LIA (AGE 17)
Some things shifted.
At first, I only felt Bao Ji's emotions, or heard her quiet voice in my head. But now? There were moments where I could actually see through her eyes — not blurred or dreamlike, but clear, like I was living inside her world.
Ancient China wasn't anything like the pictures online.
Through her eyes, everything looked alive.
I saw courtyards paved with smooth stone, outlined by tall red pillars carved with swirling clouds and phoenixes. The roofs were covered in deep emerald tiles curving upward like wings. Silk banners fluttered in the wind. Servants moved quietly, heads lowered. And everywhere, I could feel something heavy in the air:
Rules. Expectations. Silence that suffocated.
Even the clothing looked unreal — layers of embroidered silk in pale blues, warm creams, muted reds, every thread shimmering like water. The nobles walked with perfect posture, hands folded inside their sleeves.
And then there was Bao Si, Bao Ji's cousin.
If I didn't know better, I'd think she stepped out of a painting.
Through Bao Ji's eyes, I saw her clearly:
long, glossy black hair flowing like ink, calm eyes framed by thick lashes, elegant brows, porcelain skin, and a graceful jawline. Everything about her felt refined — effortless beauty, mysterious stillness.
She and Bao Ji looked alike, but Bao Ji had softer features, larger eyes, and dark chestnut hair that caught the sunlight beautifully. Like distant sisters born under different stars.
I was sitting next to Elena, pretending to listen to the teacher, when suddenly — the classroom vanished.
I sucked in a breath as another world overlaid mine.
Stone floors beneath delicate embroidered slippers.
Lantern shadows dancing across wooden beams.
The faint smell of sandalwood and ink.
I squeezed Elena's hand.
Our signal.
"You need to go out?" she whispered.
"Not yet," I breathed.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "But I want to know what you see…"
I smiled despite everything.
I was grateful for her.
After she learned my secret, she became my anchor — sleepovers, long talks, skipping school to sit with me when things got too intense. She didn't believe everything fully, but she was trying to. And that was enough.
Even Daniel — my boyfriend of 3 months — had no idea. He thought I was "sick" or "busy." Honestly, I barely saw him. How could I handle a relationship when one wrong emotion could knock me out?
Inside the Bao Household
Through Bao Ji's eyes, I saw a gathering of six people seated formally on carved wooden chairs.
Her grandmother sat in the center — stern-faced, elegant, wearing dark embroidered robes. She radiated authority, like she controlled the rhythm of the room.
Beside her sat Bao Ji's father, straight-backed and quiet, with a rigid seriousness that never softened.
On the opposite side sat:
Bao Ji's mother
Her uncle
Her aunt
And next to Bao Ji…
Bao Si. Poised and unreadable.
The entire room looked like it was carved from polished mahogany — heavy, dark, ancient. A brazier burned gently at the center, filling the air with sweet herbal smoke.
"What's happening?" I asked mentally.
"They are talking about the new emperor," Bao Ji replied.
"New Emperor?"
"Yes. King You of Zhou. He ascended to the throne recently."
Before I could ask more, the vision shattered, and I was back in class.
Elena mouthed, "Are you okay?"
I shook my head stiffly.
When class ended, we practically sprinted out of the room.
"What did you see?" Elena demanded.
"I know who the emperor is."
She stopped dead in the hallway, mouth hanging open.
I rolled my eyes. "Let's go. I'm dying to know more about her dynasty."
We rushed to her house, straight into her room. I shoved her aside and typed on her PC:
King You of Zhou
Not much came up — he lived 3000 years ago after all — but what we found… was bad.
"Uh… Lia?" Elena gulped. "Are you sure this is him?"
"Uhum," I said, my stomach turning.
I read aloud:
Key Facts
Personal name: Ji Gongnie
Reign: 781–771 BCE
Dynasty: Western Zhou
Notoriety: His rule ended the Western Zhou Dynasty.
Elena scrolled down and continued reading:
The Bao Si Story
King You fell in love with his concubine, Bao Si, who rarely smiled.
He lit warning beacons — meant for emergencies — just to amuse her.
Deposing the Crown Prince
He replaced the queen Shen and rightful prince to elevate Bao Si and her son.
Downfall
In 771 BCE, nomadic tribes attacked.
The king lit the beacons — but no nobles came, thinking it was another joke.
He was killed, ending the Western Zhou.
We both stared at the screen, horrified.
"He's on the throne now?" Elena whispered.
"In her timeline?"
I nodded.
"How long until… you know… the downfall?"
That question broke something inside me.
My chest tightened.
My hands shook.
Bao Ji.
She could die.
Her whole family could die.
"Lia, breathe."
Elena tried distracting me.
"When did he take the throne? Ask her. Is Queen Shen there? Anyone?"
After I managed to control my breathing, I told what I knew from Bao Ji,
"He just ascended the throne. He's still single.
"That's good," Elena said. "We still have time."
But panic washed through me so fast my vision blurred.
Not just mine—
Bao Ji felt it too.
"What's wrong?" she asked gently.
