This wasn't my mother. My real mother died two weeks ago.
"Zilan told us you completely lost your memories," she took my arm and guided me back to the bed. I let her tuck me under the cover, not knowing how to respond. The woman stared at me longingly, as if she was hoping I'd hug her and assure her that I've regained all my memories.
"You're my mother?" I asked timidly. Honestly, I didn't care.
She pulled me into a hug.
"Yes. I'm your mother. I'm not going to be mad right now, but just know I'm not happy you got drunk in a bar and hit yourself in the middle of the street in front of hundreds of people. If you don't care about your dignity, at least preserve the dignity of the Liang Clan. Your father isn't the type of man to show is feelings, but he's worried about you." her eyes crinkled. "We all are." She pulled me into a tight hug. A sick feeling swam through my body. I wasn't their daughter.
Or was I?
Maybe my past life on earth was just a bad dream.
What if I accepted this life?
What if I started over? Wearily, I returned the hug, letting myself open-up. Just a little…
"I have a request," I said, breaking the hug. She nodded, listening intently. "First, I want to be called 'Loralie', not 'Meilan'." She looked like she wanted to protest, but nodded, agreeing. "Second, I wish to be able to leave and visit the places outside this… house."
"Once you've recovered," she promised, tapping my nose. "And once we've helped cultivate your mana a bit further."
"Is mana short of magic?" I asked, burrowing deeper into the blankets.
"No. Mana is the amount of 'life' stored in your body." She reached for the cup. "As you can see, this cup is half full." She waved her hand over the cup, and it filled up all the way to the top. I gasped. She winked, continuing at not stopping for me to ask questions. "Right now, that's where you're at. Your body is full of life, and so it's forced to use the life for something. Like changing your hair color. And if it becomes too much, your body will rip and try to destroy itself. These are how most of the scars are acquired. Some people die from the process. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, we learn something new to prevent it." She rested her hand on top of the cup. Suddenly, the glass shattered, and water exploded across the room. I watched in amazement as she guided every last water drop into a sphere in the air. The floor and blanket were once again dry. "If the mana continues to build, then a Jem is born." She smiled. "Your brother and I are both Jem's. I was blessed with water and he was blessed with illusion. Looks like you might attain an ability soon as well."
I shuddered, the thought of me having some sort of magical ability terrifying.
"What if I don't want it?"I asked quietly.
She took my hand, easing the tension building in my chest.
"Then you don't have to use it. Your life is your own choice. No one can force you." Tears pricked my eyes, and I forced them back down. That was the phrase my mother used to tell me. I placed my other hand on top of hers. Today, I'm choosing to be a different person. Today, I started over. Today, this woman is my mom, and I am Loralie from another world.