"NUE_MOURNFULLY_MOANS_AND_WAILS,JUST_LIKE_EVERY_OTHER_DAY."
Beside her ears, the singing voice in a peculiar tongue echoed from the depths of the sea. That voice, as if a thousand souls, ten thousand souls were singing for her. Although she couldn't comprehend the words, the girl could instinctively grasp the essence of the song.
It was lamenting her life cut short too soon.
And before the girl, the colossal octopus leisurely dove into the deeper reaches of the sea, as if deliberately guiding her. The octopus's pace was not hurried, sometimes even pausing to wait for the girl.
Just like this, the girl swam towards the profound depths of the sea.
"ALL_FLOWERS_AND_BUDS_SHALL_PASS."
Amidst the sorrowful voice, in the deepest part of that dark seabed, the girl finally glimpsed a faint light…
There, was a dreamlike undersea metropolis.
Exquisite dwellings artfully scattered throughout the city, fantastically grand undersea flying bridges interspersed within the city. Everywhere one could see fountains and statues, adorning it like a garden. Countless blossoms floated down from the sky above the city, then transforming into a boundless floral rain. Strolling in this city was like wandering in a sea of flowers.
Bizarre serpentine people with scales on their bodies and towering statures, mermaids with the upper body of a beautiful maiden and the lower body of a fish, savage-looking fish people brandishing weapons… and all manner of strange creatures, humanoid yet not human, were all advancing in this dreamlike city.
Some rode on elegant dolphins, while others commanded massive whales, rising and falling at will in this undersea city veiled in floral rain.
And in this undersea city, there was actually water flowing.
No, it wasn't water, but moonlight. Moonlight bound by magic flowed tranquilly in this city like a river.
Endlessly prosperous, like a boundless golden age.
The girl gazed at everything before her in wonder. In her mind, there was only one thought…
"Nanor…"
Only in this undersea city from the ancient legends of the Serpent Folk dwelling in the Marsh World would there be such a resplendent tapestry of blossoms and prosperity.
"LIKE_AS_COMFORT_IN_MIND_WHICH_RUNS_AWAY_IN_A_MOMENT."
As the girl drew closer to this legendary city, other things also began to appear beside her…
A serpentine warrior wearing archaic armor riding a massive whale looked at her in some surprise, but then seemed to recall something, came to a realization, and respectfully pounded his chest in salute to her.
The girl didn't understand why, the look in her eyes showing puzzlement.
However, ahead of her, the colossal octopus was impatient. It made an urgent and short sound, urging the girl to follow it onward.
"ALL_THE_GODS_ARE_TO_COME_IN_A_NEW_ERA."
Beside her ears, the singing grew clearer and clearer, to the point that the girl could vaguely pinpoint the location of the singing.
A majestic palace towering far above all other edifices - the singing beckoning to her emanated from that palace.
That singing that stirred a tinge of sorrow in her was calling to her. Although she didn't know what she was actually feeling sorrowful about.
In her mind, a hazy female silhouette appeared from time to time, feeling so familiar, yet she couldn't remember who it was, and it was becoming more and more nebulous…
Without the girl realizing it, the memories belonging to a living person were gradually fading from her mind.
"IN_THE_BREAKING_LIGHT_OF_DAWN,NUE_WILL_SING_ALL_OVER_AGAIN.
The bare toes lightly touched the solid stone slabs.
Before the girl, unlike the feeling of overlooking the city from above earlier, only after treading into this city could she truly sense the vastness and magnificence of this metropolis.
Everywhere were towering structures, making her seem incomparably tiny.
In the sky full of floral rain, a falling petal gently alighted on her body.
She didn't know where she should go, but just felt that walking towards the direction of the singing wasn't a bad idea either.
"BUDS_BLOOM,WORSHIP_THE_GODS."
The leisurely voices of many females entered her ears.
A young girl no more than eleven or twelve years old, garbed in a gorgeous long robe that was a bit too large for her, had a face as pure and unblemished as the clear sky, with bewilderment in her limpid gaze.
