“Please, Captain, sit.”

     The Arbiter smiled lightly upon seeing Lu Feng. It was the same smile he saw in the morning. But just like in the mirror, that smile didn’t reach the Arbiter’s light eyes. They both sat down at the opposite ends of the table.

     The Arbiter seemed rather small now. He was even shorter than Vance.

   “I’m pleased to see, that you are still a human.” The Arbiter’s voice was unchanging. He spoke with a low, kind tone, which never wavered by anything that happened around him. “But let me ask you a few questions before we go on.”

     He said these pleasantries as if Lu Feng could say no. Of course, he couldn’t. The Arbiter light, dimly glowing eyes fixated on him, his long lashes only fluttered a few times when he blinked – he hardly ever blinked.

   “I understand, that you are not obligated to report me. In your eyes, I’m just a Lighthouse personnel… but can you give me a summary of what happened to your unit? You had to carry out a mission with your team two weeks ago. What was your destination, and why did you return with a mercenary team?”

     Lu Feng stayed still, slightly stunned by these questions, but this time he knew his face was quite reluctant to show his emotions, so he could collect himself before the Arbiter would notice it.

   “We were attacked on the way to our destination by a swarm of wasps.” This part was easy, he could remember it well. “Our destination… was the Abyss.”

     He knew about the Abyss because it was Lu Feng’s favourite place in the wilderness. He assumed it was the destination this time around as well.

   “I see.” The Arbiter didn’t have much reaction. “So, you are the only one who survived. How did you make it out without a scratch? I heard wasps are very aggressive insects, and don’t let their prey escape.”

     Lu Feng paused, and tried to think about the situation, but the human Lu Feng blacked out in the middle of the battle.

   “I was knocked over, and hit my head. I’ve lost consciousness, and I have a small memory loss. I’m not sure, if they left us, or if we managed to kill all of them.” He remembered the box, that Vance gave him, which was still in his bag. He took it out. “The mercenaries managed to get this… I think this may help you understand.”

     It seemed like this box had records of some sort. He handed it to the Arbiter, who hesitated for a second, then he accepted it. He carefully examined it, without trying to open it up or connect it to anything… then glanced at him again.

   “Hmm.” His frown came back. “Excuse me. I will repeat some questions. Please, reply to the best of your ability.”

     Lu Feng just nodded. The Arbiter elbowed on the table, putting the black box on the side.

   “What is your name?”

   “Lu Feng.”

   “Are you sure?”

     Lu Feng paused, then nodded.

   “Yes.”

   “Are you a soldier?”

   “Yes.”

   “Are you sure?”

   “Yes.”

   “How old are you?”

   “… 27.” This was the age of human Lu Feng, but the rose had no idea, what that actually meant.

   “Are you sure?”

   “Yes.”

   “What is your rank?”

   “Captain.”

   “Are you sure?”

     The rose paused once more. He hated lies, and it seemed like the Arbiter was able to see into him deeply. He got confused and became uncertain.

     The break was a bit too long already.

     The Arbiter’s fake smile appeared again.

   “Don’t worry. High-level stress can erase memories upon sudden questioning. It can be just a temporary blackout. You said you were injured on your head. So, that also could play a role here. I’m not convinced that you are a xenogenic just yet. If you were, your answers wouldn’t be so varied. You clearly believe in some of your answers, and are uncertain about others. That’s not the exact behaviour of a xenogenic. But high-level polymorph monsters exist, so I want to make sure, you are not infected.”

     He waved towards the mirror, and before Lu Feng could answer, the familiar, brown-eyed Judge returned with a folder in his hands. He bowed to the Arbiter and held out the folder towards him with both hands. The Arbiter took it, and casually hit it up.

   “Thank you, Seraing. Please, go, and ask Dr Ji to prepare for a blood test.”

     The officer saluted, and left the room again. Lu Feng was slightly confused; he didn’t know how this person saw the gesture of the Arbiter.

   “This is your folder. Your name and age are correct… but you are a Lieutenant, sir. And I actually heard your name before. Dr Ji is your friend, right? He is my colleague, so I’m a bit familiar with his friend circle. Though, you and I have never talked before.”

