wake up
If you woke up in a completely unfamiliar place and someone told you: you are not human and have achieved immortality! Would you believe it?
* * *
Mi opened her eyes. Before her was a strange green forest: low-lying grass nearby, dense shrubs in the distance, and towering, enormous brown tree trunks reaching into the clouds. The slender blades of grass were covered with even finer down, and the tall trees were covered with broad, glossy leaves the size of a hand. A hand? Mi held her hand up to her eyes. There was nothing there but the grass she had just seen. Mi blinked, then turned her hand again. Still, there was nothing.
Mi tried turning her head, and her vision followed. All she saw were towering trees, their dense leaves obscuring the sky. Dim light filtered through the gaps between the branches and leaves, and the dim forest was silent and still. Mi looked down, searching for her feet. Before her was still tender green grass; she could even feel the soft blades of grass gently rubbing against the soles of her feet, sending a slight tickle through her. She was certain she wasn't wearing shoes, and she couldn't see her feet either. Where had her body gone?
Mi closed her eyes, trying to remember who she was. In a daze, images flashed through her mind: she lived alone; just a moment ago she was in the kitchen picking vegetables, putting the stalks into the trash can, standing up and walking to the living room. She tripped at the kitchen doorway, reaching out to grab the door, but she fell. "Ouch, that hurts!"—Mi, remembering everything, was gripped by a sharp pain. She reached up to rub her throbbing head, but where was her head?
Mi opened her eyes again, and all she saw was lush greenery. She had tripped and fallen at home, and then, she died.
"So where is this?" Mi straightened up. She felt that she was standing up straight. There was a distance between the huge trees, and gray clouds were visible overhead. All around was an endless expanse of green.
Mi tried to walk forward, her vision following. Among the low bushes were scattered tiny white flowers. Small thorns clung to the bushes; just as she was about to bump into one, Mi instinctively reached out to block them. Looking up, she realized she had passed through the bushes. A winding river appeared before her, its wide surface reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, bushes, and giant trees. The water was clear, with subtle ripples on its surface, shimmering like fish scales. The sky above the river was a jewel-like blue, perfectly contrasting with the gray of the forest sky, with clusters of white clouds drifting slowly across the blue canvas. The river blocked Mi's exploration; the opposite bank was shrouded in a thick white fog, obscuring everything.
Mi hesitated for a moment on the riverbank, then followed the direction of the current. On the other side of the river was a misty expanse; this side was mostly covered with waist-high shrubs, with occasional solitary giant trees and grassy slopes, like a sparsely populated primeval forest.
Mi stopped, listening intently, trying to detect even the slightest sound of animal movement, but the air was filled with an almost eternal silence. It was so quiet here, as quiet as heaven, except Mi couldn't see any angels.
Mi walked tirelessly along the river for an unknown amount of time. Should she continue? Mi stopped in confusion. She had neither feet nor hands. She could see the forest but couldn't touch it; she could move forward but couldn't walk. No obstacle in the forest existed for her; she could pass through any barrier. Mi didn't understand what state she was in.
Mi squatted on the riverbank several times, looking at the water. The water reflected everything she could see on the bank: trees, grass, the distant blue sky, and drifting white clouds. But Mi herself was nowhere to be seen, as if she didn't exist in this space and time. Silence, an absolute silence. Logically, Mi should have felt fear, yet she sensed no danger. The silence here was utterly still, devoid of any sound or movement. The water flowed silently, its surface shimmering, but no wind blew. Everything before her was like a still painting, and Mi's gaze wandered through its pages.
Mi began to wander through the forest, discovering that everything was clearly visible within it. The roots of the grass were black soil, clumps tightly clustered together. Mi could almost see the gaps between the black soil, from which a faint light shone. The white roots of the grass spread out, intertwining with the slender roots of shrubs and the thick, black roots of giant trees, dotted with black, protruding nodules. These roots formed a vast underground network, beneath which lay nothing but endless darkness.
Mi could climb to the very top of the giant tree, where tiny, tender green buds sprouted, reaching into the clouds. The slightly curled buds had very pale yellow centers, as if the leaves would unfurl at any moment, and the branches would grow even higher, the giant tree growing endlessly upwards. Above that was a gray sky, devoid of cotton-candy clouds, only layers of gray clouds slowly shifting like the calm before a storm. Mi could even see lightning hiding behind the clouds, flashes of white light streaking across the sky.
The longer Mi wandered, the more she discovered. She noticed that the sky above the forest tops was different from the sky above the river. The sky above the river changed between day and night; although there was no sun, the interplay of light and shadow created a sense of alternating day and night. Sometimes the sky was azure, like a crystal-clear sapphire; sometimes large, fluffy white clouds drifted by; sometimes it was covered with small, scale-like clouds; and sometimes wisps of pale blue mist shrouded the sky like smoke.
Every so often, the sky above the river began to change, the blue gradually deepening, until a purplish-black curtain slowly covered the area, the light fading away bit by bit. Pure black enveloped the place; no stars twinkled, no moonlight shone, and the river flowed silently under the night sky, faintly shimmering with silver light, like a buffer zone between a silent forest and an eternal mist. After an unknown amount of time, the dense black began to change, like a flowing ink line; a glimmer of light pierced through the mist, the black slowly receded, and daylight once again took over this small world. There was no scorching sun, no dazzling clouds, only the alternation of night and day, with only clouds forming different patterns in the sky.
It's always daytime in the forest; there's no darkness, no alternation of light and shadow, no cycle of black and white. Only the varying shades of green make you feel that this place is forever teeming with life.
