Chapter 284 - 285 - A brilliant idea
Kailun returned to his own body with a jolt, gasping quietly as he opened his eyes. His chest rose and fell slowly while his limbs felt like they’d turned into melted wax. He let out a long, trembling sigh and stared blankly at the ceiling above, dazed. A strange heaviness settled in his bones.
The longer he stayed out of his body, the worse this strange exhaustion seemed to get. It was like his soul got stretched too thin each time. Now, every nerve felt drained. His vision swam slightly as he sat up on the bed, gripping the edge tightly for balance. His hands trembled faintly, and even that simple act felt like lifting stone.
He exhaled again, slower this time, forcing his jelly-like legs to hold. With sluggish effort, he pushed himself up and walked unsteadily out of the room.
Just outside, Jai sat cross-legged on the carpet next to the sofa, brows furrowed in worry. His eyes darted towards the hallway the moment Kailun stepped out. The boy’s expression lit up in cautious relief as he jumped up and hurried over.
Kailun reached out and gripped Jai’s hand silently, gently tugging him back toward his room. The old man didn’t say much as they walked — just a vague grunt and a tired shuffle. But once they stepped inside, he softly shut the door and lowered himself onto the edge of the bed again.
"You must be worried about that guy..." Kailun mumbled, trying to keep his voice casual. His tone held a tired lilt, as if he were just making small talk.
Jai blinked. "Huh? Who—oh... you mean Shao?" His brows furrowed slightly.
But as Jai stood there, he felt Kailun’s fingers squeeze his hand twice in a rhythmic pattern.
Then again — pause — again.
Jai immediately recognized the system. Dots and dashes. Morse.
Kailun had taught him this language years ago for emergency communication. Back then, Jai had thought it was ridiculous, but now... it was suddenly useful.