The morning sun cast a golden glow over Hanoi. The streets surged with their usual frantic energy—motorbikes weaving through familiar alleys, the rhythmic calls of street vendors echoing in the air. Everything was… normal. It was as if the cataclysm of the previous night had never happened.
At the Co Loa relic site, tourists began to return. A group of students listened intently as a guide pointed toward the ancient ramparts.
"…And according to legend, King An Duong Vuong built Co Loa with the divine aid of the Golden Turtle God…"
The children listened with wide-eyed wonder, none of them knowing that the very legend had breathed life into reality just hours ago.
In a quiet hospital room, the steady beep… beep… of a heart monitor filled the space. Van Thien lay on the bed, his arms wrapped in bandages.
A doctor whispered to a nurse near the door. "He's suffering from severe exhaustion, but there are no life-threatening injuries. It's a miracle, really."
The nurse nodded. "Lucky kid…"
In the corner of the room, Minh sat on a chair, his eyes fixed on his older brother. He remembered. Because he had been standing so close to Thien when the final wave of light erupted, the memory wipe hadn't been absolute. He clenched his fists.
"…You saved the whole city, brother," he whispered.
Thien's fingers twitched. Slowly, his eyes drifted open, met by the sterile white ceiling of the ward. He winced. "…Where am I?"
Minh bolted upright. "Brother Thien! You're awake!"
His parents rushed in from the hallway. His mother's eyes were red from crying. "Thank heaven and earth, you've finally come back to us!"
Thien looked at them, his voice hoarse. "Dad… Mom… Minh?"
Minh let out a long breath of relief. "You scared the life out of us!"
Thien instinctively touched his chest. The cross necklace was still there. It vibrated—a faint, almost imperceptible pulse—as if reacting to something vast and distant.
On the small TV in the room, the morning news was playing.
"Last night, residents in the outskirts of Hanoi reported strange light phenomena in the sky… Scientists suggest this was likely a rare cluster of small meteorites."
Minh let out a dry laugh. "Meteorites…?" he muttered.
"Right. Meteorites."
Thien caught glimpses of the battle in his mind, feeling the immense power now lying dormant within him.
Back at the Vong Swamp, the water was as still as glass. No scars of war remained. But deep beneath the surface, in the lightless depths, a pair of colossal eyes opened. The Golden Turtle God was still there. It looked up toward the surface once, then slowly closed its eyes again.
Elsewhere, in a dark, high-tech chamber, a man stood before a flickering hologram. He stared at the corrupted data logs.
"…Duan Thiet is dead," he said softly.
"Obliterated by… a human."
"Should we investigate?" another voice asked from the shadows.
The man nodded, his eyes cold as he watched a distorted frame of Van Thien hauling back the string of the Magic Crossbow. "Of course. Find him."
By the afternoon, Thien was discharged, though he still walked with a slight limp.
"We're going back to the hotel now," his father said. "Get some rest. Our trip is over; we head home tomorrow."
Thien nodded silently.
The next morning, as the family prepared to leave Hanoi, Thien turned to Minh. "I promised I'd buy you those snacks. Let's go grab them before we head out."
Minh looked at him worriedly. "But you're still not 100%."
Thien offered a small smile.
"A night's sleep did wonders. Let's make it quick."
They left the hotel. Morning in Hanoi was a symphony of steam from Pho stalls and the roar of traffic. They stopped at Bao Phuong, a legendary old bakery. The air inside was thick with the delicious scent of lime leaves, roasted flour, and traditional lard.
"Two bags of Banh Cha, please," Thien told the clerk.
A few minutes later, they stepped out, Minh inhaling the scent of the warm treats. "Smells incredible."
"We're not done yet," Thien laughed.
They navigated a small alley to find Gia Trinh Bakery. Inside, it was quiet and orderly, with trays of colorful cakes lined up behind glass.
"Two Banh Xu The and two Banh Chin Tang May, please."
The clerk carefully wrapped the "Nine-Layer Cloud" cakes and handed them over. As they stepped out, Thien subconsciously glanced up at the clear blue sky.
Minh looked at the bags in Thien's hands. "Is that enough?"
Thien looked at his brother and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go back. Everyone is waiting."
When they returned to the hotel, Mrs. Tu was already waving them down. "Where have you two been? We've been waiting until we're out of breath!"
Thien rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Mrs. Tu. I just wanted to get Minh some snacks."
She patted his shoulder firmly. "Alright, alright. Get on the bus! It's pulling up now!"
As the family settled into their seats, the bus began its journey away from the capital. Thien looked out the window, watching the landscape of Hanoi fade into the distance one last time. As a gentle breeze blew through the window, his eyes grew heavy, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.