Chapter 1723: The stories untold

"You should rest."

Penny sat on the edge of the bed, head turned toward the other side where Zoren was standing. She said it because, instead of joining her to rest, he seemed to be headed elsewhere.

Zoren met her gaze and let out a shallow breath, then sat on the other side of the bed.

"I know I should," he said. "But... I can’t rest. Not when everyone else is willing to help me. I can’t fail you — or everyone else. I can’t waste a second, knowing I am putting everyone’s lives on the line."

Penny smacked her lips before pulling herself further onto the bed, crawling to where he was. Once seated beside him, she looked him in the eye and smiled.

"Renren, you know... one of the things I learned from my dad is that not getting things your way isn’t a sign of failure. It’s part of the learning process," she said. "The only time you fail is when you give up. Because really... the opposite of failure isn’t success. It’s nothing. Nothing at all."

His eyes softened at her words, and her smile remained gentle. She clasped his hand and gave it a firm squeeze.

"So it’s okay to rest. We had a really long day," she said sincerely. "And I’m just glad that we’re safe, that First Brother and Dean made it back unharmed. Even Mint — I’m relieved she’s fine, despite her bold stunt in confronting the enemy."

Her smile widened. "Isn’t that already a victory? A small one, sure — but still worth celebrating. It’s still worth acknowledging."

They were getting answers, finding clues — and most importantly, no one was getting hurt in the process.

Because in their first life, they didn’t even get small victories. It was defeat after defeat, a downward spiral they couldn’t control. But now, they still have control over some things, and they get to decide what to do next.

"It’s okay," she whispered. "Let’s just rest for tonight."

Zoren nodded, and with that, the two of them settled onto the bed. However, instead of lying down and falling asleep, they ended up leaning side by side against the headboard.

For a few minutes, silence stretched between them.

"You said to rest," he murmured eventually. "You’re not sleeping."

Penny turned to him with a chuckle. "I am resting."

"But... everything we learned tonight keeps my mind racing," she admitted in a softer tone. "It’s not that I still have a lot of questions, but more like... I’m wondering what else you didn’t tell me."

They stared at each other for a moment.

Even though Penny and Zoren had briefly discussed what to share before the meeting, Zoren still carried the weight of an entire previous lifetime. An hour or two of conversation couldn’t possibly cover all of that.

"Ahh..." He nodded mildly. "Did I mention that I was also reborn?"

"No." Penny pouted. "But we already assumed that, didn’t we?"

"And now it’s confirmed," he replied. "Just like you, Finn, and Jonathan — I was also reborn, memories and all."

And that was why the fake Naylani had met her end early.

"When I was born, I remembered everything," he muttered. "Everyone thought I was non-verbal, but that wasn’t true. I could speak — I just didn’t want to."

After all, remembering the past and how he had lived it... that wasn’t something Zoren wanted. The last days of his previous life had been unbearable. Even he was surprised he lasted as long as he did — he had felt dead inside long before his actual end.

Wasn’t that why he’d once tried to end his life... and take the fake Naylani down with him?

His memories were too much to carry. So when he survived, he resented the world for letting him live. It took him a long time to find anything good in it again.

But just as things seemed like they might turn around... Enzo died. Right in front of him.

"Watching my father rush toward me that day... and knowing how he died in this life—" his voice dropped, "—it brought back every bad thing I’d done. Everything that happened."

He exhaled deeply, eyes cast downward. "I think that’s when my health started to deteriorate. When my mind wiped itself clean."

Not because of the injury to his head that day, but because of the shock. His brain had locked the memories away so he could go on living. Even so, his heart and deep in his soul, knew he should be dead. Thus, his health still deteriorated.

He’d suspected that before. But now... it felt like clarity.

It wasn’t just a theory anymore. It was confirmation.

"It was cowardly," he muttered with a bitter scoff. "To erase your own memories just to keep going... hah. Don’t you think?"

He lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"You think?" she returned, her voice calm. "I’m not the one to decide whether it’s cowardly or not. But thanks to that, I met my ex-husband, married him, and came to love him. Had it not for that, I’m probably still single."

A soft chuckle escaped her. "Besides, I don’t think your father ever regretted saving his son. Even I would throw myself into a blender if it meant saving Blacky and Chunchun. No parent would just watch their child die if they could do something about it."

"Wouldn’t you do the same for our kids?" she asked. "I mean, they’re not human... but they’re our babies."

"Haha." He laughed softly, shaking his head. "I would. But I still don’t think my father should have."

"Hmm?"

Zoren pressed his lips together for a second, then glanced at her, curiosity glinting in her eyes.

"I’m not my father’s child, Penny."

"..." Penny blinked. Once. Twice. As if the words he uttered didn’t register.

Then it clicked.

"What?" she gasped, peeling herself away from the headboard to face him fully. Her brows knitted tightly. "Renren, what did you just say? You’re not... what?"

Zoren shrugged. "I didn’t bring it up earlier — not because I thought it was unimportant, but because Dean was there. And this... would’ve hurt him even more than it hurts me."

"In my first life..." he continued quietly, "I found out I wasn’t Naylani and Enzo Pierson’s son. I was just a child they were raising... because they thought I was theirs."