found out about recently while you were away, and totally not just us wanting a vacation (though, to be fair, we do want one).

When you are ready, come seek us out. There, you shall continue the path of unraveling the mystery behind Chaos and Order, and the universe itself.

Your mother and I want answers, Kai Kai. We’ve always been like this. You’ve proven yourself to be trustworthy enough to be left alone, and although we realize this is very irresponsible of us, it is something we have to do.

You see, your power of Chaos and Xuan Yu’s power of Order are both born out of desire. Your ability awakened as a result of wanting to protect someone else. Xuan Yu’s ability awakened as a result of wanting to search for you. Without an ongoing ‘desire’, your powers cannot truly manifest. And right now, you’ve fulfilled your desire of finding your mother and I, and your sister has fulfilled her desire of meeting you in person. The two of you need something else to keep propelling you forward—and this will conveniently do just that.

Your mother and I have faith in the two of you, Kai Kai. We will meet again soon. Please pass this message onto your sister when you get the chance.

Love,

Mom & Dad

“…”

Slowly, I set the sheet of paper back down on the table. I won’t lie, this sounded like a whole bunch of utter bullshit. However, if even my mother went along with it… there had to be some credibility here. I recognized the signature at the bottom here to be both mother and father’s handwriting.

In all honesty, most of this letter was probably BS. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about it. After some digging, I discovered a hidden room beneath the carpet on the floor, and entered through the trapdoor.

Sure enough, down below was a chamber with a single double-door in it, leading somewhere. One half of it was dark red and emitting black and scarlet energy, while the other half was dark blue and emitting bright blue energy. Needless to say, it was two sides of the same coin: Chaos and Order.

At the center of the two halves of the door, a key slot lay. I had no idea how to find the key for it, or how Xuan Yu and I ‘getting closer’ would result in a key. But either way, there once again was nothing I could do about it now.

With a sigh, I returned back down below to the private beach, out of options. Was I mad? Not really. I was already happy just to be able to meet them again. Besides, I had a family of my own now. It’s not like I was going to be lonely without them here. Just knowing they are still alive and well is enough for me.

But on the other hand… it would be a lie if I said I didn’t want them here. Why not, right? We’ve been apart from one another for so long. Yet here they go, just wandering off again without any prior notice.

Whatever it is they had to do, though, I’m sure it was important. Although my father joked about it in the letter, the two of them weren’t the type to simply leave out of this for a ‘vacation’. On that, I was certain.

Just as I entered the inn on the private beach, however, I spotted Ling Xin there, sitting around the teapoy along with all the other girls, who were anxious for answers.

“… Oh, there you are, Xuan Kai,” she said upon seeing me. “Good timing. Come take a seat.”

Silently, I did as told, and sat down between Qing Yue and Lorelei, who, by the way, was in her human form right now. Once I did, Ling Xin, directly across from all of us, spoke.

“… Alright. The final guidelines and rules for the Counterhex Academy have been determined, along with the suitable candidates list. I have good news and bad news. Which do you all want to hear first?”

“Bad news first,” I immediately proposed. “Get it out of the way.”

The girls all nodded in agreement, and Ling Xin sighed.

“… Very well. The bad news is… not all of you were selected as suitable candidates for the academy. Most of you were, but Obsidia, Yu An Yan, Lan Xiao Su, Qing Yue, Mei Gui, Bai He, and Amane were not chosen.”

“… I see,” Yu An Yan muttered, head lowered. “And the good news?”

“The good news is that although you weren’t selected on the main list, you can still be part of the academy—just as a support force instead. I’m not allowed to reveal any more details right now, but I just know I have full faith all of you will be able to enter the academy together.”

The girls, naturally, were confused at these contradictory lines, but none of them spoke out against it.

“The exam is happening tomorrow morning,” Ling Xin finished. “There’s nothing to study for.. Just use your intuition—that’s all.”