Liu A'dou told Chu Yuxuan to report to the company the next day. Then, he went to check on his two elf friends. They were still asleep—he had probably pushed too much Ripple into their brains, keeping them unconscious longer than expected.
Liu A'dou had another apartment in New York, and that's where the two elves were staying.
Both of them had nightmares. Kailan and Ben—one lost a nation, the other lost an uncle.
Ben used to hate hearing his uncle's constant lectures about reclaiming their home planet. It annoyed him. But now that his uncle was gone, he missed it. Missed it deeply. But it was too late.
Ben woke up first. He found himself in a strange room. On the table were food, water, and a note written in English: "You're safe here. Stay."
Ben stayed—because he realized his uncle's body was missing. That terrified him. He searched the whole apartment, but it was nowhere to be found.
At that moment, Kailan woke up too. The unfamiliar surroundings made her extremely nervous. Memories of the guards dying, and of her nightmare, all came rushing back. No matter what she did, she couldn't save her people. That helplessness crushed her.
Ben walked back into the room and saw Kailan—the royal his uncle had died protecting. She was beautiful. But thinking of how his uncle died for her, all Ben could see behind her beauty was the shadow of a devil.
Kailan, who had been pretending to sleep, had already figured out Ben was Jason's nephew. So she relaxed a bit and spoke in Elvish, "I am Kailan Elwen, Princess of the Green Elves. I'm very sorry about your uncle."
"You don't deserve to speak about my uncle," Ben said, stumbling through the ancient Elvish. "He died because of you."
Kailan hadn't expected Ben to have zero respect for royalty. Worse, he directly blamed her for Jason's death. That scared her. He looked like he might attack at any moment to get revenge.
But Ben didn't move. Because the last thread of reason told him it wasn't her who killed Jason—it was the Chitauri. And he himself wasn't blameless either. If he hadn't gone joyriding, maybe Jason wouldn't have died. That thought made his eyes fill with tears again.
He collapsed to his knees, clawing at his hair in agony. He hated himself for being reckless. But regret couldn't undo anything. It just made the pain worse.
Kailan watched Ben unravel, both scared and concerned. He was her only kin left on Earth. Her only subject. She stood up and gathered her courage. Even if he struck her, she would accept it. Because she was no longer the little girl protected by her parents. She was a princess now. She had to survive on Earth. She couldn't let the sacrifices go to waste. One day, she would return home—but until then, she had to live like a true princess.
"This is my fault," she said softly. "Stop blaming yourself."
Ben kept crying. But now, the tears just made him look defeated. He wasn't thinking about his uncle's final words. He wasn't thinking about the future. He just cried. But he was just a kid. That was all he could do.
Kailan finally made up her mind. She knew what it meant for an elf to lose someone. The bond between elves meant grief cut deep. The only way to ease it was to form a new connection. She decided they would form one—just the two of them. A princess and a commoner. Something never before seen in Green Elf history.
By the time Liu A'dou arrived, both Kailan and Ben were sitting silently in the living room, completely lost. Ben was waiting for the person who left the note to return so he could ask where his uncle's body was. Kailan, looking different from any Earthling and unable to speak the language, had no idea what to do.
"You didn't eat anything. Is it because elves can't eat Earth food?" Liu A'dou asked as he stepped inside.
Ben stood up. He recognized Liu A'dou—he was the one who helped him and others during the attack. But right now, he didn't care about pleasantries. He had one question. "Where is my uncle's body?"
"Calm down." Liu A'dou pressed him gently back into the sofa with one hand. "You need food. Tell me what you want and I'll go get it."
"We don't need anything special. We're no different from humans, except we don't eat meat. What you'd call vegetarians," Ben said. "Now tell me—where is my uncle's body?"
"Eat, and I'll tell you everything," Liu A'dou said. "Otherwise, I won't say a word. Also, you need to translate for us. This young lady seems confused by our conversation."
But Ben just stared at Liu A'dou, still unsure of who this man was.
"Don't waste time. We have a lot to do. Hurry up and finish eating. I'll take you somewhere," Liu A'dou urged. "Eat quickly."
Ben said a few words to Kailan before walking over to the table to start eating.
Liu A'dou nodded, seeing that they were recovering well, at least not crying like the day before. He didn't know that as the last two surviving Green Elves on Earth, their fates were now linked. They could only rely on each other to survive on this strange planet.
Even though Ben had lived on Earth for seven years, he was still just a child, having no real understanding of what Earth was like or the adult world.
"Come with me," Liu A'dou said after they had finished eating, leading them to the car.
They arrived at a cold, dimly lit warehouse. Before sending the frozen bodies to Antarctica, the seven frozen figures were stored here. Ben said nothing, but he had a feeling his uncle's body was somewhere in this warehouse.
Sure enough, in the center of the warehouse, Ben saw the frozen body of his uncle.
"Uncle..." The corpse had a peaceful expression, as if just sleeping.
"I plan to send this body to Antarctica. When you're ready to return to your planet, I'll return it to you," Liu A'dou said. "Today is for you to say your goodbyes."
Ben seemed not to hear him. He just shook his head, unsure whether it was because he couldn't go back or because he couldn't let go of his uncle.
Liu A'dou believed Ben was just scared. "I checked your uncle's identity and know your name is Ben. I know your planet was invaded by the Chitauri, but trust me, I can help you return to your planet. However, before that, I don't know if you're willing to learn from me. Will you accept me as your teacher?"
Ben looked at Liu A'dou in confusion. He didn't know what he was supposed to learn.
Liu A'dou pointed at a forklift, and with a flick of his wrist, the forklift began to slowly move. The Force, an energy field present in all living things, responded easily to Liu A'dou's control since he was so familiar with life energy. The Force was cultivated through breathing techniques and willpower, allowing one to manipulate it. Similar to Ripple, Liu A'dou quickly learned how to use it. Though not a master, it was enough to impress children.
Through studying the Ripple and Force, Liu A'dou realized that both energies didn't require universal connections. They relied on the biological potential of the body. Ripple was only concerned with breathing, while Force took it further. The stronger the willpower of the user, the greater the Force could be. With it, one could even condense star systems. If used for destruction, crushing planets wouldn't be a problem. However, only a rare few living beings had the willpower for such feats.
According to explanations in the original films, the Force was carried within a cell in the human body called the Midichlorians. In other words, beings with Midichlorians could use the Force. The Force wasn't a static, dead energy; it was a flowing, living energy in the universe. Jedi knights even had a saying, "There is no death, only the Force." This suggested that after death, Force users would remain in the Force, as Midichlorians were eternal.
Some energies disappear once their source is lost, but the Force does not. The Jedi's oath shows that Midichlorians can be passed down. The original Force could endure for hundreds or even thousands of years. This was the power of the Force.
But Liu A'dou's personal experience told him that Midichlorians and the Force weren't just a simple chicken and egg situation. They could transform into each other. Even without Midichlorians, one could cultivate them through practice. The Jedi in the original films followed the Force's guidance, but Liu A'dou realized that without the belief in the Force, it was just a strong power, nothing more. He didn't need to care about all the extra nonsense. He wasn't planning to be a Jedi anyway.
The power of the Force was undeniable, and it could make the two Green Elven youths masters of the universe.