This chapter shows what happened to Bambam after he got sucked into the space with Yetao and Whylucas after touching the glowing mark.
After being pulled into the strange void by the glowing mark alongside Lucas and Yetao, Bambam found himself surrounded by endless darkness. He tried desperately to sense Yetao's life energy but felt nothing. Fear gripped him—if he unleashed his full power blindly, he might inadvertently harm Yetao.
"Taotao!" he called out repeatedly, walking endlessly through the void until a voice—eerily similar to his own—broke the silence.
"I've been waiting years for this moment for years and you come only now?" The unseen speaker's tone dripped with mockery.
Instantly on guard, Bambam concentrated to locate the presence and shot venom from his nails toward the voice. The attack was deflected effortlessly, followed by mocking laughter.
"You've got reflexes, but you're still so weak." The voice carried a smirk. "I wonder what I was wasting my days on before my awakening."
A figure emerged from the darkness, and Bambam's eyes widened in shock. It was himself—or rather, a version of himself corrupted by demonic energy, with hair and eyes blazing crimson.
"Who are you?" Bambam demanded, holding his ground despite his unease.
The doppelganger's lips curled into a knowing smile. "I'm you. Of course, you don't know this yet since you've yet to awaken."
None of this made sense. Bambam refused to accept such an absurd claim. "Hallucination, huh? What nonsense are you spouting? Like I'd believe everyone with my face." His silver pupils began to glow with fury. "First of all, where is Taotao? Did you mess with him too?"
"Taotao?" The other laughed with unsettling familiarity. "You're making me reminisce about the older days, you know?"
Something in the way this imposter spoke Yetao's name so casually made Bambam's veins bulge with rage. He channeled his power into his right hand, coating it with venomous aura before lunging forward.
In a blur of movement, the attack was deflected, and Bambam found himself caught by the throat from behind.
"Do you think I don't know what this old version of me would do?" The doppelganger's grip tightened. "Hold your act. I don't have the patience."
Bambam exhaled sharply against his captor's hand, causing it to erupt in flames. The grip loosened enough for him to break free.
"I don't have patience either. WHERE IS TAOTAO?" Bambam's expression turned fierce, deadly.
"I was quite weak at this time, if I remember correctly." The other Bambam seemed amused rather than threatened. "What's with this sudden surprise? Anyway, I don't want to fight the kid version of myself. So why don't we start with sharing our memories faster?"
Before Bambam could react, the doppelganger's finger touched the center point between his eyebrows. Memories flooded into him like ice flames—visions of an unknown future that left him stunned, frozen in place.
"I always wondered," the future Bambam mused, "what if I had been the one who met him first? Or if I hadn't done those things, hurting him during the awakening?" His expression softened with what looked like regret. "For once, that stray kid Zihao did something useful. I'm not going to waste this chance, my old self', he was determined.
"Can we correct what we did wrong?"
With those words, the future Bambam stepped forward and merged with his past self. Their energies combined, past and future versions creating a single balanced life-force.
When Bambam next opened his eyes, it was to the sensation of Yetao touching his chains underwater. Shock and relief flooded through him at the sight of Yetao's face. Without hesitation, he transported them both to a secluded island after saving him.
While Yetao laid unconscious on the shore, Bambam created an impenetrable barrier around the island, ensuring no one could detect their presence. His task complete, he sat beside Yetao, running gentle fingers through his hair with tender care.
"Should I be relieved you don't remember anything?" he whispered, tears falling like pearls. "Or should I be scared that I might hurt you again?"
Noticing Yetao is beginning to wake up, Bambam quickly withdrew, wiping away his tears before approaching once more, composing his face into a mask of calm that hid the tempest of emotions within.
Yetao's eyes fluttered open.
As his vision cleared, he noticed a pair of feet standing before him. Slowly looking up, he found himself face to face with the man who had been chained beneath the ocean.
Yetao flinched, but Bambam smiled reassuringly. "No need to panic. You're safe here."