SSS SKILL: DUPLICATE

Edgar walked inside the park.

The park is surrounded by trees. The trees have emerald leaves. There are benches within the park. Behind the benches are plants with flowers. They are called rainbow flowers. They look like sunflowers. Their petals change into a rippling rainbow whenever the wind blows at them.

Near the center, the benches are arranged in a circular pattern that surrounds the fountain at the center of the park.

The fountain is huge. There are five white circular magic devices on the fountain. The biggest is at the center, with a fountain nozzle at its center. Their surface is carved with magic circles and runes. The magic circles on the magic device in the center light up, and then a big water siren rises. It has the shape of a woman, with its hands stretched on both sides, then the magic circles on four other magic devices lit up.

Splash! Four water dolphins jumped out of the magic circles. When the dolphins dove into the water, the siren jumped up, then rotates its body to its back in mid-air. Its head is facing the water, and it let itself fall to the water.

Splash! The water siren disappears in the water. The water fountain rises again from the nozzle in the middle of the magic device and from the edge of the fountain.

The park is called Paradine Garden.

The girl playing the zither is near the fountain. She is standing. her left hand is holding the zither while her right hand is playing. Her right hand is fast, but it does not look like she is rushing while her fingers are strumming the strings. Her hand moves like an art.

The girl's long ash hair reaches her waist. She is wearing a gray dress and white sandals. She is beautiful, but it is tainted with a diagonal wound scar from her left forehead to her eyebrow.

TNNG! TNNNG! TNNG! The music becomes more ethereal and peaceful. The water fountain starts falling, then the magic circles on the devices light up.

Water ribbons rise and move around within the fountain. They generate winds that blow the long hair of the girl, making it sway. She looks like a goddess as she plays the zither with the magical water ribbons moving behind her back. The audience looks fascinated.

The music is nearing its end.

One more strum, and the music will end, but something happened that shocked the girl.

Flop! Edgar stepped into her world. He is smiling at her.

The girl looks at Edgar with an unbelievable expression. This is her world of imagination. She created this world in memory of her happiest time so she could find the strength to keep on living. How can a man she never saw appear in her imagination? The world is turning transparent until it disappears.

The girl opened her eyes and looked in the direction of Edgar. Her eyes are blind. She can only see black.

"Is it finished?" asked the audience.

"Why do I feel like it lacked a finishing touch?" said a young man.

"What the hell, are you an expert in music? You only feel like that because the music is too good; you just want to listen more!" said a middle-aged man, then he clapped his hands. The others followed and clapped their hands.

The middle-aged man looks at the girl.

"Girl, you did a good job. You are the best zither player I have ever heard," said the middle-aged man with a smile and thumbs up. The girl faces the audience and bows her head.

"Thank you," the girl softly said.

"The skill you showed shouldn't be shown here but on a bigger stage. If only-" The middle-aged man noticed earlier the scar on the girl's forehead and her blind eyes. The scar and blind eyes are hindrances. She might not be accepted by theaters. He and the audience look at her with pity.

The girl gripped her zither when she heard the middle-aged man lower her head. She has a look of sadness.

A nine-year-old girl with missing teeth wearing a green cotton dress is holding a box. She approached the audience and raised the box.

"Thank you for listening to Big Sister Melody; please donate to Saving Grace Orphanage," said the nine-year-old girl.

The audience looked at the girls with pity. They took out their money and put it in the box.

When the audience moved away, Edgar moved closer to them.

The little girl noticed Edgar approaching, and her eyes lit up. He is wearing a black and white windbreaker, black pants, and rubber shoes.

"Brother handsome, have pity on us. My brothers and sisters in the orphanage will run out of food soon. Please donate for the Saving Grace orphanage," said the little girl while raising the box.

Edgar smiled when he heard the little girl. He lowered his body to face the little girl. One of his knees is on the ground.

He put his hand in the pocket of his windbreaker. He took out a large amount of money from his storage space and showed it to the little girl.

The little girl's mouth was wide open when she saw the money.

"B-brother handsome, are you going to donate that?" asked the little girl with an astonished face.

Edgar nodded, then said, "I will give this to the box you are holding."

Edgar moves closer to the little girl and whispers

"I will buy food for all your brothers and sisters in the orphanage. I will also donate a lot of money to the orphanage. Just let me talk with your sister Melody alone."

"No!" the little girl immediately said while shaking her head and stepping back. She thinks Edgar is an evil man who wants to take advantage of her big sister. She will never exchange her big sister for anything!

Edgar smiles as he reads the mind of the little girl. She misunderstood him.

"I will not take her away. We will only talk there. You can even see us talking," said Edgar while pointing at a bench at the edge of the park.

"R-Really?" asked the little girl.

Edgar nods, then whispers again.

"Your brothers and sisters will enjoy delicious foods. Your orphanage will not be lacking money. Just let me be alone with your sister."

There is a frown on the little girl's face. There is a battle of good and evil in her mind. She takes a sneak peek at her sister, then immediately turns her head and closes her eyes. She opened her eyes with determination.

"Sister, it is for the sake of Sister Lora and our brothers and sisters. Don't worry, I will guard you and closely pay attention to you!" Thought the little girl with a serious face.

After a while, Edgar and Melody are sitting on a white bench together. Not too far from them is the little girl, who is sitting on a bench and eating a chocolate given to her by Edgar. Her feet are swinging as she eats the chocolate with relish. She is not paying attention to Edgar and Melody at all.