     The doctor’s name brought up some pictures in Lu Feng’s mind; he saw a yellow-haired man around his age, a chatty, smiley one, in a white coat and a pair of golden glasses. A friend… He nodded, feeling a bit awkward. It was so easy for the Arbiter to know more about Lu Feng, than for him via his own memories… Humans’ connections seemed so fast and well-rounded. Lu Feng could never find out these things as a rose.

   “Let’s go, come with me. You will get tested, and if your test is negative, I will let you go for now.”

     The rose just agreed with his words, following the Arbiter out of the small room.

     The sky was already dark again, but the aurora lit it with its green hue. He saw this on his way back to the base, it was beautiful, but he could only watch it from the small window – seeing the whole sky bathing in the fluctuating light was a mesmerising scene.

     He stopped unconsciously while looking at the sky, and only realised it when a light touch pulled his wrist; gentle fingers clasped on him like a handcuff.

   “Do you like the aurora?”

     The Arbiter’s hand was colder than his. He didn’t comment on Lu Feng’s behaviour, instead, he looked up at the sky as well. They stood still while the young man had his hand on Lu Feng. It was a whole different feeling from Vance’s touch. He instinctively wanted to get away first, but then suppressed this urge, finally following the Arbiter’s gaze again.

   “Hm.” He liked it. He liked everything green.

   “I like it too.” Said the Arbiter unexpectedly. His face seemed like it belonged to another person.

     A true smile shone on his lips. The green hue made his paleness glow, and he looked ethereal. Lu Feng was wrong before. As a rose, he was wretched. As a human, he was cold and aloof. But this young man… he was beautiful. Lu Feng was in awe.

   “What is your name?”

     The Arbiter’s eyes didn’t leave the stars and the aurora, even hearing the question, but the corner of his smile twitched as if he was enjoying something.

   “An Zhe.”

   “An Zhe.” The rose repeated. It was a lovely-sounding name, just like the name “rose”. “Don’t smile if you are not going to smile like this.”

     For that, a genuine surprise enveloped the young man’s face, and his eyes pierced right into Lu Feng’s. He was still looking upwards, being one head shorter than Lu Feng. His smile did disappear after Lu Feng’s statement, and time froze around them with the dancing aurora. All sounds seemed distant, even though they weren’t alone.

   “Okay.”

     The answer was so low, that Lu Feng almost mistook it with the wind.

     They began walking again; the Arbiter was still pulling him gently, but his fingers were not cold anymore, and Lu Feng saw his profile – he smiled again. His eyes were not dim this time.

*

     His blood test was negative. The Arbiter waited with him until they got the test results, chatting with Dr Ji. Lu Feng heard from the other room, that Dr Ji was making some comments about his friend being too reckless, and that he deserved to be infected, after all, he – Lu Feng – was a narcissist buffoon… according to him. Lu Feng did not understand these words at all, so he just listened silently. Even though it seemed like the doctor was cursing at him, he heard the small tremor in his voice, when he asked the Arbiter about his impressions of his friend’s situation.

     They looked at the results together, and the Arbiter made his decision.

   “But I still think he might have had a small concussion. It would be better to take him to the Main City Military Hospital or the Lighthouse for further inspection. And maybe send him rest for a few days.”

   “Right. I will take care of this dumbass from now on. Thank you, An Zhe.”

   “It’s nothing… if he was infected, I must have…” He didn’t finish, but they all knew, what would happen if the tests were positive.

     After a while, Dr Ji came to the inside room, where Lu Feng was lying on a metal bed, strapped down. It wasn’t the most comfortable place, but Dr Ji, despite having the results in his very hand, just looked at him from head to toe with a smile, that was not very honest, but also different from the fake smiles of the people at the gate.

   “Maybe I should let you stay here for a night to reflect on your actions.” He said, lifting his chin.

   “On my actions?” Lu Feng asked; he didn’t know what actions the doctor was referring to. The azure blue eyes pierced him right after.

   “Making your friends and family worried about you, when you went missing, stopped contacting the military, and then returning by yourself. I heard that your team was wiped out. Are you not considering retiring yet?”

     Lu Feng didn’t know what to say; it felt like something that human Lu Feng wouldn’t want, and couldn’t avoid anyway. If he was not mistaken, only researchers could stay in the base for their whole life, soldiers were sent out regularly, and for almost all year.

     But his ears just caught another thing, and he was thinking about something else.

