Perhaps the saddest part of losing a loved one is not the moment they pass away, but rather after their body has been cremated and their ashes have been buried. In the days that follow, any small detail in life can suddenly remind us that our closest family member is now far from us. Each time this happens, it’s like meeting the past all over again, and when you come to your senses, it feels as if your flesh has been stripped from your bones.

　　The half-empty pack of cigarettes left on the coffee table, the neatly made bed in a room no one enters anymore, the pothos swaying gently on the windowsill, the roses in full bloom, and the quiet of the late night...

　　All of it can make one fall into memories.

　　One dish of shredded pork with ginger, one plate of stir-fried fern, two bowls of rice, two people eating in silence with their heads down.

　　When the meal was almost finished, Emily Clark held her chopsticks in her mouth and scrutinized William Clark. After a while, she said coldly, “You seem a bit distracted today!”

　　William Clark looked up, frowning at her. “Huh?”

　　Seeing how obviously absent-minded he was, Emily Clark frowned again, pursed her lips, and said, “I said, you seem a bit distracted today.”

　　“Uh...” William Clark was stunned for a moment, then showed a relieved smile. “You can actually tell I’m distracted? Looks like you’ve really grown up...”

　　“Hey!” Emily Clark rolled her eyes and tapped her bowl twice with her chopsticks to interrupt him. She had actually thought this guy was heartbroken and exhausted, worried he wouldn’t get over it, and was ready to patiently comfort him for a bit!

　　“Didn’t you notice that one of your dishes is really salty, and the other tastes way too much like MSG?” She pointed at the dishes with her chopsticks.

　　“……”

　　William Clark stood up and put down his chopsticks. “There’s still something I need to take care of at the hotel. I have to go over there. You wash the dishes.”

　　He had already made up his mind to go and find out the truth.

　　“Mm.” Emily Clark responded blandly, seeming a bit uneasy, so she added, “If you run into any trouble, remember to tell me. If there’s something you don’t understand, you can ask me too.”

　　William Clark’s face darkened a little, but he still forced a smile and replied, “We can check the exam results tonight, right? If you get them, remember to give me a call. Also, even though you’ve graduated from high school, college doesn’t mean you can slack off. No matter which university you get into, you have to study hard, got it?”

　　Now it was Emily Clark’s turn for her face to darken.

　　“Can you not talk to me in that parental tone?”

　　“Sure, but please remember, I’m the older brother, you’re the younger sister! And one more thing, I’m your guardian now, and you chose me yourself.”

　　“Ridiculous, do I really need you to worry about me?” Emily Clark retorted, then started clearing the dishes with a dark face, her movements exaggerated to show her inner displeasure.

　　It was true, she could have chosen her grandfather in the countryside to be her guardian, but in the end, she picked William Clark. Everyone respected her decision, so that’s how it was settled. When she made that choice, she had already thought that one day William Clark would use it to tease her, but he wouldn’t be able to for much longer—after another half a year, she would officially turn eighteen and be an adult.

　　Or, if she could prove she was financially independent, she could get rid of that guy even earlier—

　　That guy was already financially independent in his freshman year, and apparently made quite a bit of money in college, so there’s no reason she couldn’t do the same.

　　William Clark returned once again to the Anju Hotel and entered the former warehouse.

　　On the way there, he even thought it might all be an illusion, or just a dream. Maybe when he opened the door again, he’d see brand new sheets, bedding, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. But the truth was, that space still existed, and the things that had been in the warehouse would definitely have to be bought again.

　　William Clark closed the door on nothingness, then pulled it open again out of thin air, repeating this several times.

　　“So it really is a big warehouse?”

　　He muttered in a voice only he could hear, afraid that if he spoke any louder, someone might think he was being disrespectful.

　　Then he spread his feet apart, looked down at the void beneath him, forced himself to calm down, and then, summoning his courage, walked over to stand in front of the glowing object.

　　“What exactly are you... May I ask your honorable name?”

　　“Hello?”

　　“Power on!”

　　“System?”

　　No response at all!

　　After that, William Clark tried all sorts of ways to test the space and the glowing object.

　　Beneath his feet was actually a void. When he squatted down and reached out to touch it, his hand could easily go through, but when he stepped on it, it was very solid, and he wouldn’t fall through.

　　This struck him as very strange.

　　Rather than “mystical,” he felt it was more “science fiction.”

　　And just as it appeared, this oval-shaped, dark blue glowing object was intangible, without a physical form. A belt could be pushed in and pulled out perfectly intact.

　　Even his hand could go in. Most of the time, he couldn’t feel anything, but once, William Clark touched...

　　Water!

　　That’s right, water. It startled him so much that he quickly pulled his hand back.

　　The water had no smell, seemed like ordinary water, but he couldn’t be sure.

　　This made him think that the dark blue glowing object was probably connected to somewhere else, and that place was constantly changing—unless, just now, someone on the other side had handed him a cup of water to touch.

　　“Einstein-Rosen bridge? Is this what it looks like?”