Chapter 340: Were you even real?

"Renren!"

"There you are, Renren!"

"Hello, Renren!"

"See you, Renren!"

Zoren’s eyes softened as he stared at the plump and adorable young girl glowing so beautifully in front of him. He reached out a hand to touch her, only to realize she was farther than he thought.

"Penny," he whispered, his voice laced with deep longing. "What am I going to do now?"

The young Penny smiled at him and tilted her round head to the side.

"I can’t see," he breathed out. "Everything... everything is black, and I’m... scared."

Are they still going to be friends now?

"You can’t see?" Her round eyes blinked adorably before she pointed at herself. "If everything is black, then how can you see me?"

"..."

Her lips stretched into a grin, making her bouncy cheeks look full. She moved her face closer, her eyes shimmering.

"Renren, you’re kidding!" she exclaimed. "Liar!"

"Haha." A soft chuckle escaped him as he looked at their surroundings.

Everything else was black except for her. But then again, he knew he could only see her because she was a part of his imagination.

"Penny," he called, smiling subtly. "I missed you."

Penny pouted. "Why do you miss me? We’re just together."

He smiled wryly in response.

"Renren, are you having problems again? Are you hurt? Where?" Curiosity gleamed in her eyes. "Tell me. I’ll take care of it."

Zoren pressed his lips into a thin line while gazing at her. "Were you... even real?"

"Hmm?" Her brows rose, blinking.

"Penny, were you real?" he repeated, making her tilt her head to the side. "Or were you just a figment of my imagination? A creation of my mind just to keep myself alive?"

The longer he waited, the more he questioned if his childhood friend was ever real or simply something his mind made up. It wouldn’t be surprising if that was the case. After all, his brain kept sending mixed signals to the rest of his body, causing a perfectly healthy organ to fail.

He wouldn’t be surprised if Old Mrs. Pierson, Butler Hubert, and everyone else were simply playing along with his Thursday Girl because it helped him want to live.

"Sometimes... I question my own sanity," he whispered. "Penny, are you..."

"Renren..."

Zoren halted as his brows rose when he heard a woman’s voice somewhere in this darkness he was trapped in.

"Renren..."

His eyes slowly fell on Penny in front of him, only to see her smiling. Her smile was still bright as ever, but it carried a hidden meaning.

"Penny," he called, only for the little Penny to speak.

"Renren, you are right," said the young girl. "I am a figment of your imagination because the real me is not in here."

Her eyes squinted as her smile stretched. "I’m not in this darkness, Renren. Wake up, and I’ll be there, waiting for you!" She nodded. "Let’s have a lot of fun, okay?!"

The little Penny beamed at him as she straightened her back. "See ya, Renren~!"

"Wait, Penny." Zoren reached out as she slowly vanished into thin air. "Penny, don’t go—"

"Renren." Again, the familiar voice of a woman echoed in his ears. "Can you please... get better? Don’t be sick anymore. I’m... worried."

Zoren slowly looked around in the dark space he was trapped in, trying to search where the voice was coming from. The voice was soft and full of genuine worry, as if she was on the brink of crying.

"Who... who are you?" he asked, only to hear her call him again. "I—"

Meow.

Suddenly, he heard a cat’s purr. He quickly turned his head, and there was suddenly a flame in the middle of this pitch darkness.

Meow.

His eyes slowly fell on the light that was moving toward him, only to see a cat emerging from the darkness. Deep lines appeared between his brows because on top of the cat’s head was a candle.

Meow.

The cat stared at him briefly before it slowly turned around and walked away.

"Wait!" Zoren called, running after the cat. Although he was running and the cat was walking, he felt like he was falling far behind. Thus, he picked up his pace and ran faster—faster than he had run in a long time.

Meow.

"Wait!" he yelled before he decided to stop calling and simply followed.

After what felt like an eternity and several laps of running, he finally caught up with the cat. He rested his hands on his knees, panting for air, eyes on the cat who suddenly stopped. When it purred, he slowly lifted his gaze to the door in front of it.

The cat purred once more, earning his attention again. It looked him straight in the eye, its tail swaying smoothly from one side to the other.

"You..." he breathed out as he straightened his back. "You want me to go there?"

The cat didn’t respond and simply stared at him. Zoren gazed at the door, eyes squinting a little. Thanks to the candle on top of the cat’s head, he could see the old surface of the door in front of it.

As silence ensued while he stared at the old door, the door suddenly creaked loudly and eerily. It opened slowly from the inside. Zoren straightened his back, eyes fixed on the door.

Meow.

When the cat purred again, the side of his lips curled up slightly. "Does this door mean... I have to let her go?"

Did crossing that door mean he would have to let that little Penny from his memory go and move forward?

"I can’t do that," he whispered, and this time, the cat’s purr sounded closer. Gazing down, he saw the cat nudging his feet before biting the hem of his pants as if dragging him with it. "I’m sorry. I can’t..."

Zoren trailed off when a faint scent wafted through his nostrils. Following where that particular faint and soft scent was coming from, his eyes landed on the door. He knew this scent—he was familiar with it—especially after today.

"Penelope," he whispered, only to hear the cat’s purr once more. His eyes softened as a small smile turned up on his face. "Chunchun, are you telling me to let you all go?"

The cat meowed at him as it looked up. But instead of dragging him out, the cat slowly walked toward the door. Before crossing the door, it looked back at him one more time, and then it crossed and disappeared from his sight.

Zoren stood frozen in the same spot for a long time before he took a step forward and marched to the door.