"That was three years ago at night. The downpour lasted for about a week. I was worried that the wall outside the courtyard would collapse, so I took a walk outside in the rain. That's when I stumbled upon Bexia lying on the ground at the church entrance."
"Speaking of which, Bexia was completely naked at that time, as if he had been stripped by robbers. When I saw him like that, I brought him into the church. Since he had lost his memory and couldn't remember anything from before, I let him stay here temporarily!"
"Oh! Was there anything unusual about him back then?" Long Momo asked.
"Why are you asking these questions?" Sister Laxi tidied up the bedding, stood up, and straightened her apron.
"Just curious!"
"Well, there was something unusual..."
"What was it?" Long Momo seemed very interested and asked immediately.
"Why should I tell you?" Sister Laxi turned around, smiled, and said, "...Dragon Goddess!"
"You...!" Long Momo choked on her words for a moment. She realized that it was unnecessary for the two of them to argue, and it was already quite remarkable that they could talk calmly here.
"I guess you don't know anything, otherwise you wouldn't be so calm now!" Long Momo smirked and said, "...Dragon Witch...!"
Their eyes locked in a gaze for a long time under the flickering dim lights. One pair of golden pupils met with another pair of dark and deep ones.
"I advise you not to have any bad ideas. Bexia is mine now!"
"Heh heh!" Laxi sneered and said, "I really wonder what you see in him. Are you planning to use him for the Dragon God ceremony?"
"Well, come to think of it, if you can't pass the test set by your parents, you probably won't be yourself anymore in the future!" Laxi looked meaningfully at Long Momo.
"It's none of your business, you traitor!"
"Traitor, huh..." Laxi seemed to be contemplating something. Then she showed a smile, whether it was mocking Long Momo or self-mockery, it was unclear.
"A traitor is still better than dead. You know nothing at all. What right do you have to judge me?"
"And you're also using Bexia, aren't you? Actually, I should have died a long time ago. After all, I was seriously injured by that power..."
"But for some reason, I survived. Just when I couldn't bear it anymore, I happened to find someone who could save me. It's strange, though. As long as he was by my side, that power stopped eroding me and even kept shrinking, like a stray dog seeing its natural enemy and just slinking away."
"And then, the thing that tormented me for many years just disappeared. Isn't it strange?"
"You already knew?!"
"Of course, I don't know anything. Bexia is just an ordinary person. But he really does suppress that power. I think you might know that too, right?! Bringing him back, aren't you trying to make use of that power?"
"Do you remember the legend of Ancestral? There was a great battle between two dragons! I saw it inside, but it was different from the version that spread outside. The white dragon seemed to have won against the black dragon... But it seems that only the black dragon survived!"
"What are you trying to say?" Long Momo frowned as she listened to Laxi's words.
"Just want to remind you to be cautious and not judge things solely based on what you see and hear. I can see that you have a good relationship with Bexia, so I don't want you to disappoint him. After all, I have been with that child for many years!"
"Well, it seems like I'm being a bit long-winded today. As a nun, I did say too much." Laxi's pupils returned to normal, and her tone became casual again.
"Although they say you stole the Dragon God's treasure and escaped, looking at you now, you seem completely different from the rumors. I'm curious about what you experienced."
"Do you really want to know?" Laxi's lips lifted slightly.
"If you have something to say, but it seems like you don't want to say it," said Long Momo.
"I can tell you, but I don't think you would believe it," replied Lux slowly, as she slowly removed her nun's robe to reveal her snowy white skin. However, amidst that fair skin, a large claw mark disrupted the overall beauty, and the black scab between the claw marks gave off a twisted feeling.
"What is this?!" Long Momo exclaimed, surprised. What remained on the mark seemed like...
"I think you should know something about this, but I don't want to say more. I just want to remind you, in Bexia's name..." Lux covered up her scars and transformed back into the country nun, smiling at Long Momo. "The bed is already made. I wish you a good night's rest."
"Hey! What about your words..." Long Momo didn't even finish her sentence before Lux left the room, leaving only a slowly fading figure in her eyes and words constantly swirling through her mind.
A silent night.
Last night, Long Momo slept with Ze Ya, while Bexia slept with Carter in his original room. Early in the morning, before dawn, several children woke them up, which led to Bexia complaining for a while.
They stayed here for the entire morning and then Bexia and the others prepared to leave. Two months of vacation was neither too short nor too long. After reaching second grade and being able to ask for leave from the academy, it would be easy to come back. On the other hand, going to the kingdom of Anzu would not be a simple matter. After all, the round trip would take a considerable amount of time.
"Lux Sister, you can go back. No need to accompany us," said Bexia, waving her hand at Lux Sister. Although she felt reluctant inside, she knew that she couldn't stay there without worries forever. Perhaps when she left with Ophelia, she had already bid farewell to that kind of life. She had her own destiny.
"Sis Dragon, what's wrong with you? Why do you look absent-minded?" Bexia asked, looking at the distracted Long Momo.
"Oh! It's nothing..." Long Momo snapped out of her thoughts and whispered, "If I did something that hurt you, would you forgive me?"
"I believe Sis Dragon wouldn't do such a thing!" Bexia answered without hesitation, leaving Long Momo silent as she stared out the window at the quickly receding scenery.