And beside her, the serpentine people and various beings she encountered along the way all respectfully prostrated in worship before her figure, murmuring praises to the prestige of the Father of Serpents and the Serpent Maiden.
For some inexplicable reason, her heart wasn't stirred by this at all, as if this was simply how it should be.
She disregarded those figures kneeling to her and just walked towards the direction of that tallest palace.
"IN_THIS_LIFE,MEN_EXIST_WITH_HOLLOW_BODIES."
All along the way, everywhere there were throngs trying to kneel to her. In the eyes of these people, she was the incarnation of the Serpent Maiden. Their reverence for the Serpent Maiden made it difficult for them to suppress their feelings of adoration.
Whether praying or exalting, the reasons for worship varied, but only that fervor was exactly the same.
However, no matter how ardent the worship, no one dared to obstruct her advance. They all spontaneously made way for a wide path, allowing her to directly head towards the direction of the palace.
"WHEN_DREAMS_ARE_GONE."
In the floral rain, the girl gazed at the palace before her. Beyond the main gate, one could only vaguely see the hundreds of steps inside and that temple on the lofty mountain within the palace.
Ahead, the towering palace, the main gate had long been opened for visitors, yet no one dared to approach, and no one dared to enter.
Beside her ears, the melodious singing persisted, but the girl had already vaguely realized that perhaps only she alone could hear this singing.
For some unfathomable reason, when she listened to that singing, there was a faint ache in her heart, as if after entering this palace, she would lose something immensely precious…
A blurry figure appeared in her mind from time to time, but she couldn't discern if it was male or female, beautiful or unsightly.
Perhaps… after going in, she would understand everything.
She thought so in her heart and stepped forward.
"ALL_DISAPPEAR_WITH_ETERNAL_REGRET."
After ascending the hundreds of steps one by one, the girl didn't feel fatigued. Or rather, how could a lifeless body possibly feel tired?
Before her was the main gate of the temple. The gate was only ajar, not closed, waiting for someone to push it open.
The singing gradually ceased.
The girl reached out her hand.
In her mind, the figure had completely vanished, empty and void, with no memories at all.
She calmly pushed open…
"Creak…"
Inside the temple was a seemingly brand new realm. Azure sky, ivory clouds, crystalline water, streams and springs… and those beautiful figures sitting or standing, incomparably gorgeous, regarding her with curious gazes.
Those females were tall or delicate, gentle or valiant… varied and diverse, as if all the beauties in the entire world were gathered in this one realm.
The only shared trait among them was that they all had a pair of vertical serpentine pupils, and this not only did not mar their beauty but even added a few points of exotic allure.
"A little sister has come…"
They curiously observed the young girl while whispering to each other, uttering some private words.
And among these myriad figures, one figure was particularly eye-catching. Crimson, silky long tresses, a poised and magnanimous bearing, an air of majesty in her every move, she could be deemed the most dazzling pearl among these many beauties.
And at this moment, the Serpent Maiden walked to the girl's side, holding her hand with an arm as fair as a tender digit, and softly said to her,
"In these ten thousand years, every hundred years I would select a maidservant to offer song, dance, and music to Father. You are the hundredth."
"From now on, you are our sister, serving my father together with us. How about it?"
The girl didn't ask anything, only lightly nodded. From the moment she set foot here, she had already understood what she should do.
The Serpent Maiden then held her hand and, under the gaze of many eyes, walked to a spot by a stream and spring. The girl then quietly sat down and murmured prayers along with the many maidservants of the Serpent Maiden.
Hands clasped tightly, murmuring in a hushed voice.
That ethereal heart unstained by worldly dust had long forgotten everything from her life. Not inquiring about the outside world, only single-mindedly praying to the Great Serpent.
…
And in the deepest part of the seabed, the Great Serpent that had been slumbering for a long time slowly opened its eyes. Listening to the prayers beside its ears, its heart was indifferent.
"Ten thousand years…"
（PS: The poetry in the story is from Kugutsu Uta in Ghost in the Shell. Kugutsu Uta is inspired by Taoist ritual music, which makes it both fascinating and enjoyable to listen ）