Jian’s eyes flicked toward the soldiers again, catching the tail end of their conversation with Xing Yu.
"...we’ll begin preparations for departure as soon as the area is cleared."
His expression darkened, brows pulling low over his eyes.
They’re leaving... so soon?
The words hit him harder than he expected.
His body didn’t move, but inside, something cracked open like a thin sheet of ice breaking under weight. His grip on Qungya’s tiny hand tightened ever so slightly—still gentle, but firm, as if anchoring himself to something solid.
A fog rolled into his chest. In his past life... the Farians hadn’t left this early.
No...
They had stayed for almost five years.
Five whole years of resistance, of battle, of unity. They fought side by side with the few remaining humans, tirelessly working to push back the infestation of Graylings that had smothered cities and devoured hope. During that time, Earth had begun to recover—slowly, painfully, but steadily. Major cities were reclaimed. Survivors found each other. Some semblance of peace had begun to return.
By the time Jian died in that life, Earth had a fighting chance.
But now...
Now the Farians were already planning to leave.
Why? Why now?
Was this what his return had changed?
He swallowed hard.
A bitter taste filled his mouth. His gaze flicked to the white haired farian’s back. He didn’t blame him—he knew this wasn’t betrayal. But the knowledge didn’t make it easier.
He looked down at the child gripping his hand so tightly. Qungya, smiling up at him, eyes full of hope. That tiny body had already been through too much.
Jian curled his fingers more securely around the boy’s, as if afraid he might disappear.
It’s okay... Even if they leave, I can take care of this.
His breath trembled. He made sure no one saw it.
Even if I have to fight every damn Grayling myself, I’ll do it. I’ll kill every last one of those disgusting freaks with my own hands if I have to.
His jaw clenched. The fury pulsing through his blood was quieter now, not hot and explosive like before—but colder, deeper. Steady.
And Grandpa...
He shut his eyes for a second.
I’ll find him. I’ll bring him back. And we’ll live together—me, him, and Qungya. In a quiet place. In a peaceful Earth. Somewhere far away from the stink of rot and blood and burning cities.
It sounded like a fantasy.
He didn’t even know if such a thing was possible. Didn’t know how much of Earth was even left to reclaim. But he knew one thing.
I’m willing to give everything to try.
This life wasn’t like the last. This time... he was different.
There was something inside him now—something alien and powerful, threaded into his bones and blood like lightning through storm clouds.
Farian powers. Unnatural and still mysterious.
And more than that—he had something else now.
He looked down at Qungya again.
The little boy was humming softly under his breath, running a finger along a crack in the floor like he was tracing constellations. He was relaxed, finally. Safe.
Jian smiled faintly.
He reached out and brushed Qungya’s hair back with a gentle hand.
I can do this... he thought again, the words ringing louder this time, steadier. I will do everything in my power to destroy those things. To protect this kid. To find my family. To give us a future.
Jian picked up Qungya, settling the boy against his side. The kid wrapped his arms around his neck with quiet trust. He crouched down to grab his backpack from the ground, slinging it over one shoulder. He cast one last glance at the clearing.
If the Farians were leaving, then there was no reason to stay here.
He turned to walk away.
He didn’t want to stick around and watch them lift off into the sky while Earth was still crawling with Graylings.
But then—
Steady footsteps followed behind him.
He paused.
They were too light, too even to be human.
Jian turned and immediately spotted the white-haired Farian general walking behind him. Not alone—his two subordinates were close behind. They didn’t say anything, just kept following at a calm pace.
Jian’s frown deepened. He shifted the boy slightly and tightened his grip on the sword still clutched in his hand.
"You said you came in peace," Jian said, voice low, tense.
The Farians didn’t respond immediately. They shared a glance with each other, and then the white-haired man stepped forward.
"They will never hurt you," he said quietly. "They serve you, Jian. We all serve you."
Jian stared at him.
What the hell did that mean?
That statement didn’t ease his nerves—it only made them worse. There was something unsettling about how calm he was, like this had all been decided a long time ago and Jian was the last one to find out.
He didn’t want to deal with this. He turned back around, pulling Qungya closer to his chest and continuing to walk.
But the footsteps followed him again.
Jian stopped abruptly and looked over his shoulder, visibly annoyed.
"You said you guys were leaving. Why the hell are you still following me?"
The white-haired Farian blinked, as if surprised by the question.
"We can’t leave without you."
Jian narrowed his eyes.
"What?"
Without hesitation, the Farian general walked forward and dropped down to one knee. He looked up at Jian with a calm expression and a soft smile that only made Jian more uneasy.
"Wherever you go, we go."
Jian’s jaw clenched.
"Why?" he demanded.
The Farian just repeated, "Wherever you go, we go."
Jian was getting more and more irritated. He wasn’t in the mood for cryptic responses or strange behavior.
One of the subordinates finally stepped forward. The shorter one. He looked between his general and Jian, then gave an awkward grimace.
"Our general didn’t explain properly," the Farian said. "We serve you, Your Highness. We were sent here to retrieve you. We can’t leave Earth without you."
Jian froze.
He didn’t say anything for a few seconds. His mind stopped. The title stuck in his ears.
Your Highness.
Qungya looked up at him, not understanding the tension but clearly picking up that something strange had just happened.
Jian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Explain," he said flatly.
The farian looked up at him with a soft smile. "because you are our lost prince."