Now Mi can go anywhere. She doesn't feel tired or need to sleep. She can climb the tallest tree without hands, stand without feet, and run back and forth without getting tired. Aside from the initial panic, there is no danger here, no other animals or humans, and no angels. As long as she is not afraid of loneliness and silence, Mi thinks, "It's good. I have gained another kind of immortality."
* * *
On a distant shore, above a patch of black reefs, flocks of white seagulls flew across the sea, occasionally swooping down to snatch small fish from the water. A fierce wind pushed the waves against the reefs, scattering the spray into tiny droplets that fell onto the black stones. Two women, hand in hand, quickly crossed the reefs. Their bare feet seemed oblivious to the pain. They swiftly stepped over the rocks, leaving the stormy area behind, and soon disappeared from sight behind another set of rocks.
A group of men carrying axes and sticks walked out from the beach a little further away. Their eyes were fierce as they scanned the sea and rocks. The strong sea wind lifted the corners of their clothes, revealing their dark skin and strong muscles.
"Where did they go? Where did you see those two women go?" The men pulled at each other as they came to the beach, muttering, shouting, and searching. Behind them, a man on a white horse, wearing a turban, angrily brandished his whip and shouted at the group, "Go find them! If you don't find them, I'll kill you all!"
The men who had been chasing after the women scattered, driven into the sea. They struck the murky water with their sticks, seemingly trying to drive away the two women their master had mentioned. Some men climbed onto the jagged rocks, stepping on the backs of others. Clinging to the sharp peaks, their eyes darted between the rocks, trying to spot the two women who had just escaped. More men climbed the rocks, cautiously navigating, only to fall back into the sea because the rocks were wet and slippery.
The man on the white horse watched as the men he had driven out searched frantically, like headless flies. At first, some men crawled out of the sea, bleeding from their foreheads and with cuts on their legs; they would scatter and continue searching. Soon, fewer and fewer men emerged from the water. They huddled together, shivering in the water, afraid to stop searching or to climb onto the beach to rest. As darkness fell and the sea breeze grew stronger, the man on the white horse had no choice but to turn and leave. A group of wounded men, watching the rider depart, helped each other out of the water and followed him away.
Beneath the dark reef lay a cave, where two women hid. One wore a white linen robe, her silver hair braided into a single plait hanging down her chest. The silver-haired woman possessed a breathtakingly beautiful face, fair and radiant, with deep-set, azure eyes that could captivate anyone. Beside her stood a round-eyed girl in a pink dress, her hair styled in two buns, her black hair and eyes like those of a graceful young woman straight out of an Eastern painting. The ever-flowing seawater had no effect on them; they stood on the water like immortals. The waves crashed against the reef, creating white foam, and the sea breeze billowed their robes, revealing their beautiful, slender, and graceful figures.
“Joe, we need to get back.” A glint flashed in the silver-haired woman’s hairband. She picked it up and examined it closely before saying, “A new witch has come to the Witch Forest. She needs a guide.”
Joe glanced down at the headband on the woman's chest. She raised her wrist, which was also wrapped with a ribbon identical to the one on the silver-haired woman's braid: "El, my headband isn't reacting at all."
Al reached out and patted Joe's back to comfort her: "You haven't become a guiding witch yet."
Qiao Dingding looked at El and asked softly, "Do we really have to go back?"
El held up her headband, on which a bright star pointed in a direction. Joe hugged El and buried his head in her chest: "El, don't fall in love with her, don't fall in love with any witch." El gently stroked her. Two bright orbs of light flickered in the black rock cave, slowly merging into one and finally disappearing.
Before darkness fully descended, the man on the white horse returned to his kingdom. The magnificent palace was decorated with flowers and ribbons, and merchants and ministers coming and going bowed to him with gifts to congratulate him. The hall was piled high with gifts to congratulate the king on his upcoming marriage to the queen.
In a room within the palace, plates were piled high with pearls and jewels, and the table was covered with a magnificent carpet laden with ornaments that could attract any woman: sparkling diamond necklaces glittered, rows of dazzling gemstone rings stood side by side, and strings of shimmering pearl necklaces trailed from the table to the floor. A splendid gown woven with gold thread hung on a shelf against the wall. Maids knelt with their heads bowed in a corner, awaiting the arrival of a beautiful young woman to be dressed as the most resplendent bride.
The king brandished his whip, lashing out at everyone he saw, and the servants bowed and backed away from him. In a fit of rage, the king overturned the table laden with jewels, tore his robes adorned with pearls and gold thread, and smashed the mirrors on the wall. Jewels scattered everywhere, leaving the entire room in a mess, and the maids huddled together in a corner, trembling with fear.
The king summoned his ministers and announced the closure of the border: "From now on, the Sea Kingdom is only allowed to enter, not leave. No one is allowed to leave the Sea Kingdom, and not even a bird can fly beyond the border of the Sea Kingdom."
"Yes." The ministers withdrew one after another, and the warriors seized all the ships at the docks and ports. Merchants and travelers were all put under guard. Soldiers patrolled the border day and night, and hunting dogs sniffed incessantly, watching the empty roads warily, not letting a single rat that tried to slip away escape.
As daylight faded, long torches were lit along the border, their light piercing the darkness, ensuring no one could escape such a tight blockade. On the other side of the border lay the Flower Kingdom, bordering the Sea Kingdom. Towering walls divided the land in two: on one side was the flat Sea Kingdom, and on the other, the mysterious Flower Kingdom within its walls.
* * *
In the more distant Ailian Castle, the long-lived Ailian is trapped in a dark dream, unable to awaken. In the courtyard, the mimosa tree is slowly sprouting golden buds, their pale yellow shoots revealing glimpses of golden light.
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