As he looked to the left, he could see a dark sky, with the city light illuminating the whole block.
On closer inspection, there was a bookstore across the street, where he had memories of reading a book from there.
He could still remember the exact content of the book, with all the lewd things depicted inside. Read more exciting tales at m-vl-e-mpy-r
Yet he couldn't remember how he entered the store, nor could he remember why he brought it in the first place.
"Welcome, Alex... Do you remember your old name? Or anyone from the past?"
A young woman, looking slightly similar to Katherine, entered the living room.
"I don't have any memories of it... Are you the guardian?" Alex asked back as she sat down across from him.
"You could call me that... But you can just call me Sarah. There's no need for the formality."
Despite her wish, Alex wasn't about to call someone who was most likely hundreds upon thousands of years old.
"Miss Sarah, can I ask what I would get from winning this competition?"
"A reward? I haven't really thought of one yet... How about let's have a little tea first?"
As Sarah pulled the kettle from the base, a cup appeared in her hand, and she poured a cup of hot water into it.
After putting in a teabag, she moved the cup to Alex's side and made herself a cup of tea as well.
"You're probably wondering what I am trying to keep you here for... I'm quite lonely."
The sudden directness caught Alex a little off guard, but he quickly recovered from it.
"We can talk all day, ma'am. I'm not in a rush to get the reward right away."
The two sat in silence as the hot steam floated into the air, and a hint of tea smell began to spread in the room.
"Are you upset that I read your memories?"
Alex thought for a second, then shook his head.
"I don't really mind it... I would have done the same if I had the same power as you."
As Alex touched the cup with his hands, the tea was still too hot to drink.
"Miss Sarah, can I ask if you're reincarnated as well?"
"Everyone is reincarnated... But most don't get to keep their memories like you."
Sarah's answer didn't surprise Alex, but he got a little intrigued by it.
"How many people have you seen that have kept their memories?" Alex curiously asked.
"Zero until you came."
"Oh..."
As the clock ticked, Alex had another question in his mind, and he just couldn't help himself.
"Miss Sarah, I know this question mind sounds a little rude, but how old are you?"
"I'm only a few hundred years old. I'm not as old as you think. There are elves out there that are tripled my age."
Alex shyly looked down at the table, lifting the cup to drink the tea to cover his embarrassment.
"You ever planning to tell your secrets to your close ones?" Sarah asked this time.
"Really? Why would she——"
Before she could finish, the door was slammed open as everyone showed up filled with excitement.
As the two of them sat up from the bed, Alex was immediately hit by a warm hug.
"I told you my grandson would win!" Ava excitedly yelled as she gave Alex a big kiss on the forehead.
Both Sophia and Mary stood by, filled with happiness, along with Fredrick, who looked extremely proud of him.
"Good job, Alex. You exceeded all of my expectations, " Fredrick said as Ava finally let Alex go.
"Who would have thought a level one mage would win it all..." Amelia murmured as she still couldn't believe it.
"I should be the one thanking you all. I would of never made it this far without your help——"
As Alex thanked everyone, he quickly noticed Luqing and Meiya both standing in the hallway.
"Miss Meiya! Miss Luqing! Thank you for your help!" Alex waved as everyone's attention turned towards the two.
"No problem... My daughter and I are just going to have a chat for a second."
As the two disappeared from the hallway, Ava, Amelia, and Katherine were all stunned by what the 'mysterious' woman had just said.
"Fredrick, you never told me she's Luqing's mom," Ava questioned, her voice sounding a little upset.
"Well, I wasn't sure if they really were mother and daughter. But it seemed like they had a union inside the competition——"
"Ahem, can you all leave my son's room? It's bedtime for him." Katherine interrupted as she cleared her throat.
After mentioning the same stuff he said to Katherine to all of them, they all finally left.
Except for Sophia and Mary, who were told to stay by Katherine.
As the four of them sat on the bed, Alex was a little confused about why she had made them stay in his room.
"Mom, what do you tell us in secret?" Sophia asked curiously, and Mary looked just as curious.
Katherine didn't say anything as she waited for a few seconds before a portal suddenly appeared in the room.
Out of the portal was Amelia, who had just come to Alex's room a few seconds ago, along with everyone else.
"Katherine, are you sure you want to tell them about this?" Amelia asked a question that confused all three of the kids.
"The guardian told me. I have to tell them this. Or else I would be lying to her..."
Seeing the hesitation on Katherine's face, all three of the kids knew the situation was serious.
They also realized the two of them had met the guardian despite not finishing in the top three.
"Mom, we also saw the guardian," Sophia stated, with Mary nodding in agreement.
"We all met guardian?" Alex murmured, now feeling a lot less special about winning first place.
"She's the guardian. I wouldn't be surprised if she could talk to a hundred people at once.
It's always up to her if she wants to meet whoever she wants in the competition."
Amelia explained as she looked over to Katherine, who still seemed conflicted about what to do.
"Katherine, if you don't want to say it, I can say it for you——"
"No, I can say it myself." Katherine interrupted as she finally made up her mind.