Beneath the liquid veil of the pond, a pair of Taijin fish swam in perfect harmony, twisting and gliding as if performing a dance written by the water itself. Yueyao watched them with wide, crimson-red eyes, her thoughts drifting like ripples across the surface. The soft rustle of hair and the faint hum of a lullaby echoed through the spacious Japanese-style cabin, where wooden floors gleamed in the sunlight and sumi-e paintings watched silently from the walls.
"Your hair… it looks like those little white fish tails," Xiaoting said softly, her voice full of warmth. "So soft, so beautiful, darling."
Yueyao's mother moved gracefully, brushing her hair with gentle care. She tied it with a bandage and decorated the ends with tiny peach blossoms, their delicate pink petals swaying slightly with each movement.
"Dear mother," Yueyao asked, tilting her head, "why don't you compliment the other one? Is it because you don't like dark colors?"
Xiaoting blinked, slightly taken aback. Then her lips curved into a gentle smile, and with a soft chuckle, she pinched Yueyao's nose.
"Then, why don't you tell me what you think, my little peach?"
Yueyao pressed her small hands against the barrier of water and air, her mind working furiously. "It's… mysterious," she murmured. "The sheen of its skin, the presence… powerful… maybe masculine… a male!"
She closed her eyes, humming thoughtfully, finger resting under her chin. When she opened them again, a sudden clarity lit her gaze.
"It's like… a married couple! Like Father and Mother!"
Xiaoting laughed, scooping Yueyao into her arms. She held the girl's chubby cheeks tenderly, bending down so their eyes met.
"Yes," she said softly, "almost right. But it's more than that. It's an unbreakable bond. They cannot exist without each other… like a tree cannot live without its roots, or a flower without the sun. Someday, you will find your sun… or maybe your moon. Whoever it is, neither of you can truly live without the other—just like these fish."
Yueyao's gaze lingered on the fine lines beginning to crease her mother's eyes, her fingers brushing absentmindedly over the sapphire crystal necklace that floated in the air between them. The sunlight caught it, scattering tiny rainbows across the floor.
Momma always said that aging doesn't touch us the same way it touches others, she remembered.
Spring air carried the scent of peach blossoms, wet earth, and the quiet hum of life as Yueyao walked across the cabin and settled on the edge of the bridge. Below, koi fish swirled in shimmering patterns, sunlight turning the water into a dreamlike painting. She tore small pieces of bread and tossed them onto the surface, her thoughts wandering.
Auntie Meilin… she passed away just weeks ago. Her husband… he grieves endlessly. How can anyone survive without the voice and warmth of the one they love? Without her care, her presence… how can spring feel alive, or winter cozy?
A sudden slip of her hand sent her mother's sapphire necklace tumbling into the water.
"Damn it!" she gasped.
Without thinking, Yueyao dove in, plunging into the cold water. But the world around her shifted. A blinding flash, then nothing. She found herself standing in an endless, still ocean. No waves, no wind. Only cold. Only silence.
Where am I? Mom? Dad? LiuLing? Anyone? she screamed, but her voice returned to her alone, echoing, mocking.
Her heart pounded. Panic clawed at her chest. And then she saw it—the necklace, floating. Relief surged, but before she could reach it, the sky bled crimson. Thunder ripped across the heavens, and rain fell in icy sheets, soaking her to the bone. The water beneath her feet darkened, thick with red, sticky blood.
Bodies floated everywhere. The smell of decay filled the air, a stench that made her stomach turn. Horror rooted her to the spot. Sixteen years old, and already facing a scene that should belong only to nightmares.
"Momma… Dad… I can't… I can't…" she gasped, her voice cracking.
She stumbled forward, over limbs and corpses, the ground slippery and unkind. A door—faintly familiar—appeared in the distance, a fragile hope in the midst of this crimson nightmare. Her feet sank deeper into the blood, and vultures circled overhead, eyes glinting with malice. She tripped, falling, her hands and clothes dyed red.
Then she felt it—metal beneath the water. Heart hammering, she pulled it free. Her spine stiffened, stomach twisting violently. The sapphire necklace, glinting in the red water, clung to a few strands of white hair.
"Momma… is this… your hair?" she whispered, covering her mouth, retching uncontrollably.
A cold wind brushed her neck. A voice, barely more than a whisper, caressed her ears.
"You will take responsibility… for what happened, what is happening, and what will happen… from now on