[Tian] 1:25 (Patreon)

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LIUFAN TIAN STOOD, WAITING IN ANTICIPATION.

The girl was practically bouncing on her feet in excitement. She felt giddy, a smile— so unfamiliar on her face— was slipping out; she couldn’t hide it at all. She tried to. When she saw the figure make an approach, she really tried to compose herself.

She failed, of course. Instead, she waved at Xun, beaming from ear to ear, cheerfully greeting the other girl as she arrived. They have met dozens of times now. How much time has passed since their first fateful encounter?

Tian didn’t stop to wonder how many months had passed. She was too busy getting squished by the other girl in a tight hug.

“X-Xun… I can’t breathe.”

“Oh, sorry.” Xun stepped back, grinning. She hid her hands behind her back, glancing around. “So, what are we doing today?”

“W-wait, aren’t you usually the one who decides?” Tian asked, blinking.

The other girl shrugged. “I haven’t got much left to teach you.”

Liufan Tian paused; she rubbed at her ears, thinking she misheard Xun. That’s not right. What did…? “Um, what do you mean by that, Xun?”

“It, uh, means I don’t really know what else I can teach you.” Xun scratched the back of her head, almost uncertain. “I’ve… kind of taught you everything I know.”

“You… you did?”

“I did, yeah.”

“Oh.” Tian nodded. She felt her head droop a little.

Xun frantically waved a hand. “Wait, wait, wait, why are you upset?” She gestured all around her— at the Qi gathering around her. “Look, I’ve already taught you as much of the fundamentals as I could!”

“I-I get that…” the girl trailed off. She shifted her feet, uncomfortable, still not meeting Xun’s gaze. “I just thought that I’d be able to… you know?” Tian would never have been able to see such a sight before; it was only thanks to Xun that she was able to see Qi. That she could almost grasp it as something more than just an idea. So, she felt bad that she was upset. But she felt even worse that she hadn’t become a Cultivator just yet.

Drawing her lips into a thin line, Xun stood there silently, struggling to find the words to say. Neither of the girls spoke for a while; there was a veil hanging over them, one that had to be pierced. Finally, Liufan Tian glanced up.

“So, I guess this will be the last time we’re meeting, right?” And that was the second reason for the girl’s disappointment. Now that Xun was done teaching Tian, they were finished. They had no reason to speak with each other any longer.

The fun days— the days she looked forward to. They were all gone.

“Wait, what?” Xun sputtered, staring at Tian with wide eyes. “What makes you say that?!”

Tian curled her jade-green hair in her fingers. She didn’t look at the other girl as she spoke. “It’s just that… you’ve already taught me everything you could, and I’m still a failure. I-I don’t know why I can’t…”

The other said nothing; all she had was an utterly confused look on her face. “What are you even talking about, Tian?”

“I mean, what reason do we have to talk with each other now?” the girl finally said.

Xun crossed her arms, stamping a foot on the ground. “Maybe it’s because I enjoy being around you? That I find being with you fun? I don’t know, Tian— there’s a lot of reasons why I’d like to keep hanging out with you.” She scoffed and shook her head. “If that wasn’t the case, I never would have ever agreed to mentor you!”

Those words caught Tian off-guard. She blinked. What was Xun saying? The words came out from the other girl, almost angry. And yet, what they implied— what they seemed to mean— made Tian happy?

“Y-you mean you’ll still meet with me now?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Xun jabbed a finger at Tian’s face. The girl flinched back, but Xun continued. “We’re friends, Tian. I don’t know what makes you think I only spoke with you to teach you. Seriously, that’s stupid. Why would anyone speak with someone they didn’t like?”

“O-oh.” Tian hesitated. Xun seemed upset— more than a little bit. It was just that the girl had never had friends before. In fact, this was the first time she had been called someone’s friend. Sure, she had thought of Xun as a friend. But she never knew if it was reciprocated or not. “I’m… sorry,” she said in a small voice. “I didn’t mean to make you angry.”

Xun gave Tian a sidelong glance for what felt like forever. Then finally, the other girl sighed. “It’s fine. You didn’t make me angry, Tian. It just hurt to think that you only wanted to talk to me because I was helping you.”

“That’s not it at all!” the girl protested.

“I know.” Xun nodded, a smile spreading across her face. She grabbed Liufan Tian by the hand and faced the other direction. “Come on, if you really can’t think of anything to do, you should show me around the area. I’ve never really taken a look at the area around the sect, and you live here, right?”

“I do, y-yes.”

“Well, some of my friends have been around. They say it’s beautiful— a breathtaking sight, really. And I’d like to see what they’re talking about.” Xun started forward, bringing the girl along with her.

Liufan Tian stared at her back. She almost didn’t know what to say. She was simply glad— relieved— that she’d still be meeting with Xun. Things had never felt so wonderful for the girl; she wanted to ensure that she did everything right so that would forever be friends.

She just wondered why she still hadn’t ascended into Bloom yet.

*******

Why?

The question bounces around in my head— it eats me up from the inside. I repeat the single word to myself over and over again. Why? Why? Why?

I do not know.

What am I even questioning?

I am uncertain.

