"Xiang?" The only character Du Yu recognized was "Xiang."
Could this really be a gift A-Xiang had given him?
The moment that thought surfaced, even he laughed at himself.
"What a joke... since ancient times, only You Si and I have ever been able to enter this cave. Have I started seeing hallucinations even on stones now?"
Du Yu wanted to hurl the stone away, but he hesitated.
In tens of thousands of years, this was the only thing that had stirred his heart.
If he threw it away just like that, he felt as though his heart would be left hollow.
Even if it was only a hallucination, even if it was only something to hold on to.
So he could only cradle the stone gently in his hand, stroking it over and over.
"But A-Xiang... what does this sentence actually mean?" Du Yu murmured to himself. "Even if it's a hallucination, I still want to know what it says."
Du Yu kept asking questions, but even the one formation that had listened to him was no longer in this cave.
He had become truly alone.
Twelve years later, You Si returned.
Disappointment she could not suppress showed on her face. Du Yu knew she could not possibly have succeeded.
But her existence was the key to bringing forth the next "qualified one."
"'Time'... I'm sorry..." You Si murmured. "I'm so close to finding a new 'Time.'"
Du Yu slowly raised his head. Only after a long while did he come back to his senses. He stared blankly at You Si and said, enunciating each word, "Come closer."
You Si had no idea what he meant, but could only slowly step forward.
Du Yu turned his palm over, revealing the stone. "Take a look. Is there writing on this?"