Lixin's heart raced as he trudged through the library, following the sound of giggles that echoed around him. His mind warned him with a familiar phrase - 'Curiosity killed the cat' - but his curiosity kept him walking.
After all, he was safe in this virtual world, and knew that even if anything happened to him, he could respawn. Now if this was reality all there would be was a dust trail as he booked it out of there.
'Although I like creepy shows, there is no way I want to be a part of them in real life.'
The laughter suddenly stopped when he stepped into a small alcove. It was illuminated by a single window and there were cushions bunched up together on the floor, with children's books strewn haphazardly around a teddy bear.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, and that was when Lixin noticed her. A girl that appeared to be about seven or eight years old, with long black hair cascading down her back. She had mesmerizing eyes that shimmered with warmth.
Her white dress was stained with dirt, and her clothes were worn and tattered. What struck him the most was her transparency - similar to his notification screens.
It took a few seconds for him to understand what he was seeing: she was a ghost. He could only watch as the young phantom sat down on one of the dusty cushions, smiling at him with a serene expression on her face.
"I have spent countless afternoons in this nook reading about tales of other worlds and their inhabitants. I never thought I would live to see the day when I would meet someone from the Huánghé Realm. I guess I didn't." She chuckled. However, there was some sadness in it.
Lixin was unsure of how to respond to her macabre words and just awkwardly smiled.
"I miss reading a lot. I can no longer do it as I am now. I guess that's what I hate most about being dead. Well, that and talking to my mother," said the ghostly girl, turning her gaze to the front of the library.
Following the girl's gaze, he saw that she was looking toward the area where the front desk was. Where Mrs. Mayflower would have been seated. Suddenly as if he was struck by lightning the strangeness he had experienced since coming to this library made sense.
The shuttered expression the librarian had when he asked for a book on Huánghé Realm and Kakodaimōns. The guarded expression Tom had when he almost slipped and mentioned why Mrs. Mayflower had changed so much. Then there were the drawings he saw when he first entered the building.
'No wonder I thought they were made by a child because they were. They were made by the librarian's daughter,' he mused as he looked back at the girl.
He could see the resemblance now. Her eyes, nose, and mouth looked very similar to her mother's.
The girl turned back to him after looking in her mother's direction for a few moments. "I heard you talking to my mother. You're searching for information about the Diis Aliis aren't you?"
"Yes, I am."
"I know where you can find the second volume of the book Truth and Discovery. If you want to know where it is, you need to promise to do something for me," the little girl stated.
[Cora:] [A quest has been triggered!]
Lixin barely blinked when he heard the notification. He had already guessed that talking to the girl would lead to a quest."Can I hear your request before I promise to fulfill it?"
"Yes, you can," the transparent child replied as she stood up and greeted him with a ladylike bow. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Zinnia Mayflower."
Although a little confused by the formal greeting, Lixin just shrugged it off and played along and did the same in return. "Nice to meet you Zinnia. I am Fortuitous Fish."
The girl smiled somberly at his greeting and sat back down with a barely visible smile on her face. "Now that the introductions are over, let me tell you my request. After I died, my grievances drew me to my mother and for the last five years I haven't left her side. Anywhere she went, so did I. I watched as she searched, cried, and begged for my return."
Zinnia paused as tears welled up in her eyes. However, she quickly wiped them away. Even though none of this was real, it made Lixin feel a little emotional.
"My mother blamed herself for my disappearance but it wasn't her fault. It was mine. I should have listened to her, and never ventured into the woods alone. But it was her birthday and I really wanted to get her something special, and what could be more special than the Whooselit flowers? I didn't know I would never return."
"What happened to you in the forest?" Lixin asked. Despite knowing the answer, he wanted to know how she died.
"My memory isn't clear. The only thing I remember is that I collected the flowers and put them in a jar. After putting it in my bag, I began walking home. However, before I could even take ten steps I was falling and the world turned black. The next thing I knew I was next to my mother as a ghost."
Lixin wondered if she had tripped and hit her head on a rock or something. "What do you need me to do?"
"No matter how long the town searched they weren't able to find my body. As a result, my mother did not give up. To this day she is still waiting for me to return. I don't want her to waste her time looking for me. The disappointment is getting to her. I want her to move on," Zinnia answered.
Lixin could tell how much the girl loved her mother and hoped she would be happy. This made him think of his own mother and wondered what she would have been like if she didn't have her family supporting her when she searched for him.
He was shaken from his thoughts as the girl continued speaking. "That day, I took volume two of Truth and Discovery with me into the forest. Inside it is a birthday card I made for her with something special written. Could you bring it to my mother along with the jar of flowers and tell her what happened to me?"
"Yes, I will. I promise."
[Cora:] [Quest has been created!]
Zinnia's Request
Zinnia has not been able to depart from this world because of her grievances. She needs your help to complete her last wish so she and her mother can move on. Although she doesn't want to leave her mother alone she knows it would be best. Maybe one day she would be able to see her mother again.
Objective: Bring back the birthday card and some Whooselit flowers and give it to Mrs. Mayflower.
Reward: 100 EXP
Item: Truth and Discovery volume two
"Thank you so much. I will never forget this," Zinnia said with a bright smile on her face as she stared at him.
~
Author Says:
Momocatt: I feel sad for Zinnia.
Lixin: Don't worry I will help her.
Momocatt: Have some Peach Crumb Bars to keep your strength up.