On the edge of the cliff overlooking an ethereal valley, stood a girl in a white dress. Her bangs were swept by the wind, her long hair flying behind her.
As her dress flowed with the breeze, her eyes were sharp. Her childlike features seemed to harden, implying that she was not one to be messed with.
It was… Lilly?!
Alban stared at Lilly with unblinking eyes. He was shocked by what he saw.
The mirror she was holding let out a blinding beam of golden light, as though all the light in the world was absorbed into it. Then, suddenly, the light vanished.
Lilly was gone too!
Alban was dumbfounded. He looked at the now empty cliffside, trying to come back to his senses.
He was completely stunned by the power of the golden light, and it paralyzed his whole body.
He used up all of his strength, but he still could not move.
At this time, he saw a small ray of light refracting on the cliff. What could it be…?
Alban gritted his teeth with all his might and craned his neck. And finally he could make up what the object was – the mirror!
**
Lilly was enveloped by the golden light. Everything around her seemed to weave like the very fabric of time itself, shuttling her through the void of space. When the soles of her feet finally felt the surface of the ground again, she felt the cold of the ice pond.
This time round, she followed her instincts. She took a deep breath and stepped into the golden light. A few seconds later, she appeared back in the Ghost Town Palace, in her own bedroom!
“So this is what it’s like!” Lilly exclaims with pride. Her sense of accomplishment was even greater than the first time she caught the Evil Ghosts!
In one go, she successfully learned how to use the “elevator” to teleport. And now, without having to even take a single step, she’s back in her parents’ bedroom.
Stephen was still lying on his chair, while Jean was on the mattress.
They were still dead asleep!
“Mr. Tortoise, how long have I been gone for?” Lilly asked.
“…”
Mr. Tortoise had just finished his grassy meal. He was too full to answer.
He tried very hard to express his response, so he spit out the last bits of grass from his mouth.
“Oh, you just had some grass?” She replied.
She remembers that when she was just about to leave, Mr. Tortoise was making his way outside, crawling to find his next meal.
If she was to calculate the difference in the time of the day, Lilly was gone for half a day.
Lilly thought to herself, and took out an hourglass from the “Treasure Chest” from the Palace of the Ruler of Hell, and put it on the table.
“Goodbye Mr. Tortoise, I’m leaving now!” She told her four-legged companion.
Lilly was just as excited as a child that just learned how to drive an airplane. She stepped into the golden light again with much excitement. One second, she was in her own bedroom, and the next, she was back on the edge of the cliff. And this time, she changed the rules of the golden energy.
In other words, she has completed the construction of the “elevator” between the Palace and the World Mirror!
Besides, the location of the World Mirror isn’t restricted. So, it means that as long as it is in the Crawford house, she can always take the elevator back home.
If it was in Uncle Anthony’s office, she can teleport there anytime.
How amazing would that be!
Lilly felt like she had just completed a big project, that she was going to explode in happiness. All she wanted to do was to share her accomplishment with someone.
And at that moment, she realized that her perception had become sharper. She could grasp inexplicable auras around her with a touch of her fingers.
Without hesitation, she flew up leaps and bounds onto another level!
The “sweet father’s daughter” that she once was, the one that held her back before, might have been only as strong as any opponent, or even just a bit weaker.
But now, she was sure that she’s able to slap her opponents into the air with just one palm. The sheer difference is just too great.
All of a sudden, Lilly turned her head around and cried out, “Who is it?!”
Alban was still standing frozen in his place. If he had not been suffocated by the power of the golden light, Lilly would have realized that he was there much earlier.
He looked a little familiar to Lilly, but she could not quite make up who he was. “World Mirror, who is he?” She asked quietly.
“Alban Knox, 15-years old. Currently living in Malie City. Life expectancy: 18 years.” The World Mirror responded monotonously.
That is one seriously powerful mirror.
It’s not just a teleportation device, it’s also an encyclopedia.
It’s just too useful!
Only then, Lilly recognized him. He was an “old friend” from Malie City. No wonder he seemed so familiar.
So what if Alban saw Lilly? It’s not like it was a big deal.
He saw the World Mirror, but he could never have it. That oughta make him mad.
Lilly wasn’t the kind of person to kill someone just to keep a secret, and besides, it wasn’t like the secret of the World Mirror would ever warrant her doing something like murder.
She proudly raised her chin, and reached her hand into the void.
A golden light reappeared. She held the mirror in front of her, and vanished in a blink of an eye.
Alban winced his eyes, and after a while, he was finally freed from the hold of the golden light’s power. He could finally move his fingers.
He clenched his jaw, took a breath, and climbed up the edge of the cliff.
He stood on the ground where Lilly vanished in amazement. For the longest time, he looked down on her. He hated how well-off her family was.
But now, he was having a change of heart.
He doesn’t worship money, Alban thought to himself. He hated all the money in the world.
However, he does worship the strong…