   “My… mother?”

   “Hmh… yeah, she called me many times.” Dr Ji murmured, and let his idea of leaving Lu Feng strapped to the instrument go. “Then she somehow heard, that you were about to face the Arbiter. I don’t even know how she gets her infos. Your mom is scary. As much as the Arbiter.”

     Lu Feng sat up. He contemplated these words for a while, battling with himself if he should answer.

   “I didn’t find him scary.” The rose said in a low voice. “He was… just sad.”

     A melancholic aura radiated from the Arbiter, and Lu Feng felt a type of attractiveness in that. Not in the same way as his pollinators were attracted to him, but… he couldn’t really explain it, even to himself.

   “Sad. He was sad.” Dr Ji looked at him with disbelief. “I thought you hate him. Then why was I between two fires the whole time?!”

     Lu Feng adjusted his clothes. His military uniform was not heavy anymore, like on the first day.

   “Hate him?” He asked tentatively. Dr Ji sighed, and beckoned him to follow.

   “Well. You know… We’ve never… mentioned it between us. I thought you just avoided arguments between you and me that is why you’ve never asked about him. But considering how much Madam Lu loathes him, you must know.”

     Lu Feng had no idea what he was talking about, and just frowned. So, Lu Feng hated the Arbiter? He didn’t feel like that was the case. There wasn’t any fierce emotion in Lu Feng, apart from being ruthless in his job. Lu Feng was an excellent soldier, and did not have any grudges, as much as he could tell from his memories. But there were indeed some black spots, so he couldn’t be sure.

     Why would he hate the Arbiter?

   “I was always on my short ends, whenever I tried to be loyal to one of you. And now, you are just telling me, you think, An Zhe is sad. Bah!” Dr Ji seemed genuinely upset, and Lu Feng didn’t know what to do.

     While the doctor spoke, they went through many corridors and halls, until they arrived at the other side of the building. There was a huge door in front of them, and Dr Ji took out a translucent item from the pocket of his lab coat. Swiping it down on a small device beside the door, the entrance opened up after a beeping sound.

     They exited the building, and Lu Feng found himself at the edge of an open space. It was spacious and empty, and only when he looked sideways, he saw the vehicles.

     They weren’t cars, but small airplanes. There were a few of them at the side, and the doctor confidently led him to one of the planes. The pilot was already ready, and only the two of them boarded.

   “Ahh, finally. I just want to go home. I really need a shower. And you… you better call your mom before going to bed.” Dr Ji scolded him as if he was much older than him. The yellow-haired man leaned against the seat, eyes closed.

   “My mom is… where is she at now?”

   “Huh? Well, I suppose in the Garden of Eden.” Dr Ji’s voice began to muffle. It seemed like he was planning to hibernate. “Oh, wait. Knowing her, she might be waiting at your flat. And before you ask, I don’t let you camp at mine. Just go home. Go, and talk to her. You always escape from her, and I’m the one who endures her interrogation about you… all the time! Don’t you want to contact her? Why is it me, who always gets between your fights?”

     Lu Feng stayed silent. He didn’t think he would find the roses at his house. If Lu Feng’s mother spent her time in that place the doctor mentioned, then maybe that was his destination.

   “Does she still… have her roses?”

   “What?” The doctor almost seemed annoyed but also stunned. “I see what An Zhe was talking about. Your head is messed up. I will take you to my clinic, and put you in the white room.” He clicked with his tongue. “Well, you can look for yourself, if she still has her roses, instead of avoiding her. You might realise one or two things then.”

     Dr Ji’s speeches proved to be the most complicated ones Lu Feng had encountered so far. Of course, he didn’t understand these words much, and he didn’t know, why the doctor was so upset with him, while he still seemed to be good friends with Lu Feng. This was too much for him to understand, especially after just entering the human world.

     So, he stayed silent while the aircraft travelled through the air. He had never been in the sky, and this far from the safe soil and ground, he felt a bit tense, unconsciously clenching his fist on his bag. Dr Ji had really fallen asleep, sitting across him, and only snored himself up, when they bounced once they landed on the ground.