My thoughts are a mess. My consciousness barely clings onto reality. The only semblance of sense in my mind is the simple question: why?

But why what?

Why can I not ascend to Bloom?

No, that is not right. I have surpassed Bloom long ago; I am now a Florescence. At the precipice of Spring. Immorality had been within my grasps, but it was ripped away from me.

The five Springs. The false test. These memories rush through my head. And another question forms itself.

Why did they reject me?

Is that the right question? Is that truly what I am wondering? It seems… close. Perhaps it is related to the question I seek. However, it is not what I am wondering about.

I am searching for something else; it is close— I am almost there. It has to do with what is happening now. And what happened now?

I had been tricked. I fled to the void, finding refuge only in another world. Then I met a group of rebels— I offered them my help. Why did I even do it? I remember rationalizing my actions, but… is that even correct?

No, there is no point in pondering over this.

What I seek is even closer. It had just happened. We had attacked Galgom’s Hive. We had planned everything— made the preparations needed to defeat the tyrant. But he is not a single entity.

There were a hundred of him. They had overwhelmed our forces— they crushed us completely. I only managed to fight back thanks to my Aspect. Thanks to the Aura that I had failed to manifest for so long.

So, the question remains; I now know what it is.

Why? Why did we lose? No— why did my Aspect only show itself then?

That is the question that I need to know the answer to. Our defeat can be ascribed to underestimating Galgom; I admit that I assumed the immortal was weaker than he truly is. If he can create an army of himself— if I had anticipated that— I never would have supported a direct confrontation.

But my Aspect only showed itself too late. Once it manifested, I was able to slay Galgom after Galgom, all on my own. It was more than I ever could have imagined. If it had shown itself earlier, perhaps we never would have suffered such a defeat.

These questions— they bore into my soul. I wonder why. I find myself being consumed from within, wanting to know the answer. And it is this desire that wakes me up.

***

My eyes snap open. My vision returns— a stinging pain accompanies it. A wound… no, many wounds cover my body. I had been stabbed, cut, and stabbed again.

Grievous wounds. Wounds that would kill any lesser person. But I survived it all. And I was caught— the Websmith had wrapped her threads around me, bringing me down with her. We fell down the abyss, into the pit of darkness, into a sea of blood.

I saw the Galgoms halt; they could not pursue us any further. They hovered over the red liquid, as if it would have burned them if they touched it.

To me, it was soothing. It relieved me to know that I had escaped their assault. But there was something about it that felt… empowering.

I sank straight through the red liquid. I reached a layer underneath it, dropping straight down into the hard rock ground. It was there I slowly fell unconscious.

And it is there I now lie awake. I see the sea of blood above me— it is almost glowing, with tiny droplets landing around me. It does not fall as rapidly as a drizzle. They fall occasionally, the soft sounds echoing in the cavern signifying that the red liquid is leaking down.

Drip… drip… drip…

Yet, it does not stain the ground red. It almost seems like it is absorbed into the earth. It vanishes, leaving not a trace behind it.

I watch this phenomenon, curious. I slowly raise a hand, using it to catch the dropping liquid. It seeps straight through my hand. There is no sensation. Not a physical one, at least. And it is then I realize what this is.

Lifeblood.

With a groan, I force myself to get to my feet. The stabbing pain does not vanish; it covers my entire body. I wince as I steady myself, trying to get a proper grasp of my surroundings. I am in a… cave.

That is right. I am in a dark, damp chamber. It is expansive, with a high ceiling of Lifeblood, an a length of thousands of paces. Stalagmites jut out of the ground— they are large, each of them thicker and taller than any ordinary person I have ever seen.

I narrow my eyes as I spot movement behind the rocks. I reach for my novacloth pouch, feeling the last of my ginsoul pills kept within it. Four left. I grit my teeth. At least I am not low on Qi just yet.

Whoever is approaching me, I will be able to deal with them. I adopt a fighting stance— only to sag my shoulders in relief when I see the large, looming figure.

“Oh, it is just you,” I say, almost breathing a sigh of relief.

The Websmith emerges from the shadows. She walks in a stumble— one of her legs have been torn off my Galgom. Her hobbling is awkward. But she makes her way to me. She does not say anything in response.

I glance up— at the layer of Lifeblood over us. “Did you know that Galgom would not be able to cross through after us?” I pause, remembering that she was the one who brought me down here. Then I bow my head. “If so, I have to give you my thanks. You have saved my life.”

I wait a moment, but she still remains silent. I raise my head and narrow my eyes. The Websmith looks at me with her eight red eyes. Not a word has been uttered from her mouth, although her mandibles are clearly showing.

It is then I begin to grow wary. “Is something wrong?” I do not brace myself for a fight, but I do pay careful attention to her actions. Every minute movement is carefully tracked. “Why are you not speaking?”

There is a click— a few noises coming from her mouth. I frown, waiting for what she has to say. Then I realize she is speaking. Words are leaving her mandibles; she is trying to tell me something.

However, I do not understand what she has to say. My universal translator is broken.

Author's Notes:

2,200 werds. More things happened. Yay. I'm trying to write as much as I can before my graduation on Tuesday before I'll be a little bit busy again with moving and stuff.