"Why did you leave me?" cried a woman that looked like Li Dai Lu. Wang Chao was startled at the anguish in her voice. Looking around, he saw that he was no longer cuddled with her in bed, but instead was standing in the middle of a pergola that was perched on the edge of a lake. There were mountains in the background, but the thing that startled him the most was the lavender and blue sky with two moons hanging in it even though it was bright enough for the sun to be out.
"Why did you leave me?" she cried again. It was a twisted knife to his gut, and as much as Wang Chao wanted to go over and pull her into his arms, he couldn't. All he could do was stand there, strong and proud, refusing to bend to the weight of her tears.
"I was called," he heard himself say, but it was not his voice. This one was deeper, more animal-like than human, but without a doubt, it was him.