     More accurately, they were at the top of a building, not on the ground. The wind was strong, and crept into his clothes, as he got off the aircraft, and a few soldiers were already waiting for them. Lu Feng looked down – he saw the world from the plane, but it was even more shocking now. When he was in the air, he was worried for his life a little bit, but here, he could consume the whole scenery, without any hindrance.

     The human base was incredibly large. It was night, yet, small balls of lights flickered through the long roads and some of the windows of the tall buildings. There was one massive, black building in the centre, much taller than any other one around it – but Lu Feng stood high enough to see the “Main City”, as he assumed. Towards the horizon, he also saw a smaller patch of lights, even dimmer than the ones here. If he was correct, he flew from that place just now. It was so far away, yet, they reached this city in just a heartbeat.

     As a rose, he never assumed that the world of other creatures was this big. In fact, he never thought much of other creatures than his pollinators. This experience… was quite overwhelming for a tiny existence like him.

     He looked even farther away from the cities, but because it was night, even the aurora couldn’t light up the wilderness behind the city walls. He didn’t know, where exactly he came from, or where to go when he needed to leave in the future. He only saw a vast, endless flat ground, swallowed up by darkness. Plants didn’t like darkness too much. And this cold was not favourable either.

     Dr Ji called his name a few times before Lu Feng actually forced himself to turn away, and follow him.

     His intrusion into the city was a success, yet he was held back.

     For a few days, he had to stay in the hospital. This was a place for people with health issues. He didn’t feel sick, but he understood that his memory loss was a worrisome sign for others. Although, they couldn’t do much about it. Lu Feng’s memory was intact, he was just… not Lu Feng anymore.

     Doctors came and went multiple times a day, seeing him, questioning him, and testing him, but everything was normal. Then, he was admitted to a final psychological assessment, and people said, if that goes well, he can go home.

     The assessment appointment was in the afternoon, so Lu Feng had some time to idle in the hospital’s corridors. He was clad in a hospital dress, much larger and windier than his military clothes.

     He had one huge advantage staying here: he was surely not out of nutrients at any point of the day. Always well-hydrated, he ate many things, and it seemed he had more and more energy. It reminded him about spring in the wilderness, when everything was blooming, and the soil and air were full of nutrients he could consume and grow big. It was a pleasant and comfortable place, but he also wanted to go already. Strolling on the corridor, sucking the sunlight in through the big windows, waiting for his time, he planned his next steps. He plotted that in the next few days, he will search for his mother and the Garden of Eden, and go there. He didn’t know if the roses were still there or not, but in Lu Feng’s memories, his mom’s garden was large and lush with greenery and flowers. The memories of his family made him less agitated to find them sooner – the roses were alright and happy at the moment.

     The corridors were mostly empty in this place. If it was because there were not many sick people in the Main City, or because he was a special case, regarding his rank, thus they kept him isolated, Lu Feng wasn’t sure. Humans had many rules, which he didn’t quite know yet, and he didn’t feel like learning about them – either way, he was not going to spend his life in human form.

     He was about to reach the end of the corridor when he heard the sound of low talking, making him halt in his place. He didn’t want to overhear anyone’s conversation, it clearly wasn’t meant for everyone’s ears, but when he recognised the voice, he couldn’t just turn back.

   “… don’t mind them.”

   “Doctor… let’s ask the army’s help.” There was another familiar voice, begging his chatting partner.

   “There’s no need. It’s natural, after all. I knew many people would hate me when I’d taken on this job. I knew exactly, how they feel about me. They are not going to hurt me, otherwise they would not march in the Outer City. If you would ask for help, and the people would be silenced about their feelings, things could escalate in a direction that definitely would worsen the situation. I don’t want that.”

   “But…”

   “Seraing, thank you. I know you just want to help. But let’s not make rushed decisions about this matter. If they want to protest, let them. As long as they don’t hurt anyone, there is no need for us to intervene.”

     It seemed like the familiar officer, who followed the Arbiter around at the gates, stopped persuading him. By the noises, he saluted, and excused himself after finishing his report to his superior.

     Lu Feng peeked out of the corner.

     The Arbiter was standing in the window, looking far away with a remote feeling on his face. He put his hands behind his back, and straightened up, but even then, he wasn’t very tall. His military uniform was neat and freshly ironed, and Lu Feng could see the flickering light that his Trial Court badge reflected. His hat hung too deeply into his face, sitting on his fine, defined eyebrows. He was the only dark spot in the very white, sunlight-bathed corridor.

