Ember's body began to drift slowly, as if she were floating on a gentle current. She tried to inhale, but her lungs felt constricted, like an invisible force was blocking the air from entering her nostrils. Panic set in as she struggled to breathe, her chest heaving with desperate gasps.
Feeling suffocated and lightheaded, her eyes snapped open. She found herself drowning underwater, surrounded by the calm, dark waters of a lake. Instinct took over, and she swiftly moved her arms, trying to swim upwards, towards the surface.
After what felt like an eternity, her head broke through the lake's surface. She grasped desperately at the air, stabilizing her breathing before striking out towards the shore.
Her strokes were sluggish and unsteady, but she pushed on, driven by the urge to escape the water.
Finally, she reached the shore, collapsing onto the rocks that lined the beach. She sat there, panting badly, her lungs burning from the exertion. Coughing up water, she struggled for air, her body trembling with each ragged breath.
As she slowly regained control of her breathing, she looked around, taking in her surroundings. The sky was ablaze with hues of orange and pink, the last rays of the setting sun casting a warm glow over the landscape.
A nearby bridge spanning the river was bustling with cars and vehicles, their headlights twinkling like stars as they moved past each other.
"Puff! Puff!" Ember called out, her voice shaking slightly as she scanned her unfamiliar environment. She felt lost, with no idea how she got there.
Suddenly, a faint, digital voice responded, "Here!" Her eyes locked onto a familiar fluffy rabbit appearing before her from nowhere. It was still hovering in mid- air.
Relief washed over her face as she saw Puff. She let out a deep sigh, her tense muscles relaxing slightly. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice trembling with a mix of suppressed anger, and frustration. "What's going on here? Will you explain?"
Puff's responded calmly, "This is China, and we are currently in Beijing." Ember's eyes widened in astonishment, her mind struggling to comprehend the situation.
As she tried to make sense of it, her gaze dropped to her own body. She was shocked to see that she was wearing a uniform. "This- this body-" she stuttered, confusion and anxiety etched on her face.
Her eyes snapped back to Puff, narrowing into slits. "This is Li Yue?" she asked, her voice shaky, filled with uncertainty.
Puff gave out a nod. "Yes, she died by drowning," it said, glancing at the river.
Ember's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "She didn't know how to swim?"
Puff's expression remained neutral as it said in its monotonous tone, "She did. But she was murdered."
Her eyes widened slightly. "What? Murdered!? By whom?" she asked again, her voice rising.
Puff's face showed a hint of boredom, "That's what she wants you to find out." It shrugged its small paws.
"Oh!" She exclaimed, her expression changing to one of understanding. "What else does she want me to do?"
Puff nodded. "She asked you to make up for her regrets, find her murderer, and avenge her death."
Ember hummed softly in response. She stood up, dusting her hands. "Tell me the details along the way. Let's go to her house." She said, before turning to walk away. Puff drifted slowly through the air, and trailed behind her.
~~~~~
Puff was floating alongside Ember as they walked on the footpath of a busy road that was humming with cars whizzing by. The darkness of night had fallen, but the streetlights cast a warm glow on the scene. Ember's damp clothes from before had almost dried completely.
"Li Yue is the daughter of the famous and wealthy Li family," Puff explained, its voice steady and calm as it flew in lazy circles around her.
"She has two brothers, but no sisters. Her cousin, Zhao Shui, is the daughter of her maternal aunt. After Zhao Shui's parents passed away 5 years ago, she was adopted by the Li family."
Ember listened intently, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. But suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks, causing Puff to halt its flight as well.
Her gaze snapped to Puff, her eyes narrowing in distaste. "You look ugly," she said bluntly. "Change into something else."
"What?" Puff let out a dramatic, shocked sound, its fluffy body stiffening. "You want me to change my cute, adorable form?"
Ember nodded curtly, her eyes narrowing as she pointed out in a direction "Change into that," she said firmly, leaving no room for argument.
Puff's face twitched in dismay as it turned to look where she was pointing. "A Raven? You're asking me to become a raven!?" It exclaimed, its voice cracking with outrage.
She didn't care, and gave out a bored look. "If you don't want to change, then don't follow me anymore" Her words were flat and final.
Puff froze, its eyes flashing with anger as it gave her a glare. But then, in an instant, it vanished in a flash of light and reappeared as a sleek black raven. Seeing that, she turned and started walking away, with puff following her.
As they walked, Puff continued its explantation, "Li Yue was the apple of her family's eye, but everything changed when Zhao Shui arrived. Li Yue tried everything she could to win back their love and approval, but no matter what she did, it wasn't enough. In the end, her efforts proved futile, and she met a tragic end."
Ember's eyebrow arched in surprise. "So, you're telling me that Li Yue wants me to win over her family in her stead?" She asked, her voice doubtful.
Puff shook its head, "No, it's quite the opposite, actually. In order to win back their love, she had spent the past five years trying to become the perfect daughter for her family, all the while neglecting her own desires in the process. She's asking you to fulfill those wishes, live the life of her dreams for her and not be the 'perfect daughter' anymore."
Ember's eyes shone, a sly smirk spread across her face, "That's... fascinating. I must admit, I'm curious to see her family's reaction to that." her tone turned sinister as she spoke.
With that, her smirk deepened and she continued on her way to the Li family's mansion.