"Can you see what I see?"
"Yes… but I don't know for how long. Why?"
I swallowed hard.
"You know I'm 3000 years ahead of you, right?"
"…Yes…"
"You're talking with her?" Elena asked.
"Yes," I answered aloud.
"I found something… about your dynasty. And it doesn't look good."
"What do you mean?" Bao Ji asked, worried.
So I read everything to her.
Every horrible detail.
By the end, she was panicking as much as I was.
"Are you sure this will happen?" she whispered.
"I don't know! That's all I found."
Our panic merged — a hurricane inside my chest.
I dropped to my knees, sobbing, hyperventilating.
Elena grabbed my shoulders. "LIA!"
I could feel Bao Ji collapsing too — somewhere far away, in another life, another world.
Our emotions slammed into each other, amplifying until it felt physically painful, like our bodies were ripping apart.
"Try to calm down," I choked out.
"I'm trying!" she cried.
Finally, after minutes that felt like hours, the storm weakened.
"We need a plan," I whispered. "To stop it."
"We still have time…" she said softly.
Then, after a shaky breath:
"But I'm afraid, Lia."
"I'm here. You're not alone. I'll help you."
But she knew I was terrified too.
"You have to stop Bao Si from meeting the emperor."
"I'll try… but what if she still does?"
"Then stay between them. Don't let them be alone. Ever."
"I don't know if I can…"
"You HAVE to."
"…I'll try."
Then—
silence.
She was gone.
"I don't know if she can do it," I whispered.
"She will," Elena said. "Have some faith."
Faith…
Right.
My thoughts shattered — and everything went black.
AGE 20
The last three years changed everything.
Our consciousness became one long, overlapping thread.
I could be washing dishes and suddenly hear flute music through Bao Ji's ears.
She could be practicing calligraphy and hear my classmates gossiping in English.
Sometimes, I saw through one of my eyes — and the other saw through hers.
A double world.
We fainted often.
Our emotions were hurricanes that physically knocked us out.
She learned to control hers.
I… didn't.
But through all this, she succeeded.
She kept Bao Si away from the palace.
For three whole years.
She treated her cousin like a fragile idol — gently, constantly present, always distracting her.
And it worked.
I was unbelievably proud of her.
"Morning," Elena said, passing by with her coffee.
"Morning," I replied.
"Tell her I said morning too," said Bao Ji in my mind.
"Bao Ji says morning."
"Morning to her too," Elena answered casually.
It was normal now — strange, supernatural normal.
I could feel Bao Ji walking beside Bao Si at the market.
I saw silk shops, wooden stalls, gold hairpins shaped like phoenixes.
I smelled incense.
"The light purple earrings are beautiful," I told Bao Ji.
"You want them?" she asked.
"Well… if you buy them and wear them, it's like you gave them to me."
Elena laughed when I told her.
Bao Si bought only two hairpins — a gold one and a white jade one.
"Someone's picky," I muttered.
"Picky bitch," Elena said.
"Hey! She's my cousin," Bao Ji scolded.
A pause.
Then:
"…Okay, she is a picky bitch."
"Let's go to the mall." Elena said and then added, "We could have fun."
"Sure. Let me get ready." I answered while I started going to get ready.
Me and Elena walked into the mall.
Bao Ji browsed silk ornaments.
Two worlds at once.
But suddenly—
I froze.
Something heavy pressed against my chest.
"What's wrong?" Elena whispered.
"I don't know… Something's happening."
My breath quickened.
I could feel her panic.
And she could feel mine.
"You need to sit," Elena said.
"No, I'm okay—"
"You're going to crash," Bao Ji warned.
"Maybe YOU'RE the one crashing," I snapped back mentally.
"Your emotions hit first 90% of the time," she deadpanned.
"Shut up."
Then—
A wave of dread hit me so hard my knees buckled.
"What the hell is this emotion?" I gasped.
Elena dragged me to a bench.
"What are you feeling?"
"I don't know… I feel like I'll lose control. Like something is about to happen."
"It's not Bao Ji?" Elena asked.
"It's not me!" Bao Ji protested.
"Neither of us feel good," I told Elena.
After a moment of silence, Elena whispered:
"What if… the two of you are merging into one person?"
I stared at her.
Bao Ji went silent.
Then whispered:
"What if she's right?"
Elena continued, "Think about it. Over the years it got stronger. Now you can see through each other. You share everything. And the marks on your wrists…"
I looked down. Bao Ji did the same.
The crescent shape — once dim and partial — now almost formed a full circle.
Side by side, our marks would make a glowing golden yin–yang.
My hands trembled.
"Does this mean… one of us dies?" I whispered.
"No," Elena said softly. "It means you were supposed to be ONE soul. Maybe something went wrong when you were born."
My chest tightened.
I couldn't breathe.
I felt Bao Ji clutching her chest too, trying not to collapse in public.
"Wait until I get home," she gasped. "Hold on until then."
But the world spun violently.
Everything blurred.
Me… Bao Ji…
One person?
No—
No…