Chapter 21: She Knows About Void
The breeze drifted through the corridor like a whisper, brushing past the windows and rustling the leaves outside.
Nie Shi stood near the end of the hallway, fingertips still damp from the training session. He hadn't returned to class, choosing instead to linger in the quiet. His eyes were fixed on the distant track field beyond the glass.
"You're deep in thought again, Nie Shi."
The voice came lightly, like a thread of wind. He didn't turn around—he didn't need to. Luo Jia's presence carried a subtle rhythm, calm and hard to ignore.
She approached with her usual grace, footsteps barely audible. "You've been thinking about it, haven't you?" she asked. "The system anomaly. You noticed it too, didn't you?"
Nie Shi finally looked at her. She stood beside him, light catching the edge of her uniform. There was that same soft smile, always calm, always composed. No aggression, no urgency.
"I thought maybe we could investigate it together," she continued, voice even. "You've seen it firsthand. Your Memory Armament isn't normal. Neither is the system's response."
She turned slightly toward him. "I know you're cautious. It's part of why I'm asking you. You don't trust people easily—which means if you do, it means something."
Nie Shi's gaze didn't waver. Her words were measured, perfectly placed. Even her curiosity sounded more like logic than emotion.
"I won't force you," Luo Jia added, her tone almost kind. "But don't take too long. Some answers… are only useful to the one who asks first."
She turned and walked away, her figure fading into the corridor's amber light.
Nie Shi stood still. His fingers brushed against the worn edge of his system handbook.
She knew about the Void.
How?
The training hall buzzed with faint static as the room's wall panels lit up with thin blue circuit lines. E3 Class stood in their designated slots, preparing for another session of Resonance Adjustment Training.
Instructor Zhong Lan stood in the center, posture rigid as always. "Today's focus: controlled synchronization. If you can't manage it, you won't be entering any future simulations."
Above them, holographic screens displayed current sync curves, pulsating slowly like digital heartbeats.
Memory Armaments flared into existence—blades, mirrors, spectral creatures—each a reflection of its user's will.
Nie Shi summoned Void.
The spear shimmered into his hand, formed from thick shadows and shifting mist. But something was wrong. He could feel it—the pulse, the rhythm—offbeat and unstable.
"Calm down," he thought.
Void didn't answer. It was… vibrating. Just barely. Like it was trying to speak in a voice he couldn't hear.
"Target 17. Delayed response. Start again," Zhong Lan's voice cut through.
Nie Shi gritted his teeth. He hadn't even heard the cue.
Nearby, Lin Kui's Water Mirror floated gently beside her, casting soft ripples of blue light. She glanced over. Their eyes didn't meet—but he knew she noticed. She always noticed.
Her mirror shifted slightly in his direction.
He turned his head away.
A pause.
She said nothing.
The session continued. Su Xu danced with her crimson rapier, fluid and bold. Lu Jingxing's storm-forged blade sliced air with practiced aggression. Nie Shi's palms sweated despite the cool air.
Zhong Lan spoke at the end: "Your Armaments reveal more than you do."
As the class dispersed, Zhong Lan's voice halted Nie Shi at the door.
"Number 17. Stay."
He stood silently as the others filtered out. Zhong Lan approached, arms crossed.
"Your Armament fluctuated abnormally today."
"It was my fault," he said quietly.
"I said your Armament was abnormal. Not you." Her correction was sharp, precise.
She took a step closer. "Your Memory Armament didn't follow the system's standard protocols. But it still bonded to you. That means there's a compatibility error—or a unique connection."
She paused, then asked, more softly, "Has it changed recently?"
He hesitated, then nodded.
"Do you fear it?" she asked.
A personal question. Too direct. Too accurate.
He didn't answer immediately.
"Sometimes," he admitted. "It feels like I'm holding something that doesn't belong to me."
Zhong Lan listened in silence.
"After next class," she said, turning away, "come to the instructor's wing. I'm assigning you a private resonance test."
She looked over her shoulder one last time.
"I'm not asking you to tell me everything.
But don't pretend everything's normal anymore."
The door closed behind her.
Nie Shi stood alone in the fading light, his shadow long across the empty floor.
The spear was gone, but his palm still felt warm.
 [System Notice: Incentive Protocol Initialized] Current Favorites: 8 / 20 At 20 Favorites — Unauthorized File Release Will Be Triggered. Accessing Hidden File: "E3 Class Confidential Personality Survey (Leaked Ver.)" • Who secretly wants to team up with Nie Shi?
• Who voted to punch someone in the face (yes, it's who you think)?
• Which Armament user thinks their partner is "too dramatic to function"?
• And what exactly did Lin Kui write when no one was looking? A full cast of snark, secrets, and system-approved sarcasm awaits you— once we hit 20 favorites. ( P.S. Word is, Lin Kui wrote Nie Shi's name… but if you don't hit that goal… Little COCO will keep it locked away forever. Hmph! )