   “Do you have any questions?”

     The Arbiter wasn’t whispering this time, and because there was no one else around him, Lu Feng realised, he was talking to him. Exposed, he had to come out of his hiding, and because this happened, he decided to walk over the young man.

     The Arbiter didn’t look up at him, and didn’t smile. Lu Feng assumed the young man remembered what he asked in the other city that night.

     Lu Feng stopped beside him, and turned to the window. From this angle, he couldn’t see the black pillar-like thing, but another huge one, that had a very unique form, with a big dome at the very top.

   “What are you doing here?” He asked.

     The Arbiter didn’t answer at first. Lu Fend didn’t push any more questions on him, so they stood silently for a while.

   “I came for your psychological assessment. I want to see your results.”

   “I thought I was clear.”

   “You are… for now. But there is a thirty day trial-period. In thirty days, even the most advanced mutants would reveal themselves. Every parasitic type would hatch their eggs inside their host; every cannibalistic type would eat their first meal, and would not be able to hold back anymore… The list goes on, there are many other cases where issues happened way later in one’s infection.”

   “Oh.”

   “You will have some more assessments and tests during these thirty days. So you are not going back to the wilderness for a while.”

   “I see.”

   “Does this upset you?”

   “No.”

     Lu Feng really did not feel upset. He already understood completely, how important keeping their city safe for humans is. Thinking back to his old home and old family… if he was able to do anything to prevent them from dying out or being destroyed, he would’ve done his very best to save his species as well. Pitifully, at that time, he had no idea about any danger, and even if he had, he had no power to protect them.

     The Arbiter finally looked at him, and now, he smiled. It wasn’t a fake smile, and Lu Feng felt the urge to smile back. But it was not how Lu Feng handled things in the past, as a human. So he remained expressionless.

     If the next reaction was because of this or something else, Lu Feng didn’t know. But looking at him, the brightness of the Arbiter’s light eyes dimmed, and the smile slowly washed away.

     The Arbiter’s eyelashes fluttered, and he looked down.

     His face seemed almost suffering, but before Lu Feng could understand, the feeling passed, and the Arbiter was just as unchanged as ever. It happened so fast, that Lu Feng thought, he must have been just imagining it.

   “What is this?”

     The young man reached out, his voice low, and his touch like that butterfly, which landed on Lu Feng’s petals.

     He was holding Lu Feng’s bulletcase medallion. The rose kept it in his neck, even though he was not wearing his usual clothes. Lu Feng let him see the medal, and keep it in his fragile, slim fingers.

   “A memento.”

     It was the bullet that took Lu Feng’s life, and gave him a chance to come and be with his family again.

     Something had flashed through the Arbiter’s eyes, and for a moment being frozen in his place, he withdrew his hand. But instead of letting it fall on his side, he started loosening up his collar, and after a half minute, he tugged out a chain in his neck, showing him a small, slim bulletcase on it as a medallion.

     Lu Feng felt surprised and he didn’t know how to react. This was the type of coincidence, which would make people grow goosebumps and tingle under their skin.

   “And what is this?” Lu Feng asked, and managed not to show too much excitement in his voice.

     The Arbiter looked up at his question, his expression calm, yet very… observant. His soft eyes seemed to have a sharper shadow; not a malicious one, rather as if he was curious and uncertain, but also… Lu Feng felt a certain expectation. The young man stared at him suggestively for a long time, and Lu Feng slightly frowned.

     He felt like he should know, what this medal was representing, but he was just a tiny rose, and he knew nothing. Besides, they’ve never spoken before, the Arbiter himself assured this the other day. So, what could be the expectation if not “figure out yourself”?

   “You don’t have any guesses?”

     Lu Feng looked deeply into those light eyes, trying to find the answer in them, but in the meantime, he shook his head.

     The Arbiter hummed, and some of his smile came back, not just onto his lips but his eyes too. He put away the bulletcase. When he buttoned his collar up, he seemed much more energetic and joyful, even though his face barely changed.

   “It’s okay. You must not know. It’s better this way. I still have some tasks to do here. See you on the assessment, Lieutenant Lu.”

Lu Feng nodded, and watched him leave with slow yet light steps as if he were stepping on clouds.

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