The two Rovers stared at each other in silence. They were sizing each other up.
They both had the same black hair and golden eyes. It was like looking at a reflection in a mirror.
Only their clothes were different. The style was the same, but one outfit was for a man and the other was for a woman. This was the only sign that they were not exact copies.
After their brief moment of testing each other, they both came to a conclusion. At their core, they were the same person. They were just different genders.
But how could this happen? Why did the other person exist? Questions tangled in their minds like a messy ball of yarn. Their memories were completely empty.
Both of them had just woken up from a coma. Their brains felt like blank canvases that had been washed clean.
Facing such a strange situation right after waking up would make anyone confused.
They continued to stare at each other. Their golden eyes reflected the confusion they both felt. Neither of them spoke.
A strange silence filled the air. It lasted until Yangyang broke it with her gentle voice.
"Um... are you two okay? Does your body hurt anywhere?"
Yangyang did not understand what was happening with these two. However, her kind heart made her worry about their health first.
After all, one had fallen from the sky and the other looked like he had almost drowned. Finding two people unconscious in the middle of nowhere was very unusual.
The two Rovers turned their gaze toward Yangyang in perfect sync. They shook their heads at the exact same time.
"Who are you?" the female Rover asked first.
Chixia quickly hopped over to Yangyang's side. She had a bright, energetic smile on her face.
"My name is Chixia! And she is Yangyang!"
Chixia's energy was like a warm current. It chased away the heavy atmosphere.
The male Rover had heard their names while he was still groroggy. Now, he focused more on his surroundings.
They were in an open valley. Steep rock walls rose up on all sides. They were standing on a flat area covered in gravel. In the distance, a narrow crack in the rocks let in a bit of light.
After hearing the names, the female Rover also looked around. She followed the male Rover's lead and studied the strange place.
"Where are we?" the male Rover asked.
Yangyang explained patiently. "This is Clouded Ridge. It is on the edge of Jinzhou, which is part of Huanglong."
She paused. Her clear eyes looked at their matching clothes for a moment.
"Your clothes do not look like they are from Huanglong. You both call yourselves Rovers... are you travelers from far away? Or are you... people from the past who have returned?"
The two Rovers shook their heads again. Their movements were so perfectly timed it was scary.
"Rover..."
The male Rover spoke first. His voice sounded uncertain.
"That name just appeared in my mind. I believe it is my name. And... it is the only thing I can remember."
The female Rover followed his words naturally. It was as if they shared the same thoughts.
"As for everything else... we have forgotten it all. I have no idea why I am even here..."
When they finished speaking, they both closed their eyes. Their brows furrowed. They looked sad and frustrated because they could not remember anything.
Yangyang and Chixia looked at them with pity.
"Is it... amnesia?" Yangyang whispered to herself.
Chixia scratched her head. She looked worried. "Baizhi never said there would be side effects like this after waking up..."
While they were thinking, the male Rover looked at the female Rover. He wanted to say something, but something in the sky caught his eye.
The female Rover felt it at the same time. She snapped her head up.
In the sky, the scattered clouds were gathering at a crazy speed.
They rolled and tumbled like boiling waves in the ocean. The clouds quickly blocked the sun. The world turned dark much faster than a normal sunset.
"What is... happening?"
The female Rover muttered. She felt a sense of dread in the air. This did not feel like a normal rainstorm.
The male Rover also became serious. He could feel the air becoming thick and messy. A dangerous energy was moving in the shadows.
Yangyang held out her hand. An invisible breeze swirled around her fingers.
She focused on her senses for a moment. Her expression became very grave.
"The wind brings a message of danger... the Sky-Sea is gathering in the high heavens. It looks like a new Tacet Field is about to form nearby."
Her voice was full of worry. Chixia stopped smiling and looked serious too.
The two Rovers quickly traded a look. They could tell things were bad based on Yangyang and Chixia's reactions.
They asked at the same time, "What does that mean? Is there danger coming?"
Chixia nodded hard. "Yes. It is going to get very dangerous here very soon!"
Buzz...
Just then, a light vibrating sound rang out.
Chixia reached for her waist. She pulled off a strange device that looked like a gourd. She checked it in a way the two Rovers did not understand.
"Just as I thought. The Pangu Terminal is being affected by the Sky-Sea. The signal is completely gone."
She shook the device, but it did not react. "I can't send or receive any messages. We are totally cut off. We need to meet Baizhi at the meeting spot and get out of here."
The two Rovers heard many strange words. Sky-Sea. Tacet Field. Pangu Terminal.
Their faces were full of confusion. It was like they were listening to a foreign language.
Chixia saw their identical confused faces and laughed a little. She put the gourd away. "It seems you really don't remember anything at all."
"But that's okay!"
She put her hands on her hips. Her energy returned. She gave Yangyang and the two Rovers a comforting smile.
"If you have questions, we can talk while we walk! Yangyang and I will tell you everything, piece by piece, from the very beginning!"
Yangyang agreed. She looked at the two Rovers. They were identical in appearance and shared the same name. She raised a practical point.
"...Since you are both called Rover, how should we tell you apart from now on?"
That was a real problem.
The two looked at each other again. They saw the same confusion in each other's eyes.
After a brief silence, the male Rover thought about picking a simple name like 'Rover' or 'Piao.'
But a ray of light suddenly flickered in his empty memories. He followed his instinct and spoke.
"Call me 'Liming Rover,' or just 'Liming.'"
Unlike him, the female Rover chose a simpler name.
"You can just call me 'Rover.'"
She noticed he did not sync with her this time. She gave him a curious, puzzled look.
Yangyang and Chixia did not notice the interaction. They both nodded.
"We shouldn't stay here for long," Yangyang suggested. "If you don't have any other plans, why not come with us?"
The two nodded at the same time. "Alright."
Chixia grinned. She was clearly happy to have new friends. She started to jog away and waved her hand.
"Great! Let's get moving!"
The two Rovers did not hesitate. They followed Chixia. Yangyang brought up the rear.