Yin laid out two pairs of chopsticks and rice bowls, savoring the rare opportunity to set the table for someone other than herself. It was hard to believe that not too many years ago, she was setting the table every night for her husband and son. She cherished those memories as they were always associated with undeniable warmth and happiness. Those nights now felt like it was a lifetime ago. Now once a week, the table is set for Feng as she waits for him to come home.
"Oh Zhuyi," she said to the sleeping beauty. "If you were awake, then I would set your place at the table too. Then you can tell me what type of food you like, and I'll make it for you."
She smiled sadly at the girl, even though she knew there would be no response. Yin longed for company sometimes and was thankful for the companionship the young woman provided. But how she wished Zhuyi was able to answer her. Having someone to converse with daily would be such a luxury.
As she was finishing up the task of setting the table, she felt a slight itch in her throat. She coughed softly into her sleeves, but it wasn't before long that it became a full blown coughing fit. By the time she stopped, her face was flushed and she was catching her breath. Like a persistent parasite, the cough was getting worse by day. She just hoped it would subside when Feng came home. She didn't want to worry him. He was already working so hard for their family.
Yin covered up the food to keep it warm, while she waited for her son's return. Feng should be here within the hour.
As if on a timed queue, Feng threw open the door sending a gust of wind rushing into the cabin. He came bursting in a hurry, breathing hard, as if he was running from a ghost. He startled Yin, who visibly jumped back in surprise.
"Mom, where is Zhuyi?! How is she?!" He barely gasped out, his eyes scanning the room urgently.
Yin recovered from being startled and answered him with a frown, "She is right where you left her. Sleeping." She gestured to the bed where the young woman had laid in slumber for the past five years. "What are you so spooked about?"
Catching his breath, Feng's gaze shifted to the bed, where Zhuyi lay sleeping soundly under the covers. Her face was peaceful and undisturbed, as it had been since the moment he found her in the cave.
His disappointment palpable, he slumped into a chair at the table, rubbing his forehead and sighing deeply.
His mother, puzzled by her usually calm son's outburst, walked over to him and patted his back gently. "Hey… Are you alright? What's wrong?"
Feng slowly looked up at her, his face etched with the lines of long-seeded frustration. He didn't know how to explain it to her. He was afraid she would think he had lost his mind.
"Mom… You better sit down for this…"
It was a short while later, that both mother and son were seated at the dinner table staring intently at the orb shell necklace. Feng had laid the jewelry on the table and the orb gleamed, reflecting the light that came from the candle. After Feng had relayed to his mother what had happened in the forest, the two wore mirrored expressions of concern and mystery on their faces.
The atmosphere between the two could not be more solemn.
"It's not that I don't believe you…" Yin started, wringing her hands. "But what you have just described cannot be natural. You're absolutely sure you heard her voice come from this shell?"
"Yes," Feng replied, although he didn't sound too confident. He was beginning to wonder if his longing for Zhuyi to wake up was beginning to play tricks on his mind. "When I was in the forest, the shell glowed. It had a golden light and I heard a woman's voice come from it. The voice was soft but she sounded kind."
"And you think the voice was Zhuyi's?"
"Yes— I mean, it had to be. The shell belonged to her. She was…" He paused, feeling a little bit hesitant regarding the words he was about to repeat. "She was wondering where I was and asked me to come see her. Who else would that be?"
A chill ran down Yin's spine. This had to be supernatural. She could understand how the forest might have spooked her son after a long day at work, perhaps causing him to hallucinate from exhaustion. But he had described the orb necklace incident so vividly that it was hard not to believe him. Which made the incident all the more eerie.
Yin glanced over at the young woman sleeping peacefully on the bed. Her beauty was as ethereal as the fairies of myth. But even she wasn't blind to the fact that her beauty was too perfect for that of any normal mortal, suggesting that Zhuyi might be something other than human. The fact that they knew nothing about her even after all these years now loomed mysteriously over Yin and her son.
"The other shell is still tied around her wrist, where you left it," Yin said quietly. "I did not move it when I bathed her."
"Didn't she wake up at all? Not even for a moment?" Feng's voice was heavy with disappointment. He had been so sure that he was finally going to meet her after all these years. He didn't realize how desperately he had longed for it until now.
"She didn't," Yin answered him softly. "I was with her the whole day. When I made dinner earlier, I left the cabin door open, so I would have noticed if she had woken up."
Feng stared hard at the shell, his brows furrowed in thought. Could she be communicating from her sleep? Is that even possible? And if she had the capabilities of doing that… What does that mean? Who or what is she?
He turned his head and looked over to where the young woman was lying. Though she had been with them for five years now, there has been no progress in understanding who she was before they found her. Was she a good person prior to falling into her deep sleep?
Approaching the bed cautiously, his eyes searched out the other orb shell that he had tied around her wrist. He reached out and held her hand in his, his finger lightly touching the jewelry. Her skin was soft and warm to the touch. She did not feel like a demon… But then, what did he know about demons?
Up until the week prior, both shells have been in his possession for years. And immediately after returning one of them to her, this phenomenon occurred. Feng marveled at what other secrets these shells contain, as they were the only possessions on her when Zhuyi was found.
"Zhuyi," he quietly addressed her. "If you can hear me… Please do not stop talking to me. If you are using this shell as your instrument to speak, please keep doing it. I want to hear your voice. I want to meet you."
