Downstreamers

Tall mountains covered with the warmth of the white snow, which seems to protect them from the wind and the cold, lay far ahead on the horizon. Here I stand in the embrace of Nature, observing the flowing stream of water gurgling and moving downstream. As if sensing me near, a small water bubble detaches itself from the vast flow and approaches me. The bubble gently caresses my face. The surging coldness of the water somehow tried to console me. After a few seconds, the bubble merges with the stream and disappears from my sight forever. Life: That poor fellow. She was the first among us to notice your condition. No matter what she cannot change herself, for she cares for each and every one of you in the same manner. A soft and pleasant thought emerged in my mind. Even if I cannot fathom the source, I was able to understand the tone and the warmth behind it. Death: She really obstructs me in my work. But if not for her, the world would not be as it is today. Another thought mixed with a hint of coldness and devoid of any emotion enters my mind. Karma: The time to leave this place has come, Traveler. This new thought felt so distant that even the meaning behind it could hardly be comprehended. Traveler, this is what they call me, as I have forgotten my name, my identity, and my purpose in the world.

Betrayed and killed by her closest friends, Queen of the Underworld, Rachel Xu closed her eyes, cursing them of her return, only to find that she had been reborn into another world as an infant. After having lived 25 years as an orphan without a family in her past life, having a twin sister is very tiring, wait a sec! Who's the idiot that put her and her twin sister into a basket and pushed them downstream like they were in a super cliche movie? Who's this man with ageless looks that suddenly adopted her and her sister without asking them for their consent?! And did someone send her into a movie or novel because it feels like it; supernatural elemental abilities? Check! Hated Witches, Warlocks, Sorcerers, Monsters? Check! and Insane cult believers? Check. Hmm, what else is there… Oh yeah! You really can't forget the fact that she is super unlucky, well according to others at least. Unlucky dark attribute? Yup got that. Lots of Run-ins insane cult believers that want to kill her? Totally not obvious; oh and her status as a witch? I thought you already knew that! Disclaimer: Cover does not belong to me

Black clouds swallowed the blue sky above the Green Buffalo Farm. The wind blew fiercely, forcing the trees around the farm to sway chaotically, bending dangerously toward the red-tiled roof covering the barn. A small stream rushed noisily, carrying the gray body of a dead mouse downstream. Among the yellowed leaves that covered the mud, a woman's silhouette crawled toward the stream. She was completely naked, with a shaved head and deep scars imprinted on her back. With bluish nails, she clawed at the cold ground in front of her, dragging herself heavily toward the water flowing past her. Through yellow, rotten teeth, she muttered an unusual, almost inhuman sound. Her eyes began to gleam at the sight of the dead mouse floating aimlessly. With a sudden movement, she grabbed the animal's body between her fingers and brought it to her mouth, crushing its head with her teeth. "Why didn't you dance when the master played for you?" the woman whispered before hiding in the farm's barn.