The first sensation Xiang Ling felt was a cool, gentle touch on her cheek, as if the world itself was waking her from her slumber. A single drop of water slid down her face, followed by another, each one a soft whisper against her skin. Her eyes fluttered open, the soft moonlight filtering through the canopy of leaves above, casting a dappled pattern of silver.
She found herself lying in the shallow waters of a crystal-clear stream, the gentle current lapping at her sides. The stream was so pure that she could see the smooth pebbles lining the bottom and the delicate fish that darted between them. The water was cool and refreshing, just like the moonlight that played across her face.