It was then that he noticed a loose strand of hair that fell on top of her hand where he held her. His lips formed into an 'O' and he gently blew the hair off of her hands.
Sighing, Feng pulled the blanket over, covering her body from the neck down. "Sleep well, my darling. I will be here when you are ready."
Yin patted him gently on his shoulder and led him back over to the table. "Let's just have dinner. We have much to think about, but let's do it with a full stomach."
He smiled at his mother, always thankful that she was there for him throughout his life. Even if he had dragged her into this uncanny situation that has gone on for years. It was a guilt that he carried with him daily.
It suddenly occurred to Feng that he had not told his mom about the agreement that he worked out with the master blacksmith.
"Mom, I have some great news to share with you."
The two sat down and had their once-a-week dinner together with Yin listening avidly, while Feng relayed the wonderful news to her. The tension that filled the cabin a moment ago, was melted with the warmth from their upbeat words. Their weekly conversation lasted hours that evening, well into the night, as they were both planning excitedly for what the future may bring, when they move in together united in the village.
Both mother and son did not notice the faint glow that pulsed faintly under the blanket, where Zhuyi was sleeping. It was radiating for a few passing seconds, before it stopped completely.
When the morning came, Yin and Feng stood in front of the cabin, prepared to enact their weekly ritual of farewell to one another.
Yin coughed softly into her sleeve again, not wanting to worry her son, but it did not help that the wheezing lasted a full minute before stopping.
Feng patted her rhythmically on the back, getting increasingly more concerned with each cough. His mom tried suppressing the sound at night, but he heard her anyway.
"Mom, please brew the tea I brought back. They can help with the coughing. I will ask the village doctor about your cough and see what we can do about fixing it. But really, I think you should come with me to the village one day to see him," his face was marred with worry as he was saying this.
"I am fine. It's just a light cough. It comes with old age. The weather has been quite chilly at night lately. I'll burn a few extra logs to keep the cabin warm at night. It will be fine. No need to concern yourself," she responded firmly, standing up straight.
Not feeling confident with what he was being told, he made a mental note to buy her a thicker jacket from the village market. Perhaps that can help with warding the chill away.
"Also," she stated, "I will keep an eye on our Zhuyi. If anything strange happens, I will take note of it. Don't you worry yourself about that."
Nodding his head slowly, he clutched the shell tightly in his hand. He still didn't want to accept that the voice he heard could have been a figment of his imagination.
After bidding each other farewell and exchanging a warm hug, Feng headed back into the forest, following the path leading to the village.
As usual, Yin watched until she couldn't see his form anymore. Then she started coughing again.
* * *
Tuzi stared intently at the orb shell in her hands, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Was that...Atlas?"
Tuzi wasn't sure what to make of the situation. The morning was going by really slowly and she was hoping that the Goddess would come see her today. It had been more than several days since she had last seen her Lady Goddess.
Feeling a bit lonely and maybe also a little bit bored, she blew lightly on the little shell that was tied to her wrist. Like she was taught, Tuzi waited for it to glow before she whispered her words into it. The message should've then been channeled and delivered to her Lady Goddess's shell necklace.
Afterwards, Tuzi waited for a response from the Goddess. But instead of hearing her Ladyship's soft voice, the response that came through was a voice which belonged to a male. She was sure it was Atlas, as she had spent enough time in his presence to memorize the sound of his voice by heart. Why would Atlas have her Ladyship's shell?
The sweet words he had whispered to her were filled with so much emotion and longing, it made Tuzi's face flush. Why was he saying those words to her?
Atlas wanted her to continue talking to him. His voice was so sincere, it had completely taken her by surprise. Should she say something back to him? What should she say?
The drumming of her heart was beating loud and fast. There was a tingle inside her that she hadn't felt before. She licked her pink lips, wetting them as she was nervously thinking about how to respond to his message.
It had been so long since the last time she had spoken to Atlas. So many years ago. Tuzi hadn't realized that she missed spending her time with him in the Realm of Gods. Whether it was trying out silly spells or learning new fighting maneuvers from Atlas, there was never a time where she wasn't having fun with him. She missed him.
It's been so long now… Hearing his voice made her heart flutter wildly. But why?
"Atlas…" she whispered. Tuzi suddenly had so many words she wanted to say to him.
Taking a deep breath, she blew softly onto the gold shell orb that was cradled preciously in her hands. The little instrument began to emit a soft glow, pulsing ever so slightly.
Tuzi moved her lips but before the words could leave them, a pair of warm hands covered her own, extinguishing the light that emanated from the orb.
So surprised was she, that a gasp escaped from her mouth. Her hazel brown eyes shifted quickly from the hands in front of her, to the sapphire blue ones of the Moon Goddess.
She was so engrossed in her own thoughts and emotion, that Tuzi didn't even notice that her Ladyship had finally arrived.
Moon leaned down to her friend, until their faces were leveled with one another. A small smile formed on her lips, as she examined Tuzi's face carefully.
"Tuzi…" she started, touching her on the cheek. "Before you respond to him, there are some things you should know. The circumstances have changed."
"My Lady…?" Tuzi asked cautiously.
The Goddess let out a troubled sigh. "We have much to discuss here, My Dear…"