Chapter 166: Hope

Viel could not help but breathe heavily as he looked at the children, most of them had their heads facing the ground. And those that still have fire in their eyes had chains wrapped around their wrists.

A part of the roof of the spacious building was clear, with the bright sky visibly blue, and the rays of the sun shining and seeping through everywhere.

And yet the only thing that Viel could see on the children's faces was darkness.

'Did I… look like this?', Viel thought as his breaths slightly stuttered.

It reminded him of how he was a few years ago. Alone, chained in the depths of his own doing… of his own choice.

But these children, these children had no choice. They were forcibly taken from their homes, with no visible way to return to their world.

They truly were lost, trapped in a world they have no idea how to survive in.

As the sound of the huge door closing behind him reverberated through the entire hall, the eyes of the children all slowly turned towards him.

"Are… you alright?", a child with pale skin, almost white, approached him. His voice was weak and raspy, obviously from the lack of water intake.

Viel couldn't help but squint his eyes. The Heaven Bamboo sect disciple that they interrogated said that they were supposed to be raising warriors and cultivators, so why exactly were some of the children almost emaciated?

"...You don't have anyone else with you?", the pale boy once again asked Viel a question.

Viel was wondering how he could understand the child in front of him, but it would seem that there were numerous wands set up on each corner of the building.

"No", finally, after a few seconds, Viel replied to the pale boy, "It's just… me". He still could not help but squint his eyes as he looked at the emaciated boy in front of him.

He was feeling a sense of guilt, even though he had no hand in their situation. This was the first time that he was experiencing this kind of complicated feeling.

"...I see", the pale boy slowly nodded his head as he let out a weak sigh, "My name is Aluel. What's yours?"

"...Viel", Viel was going to say Zachary, but it just didn't feel right.

"Where do you guys sleep?", Viel could not help but ask as he looked around, there weren't any rooms or even beds in sight.

"...Anywhere, really", Aluel said, "Only those who manage to open their… so-called meridians are allowed to sleep on beds and eat"

"So all of you are..."

The people that were locked inside this building were the children that either refused to follow the orders of the Heaven Bamboo sect or those who had no talent in cultivation. Aluel said that if they train, they will be given food and water, but only enough for a day.

The ones that are successful in stepping into the ways of the dao were taken outside of the building and given preferential treatment.

There are also those that have successfully unlocked their meridians but refused to follow the orders of the Heaven Bamboo sect. They were the ones that had their hands tied up in chains.

So that means, these weren't even all of them? Viel once again looked around to estimate how many children were inside this spacious building. Without even counting, he assumed that it would be at least a hundred.

"How… many have been allowed to go outside?", Viel said as he placed his hand on his chin.

"There's almost hal--"

"Stop answering his questions, Aluel!"

Before Aluel can finish his words, a girl walked towards them. She was one of the few kids that had their hands chained. But most importantly, the shape of her ear was familiar to Viel.

"An elf?", Viel muttered as he looked at the girl's ears.

"You… know what I am!?", as soon as the chained elf girl heard Viel's words, she quickly pulled Aluel away and stepped in front of him.

"Who are you!?", she snarled as she looked at Viel while carrying a huge scowl on her face.

So far, no one in the Heaven Bamboo sect, or even among the children that were held in captivity, knew what her race was. There was another one with a different type of ears here, he had the ears of a beast. She recognized it from one of the neighboring tribes back at her home, but when she talked to him, she realized that they were not from the same place and her race does not exist

"Viel", Viel answered bluntly as he continued staring at the girl from head to toe, "Are you from Ilrina's world?", he then said.

"Il...what?", the girl's scowl twisted even further.

"Princess Ilrina? Queen Silvia, queen of the elves?"

"The elves have no queen!", she once again shouted and waved her tied up hands.

"...Why are you always shouting?", Viel could not help but slightly back away as he furrowed his eyebrows, "Are you sure you are not related to Ilrina?"

"I already told you, I don't know who tha--"

"C… calm down, Tilly", before she could scream again, Aluel gently covered her mouth.

"Sorry... about her. She's a very good person", Aluel could not help but chuckle awkwardly, "She… has been staying here longer than most of us. She's like our big sister and tries to take care of us every way she can"

"Hm…", Viel shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Tilly who was looking at him violently. Looking at the bruises on her hands and face, it would seem that she was doing more than just taking care of them, she was protecting them.

And so, with a sigh, Viel slowly approached Tilly.

"Hm!?", Tilly wanted to say something, but her hand was still covered by Aluel's hand. Only muffled sounds were coming out of her mouth as she tried to shake her head.

What is this kid going to do to her!? She thought. She then could not help but flinch and slightly close her eyes as Viel's hand slowly hovered towards her.

But contrary to the million thoughts that were racing in her mind, the only thing she felt was her hand getting lighter. A clanging noise then pierced her ears as she opened her eyes.

"W… what?", Tilly immediately looked below her, only to see the chains that were wrapped on her hand were now in pieces on the ground. And before she could do anything else, Viel held her hands.

Her eyes instantly opened wide as she felt Viel's warm hands. She was about to fling his hand away, but then she saw the sincere and somewhat worried expression on his face.

"...What are you do--"

Before she could finish her words again, the warm feeling on her hand grew warmer, soothing, almost.

She then noticed that her hand was slightly glowing. And her wrists, which were red and scabbed from the chains that were weighing it down, slowly started to heal.

"!!!", she then once again looked at Viel. And with the light reflecting on his face, Tilly could not help but gulp as the warm feeling on her hand somewhat stretched all the way inside her chest. Her breathing became stuttered, only becoming normal as she turned away from Viel.

The other children also could not help but gather around them as they noticed the light that was coming out of the new arrival's hands.

They circled Viel, all looking at him with different sets of eyes. Some in admiration, some in fear. But the thing that was present in all of their eyes… is hope.

After a few seconds more, the light on Viel's hand disappeared.

"This…", Tilly rotated her wrists and shook her hands, and to her surprise, there wasn't even a hint of pain.

No, it wasn't only with her hands, the pain that was previously wrapping her entire body was gone. She touched her face, only to confirm that the swelling really was gone.

"Who… are you?", Tilly could not help but ask again. But this time, her tone was no longer containing any hint of anger.

Hearing this question, Viel released a sigh and smiled, "I already told you", he said,

"My name is Viel"

***

"I am really sorry about earlier"

All of the children now settled down. After Tilly, Viel also healed all of the children that were bound up. However, he did not remove any of their chains, as it might already catch the attention of the Heaven Bamboo sect disciples.

Removing the chains on Tilly was enough. He still had a mission to complete here, he thought.

Him, Aluel, and Tilly were now casually sitting on the ground, with Tilly bowing her head towards Viel.

"It's nothing", Viel said as he gestured for Tilly to stop bowing, "You just looked like you were in pain"

"T...thank you", Tilly looked to the side, her face filled with red, "It's just that… I am the oldest here", she said, "So I feel like it is my responsibility to keep them safe. When you arrived here alone, I thought it was suspicious"

The new arrivals always come in groups, this was the first time she saw someone arriving alone.

"...I see", Viel placed his hand on his chin.

"At least until we can get out of this place and go home", Tilly then added.

"...What?", Viel's eyes widened as he heard that, "Go… home?"

"Yes!", this time, it was Aluel that answered him, "They said that if we were successful in opening our meridians and trained with them for a while…

...they will send us home!"

"!!!", Viel's breath turned heavy.

These people… They don't know?

Were they unaware that the Portals to their worlds were already closed?

Do they have no idea…

...that they can no longer go home?