(The morning sun entered the room and gently fell upon a girl)
(She was beautiful beyond words. Majestic. Divine)
(Her tiny hands rested beneath the golden light while her beauty shined so brightly that even the sun itself seemed inferior)
(Her modest hill drew th-)
"By the AEONS! STOP TALKING!"
(But Your Excellency Host, this one is only narrating your unparalleled beauty)
"...You are the worst"
(Thank you for the compliment)
"...Just stay quiet..."
She took a deep breath before letting out a long exhale.
"Alright, Ena... time to start the day"
She stood up and headed toward the bathroom.
A robe rested silently nearby.
Ena had changed back into the same clothes from yesterday.
'Be well'
Those words returned.
Beyond the window, people continued on beneath the blue sky, carrying on with their everyday lives.
Ena watched them quietly.
Then lowered her gaze slightly.
"I will... Bina"
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Lady Ena, breakfast is ready" a soft voice called from outside the room.
Ena looked at the door for a moment.
She quietly put on the robe.
Then she opened the door.
Click
Ena looked up.
A woman in her twenties, a full head taller.
"Lady Ena, I will be attending to you today. My name is Yunmei" She bowed slightly.
Ena stepped aside quietly.
Carrying a wooden tray, Yunmei entered the room.
She moved with measured steps as she carefully arranged the dishes across the table beside the window.
"Today's breakfast consists of Songlotus Cakes, warm tea, and Springdew Vegetable Broth"
Then she turned back toward Ena.
"If Lady Ena requires anything further, please inform me"
"Thank you. That will be all"
"It is my pleasure, Lady Ena. Have a pleasant day"
Click
Ena was alone again.
A fragrant scent from the food slowly spread throughout the room.
Ena sat quietly in her chair, staring out at the world beyond the window.
'The robe is still effective for now. And Aha has not appeared'
A faint frown formed on her face.
'The system started behaving even more strangely after yesterday'
Her gaze drifted toward the broth.
'The Xianzhou is not that bad... right?'
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
'I should find a job as a hea-' Suddenly, her eyes widened.
"This is..."
"Delicious!"
(...)
"Haha. The Xianzhou is not bad after all"
'Ahh... right... damn. What a shame'
Ena's gaze slowly left the broth and settled on the world beyond the window.
'It is not too bad...'
She quietly savored the food.
"Excuse me"
A man turned toward the voice.
"Oh? Is there something you need, miss?"
"Yes. Do you know where the nearest clinic is?"
He quietly examined her from head to toe.
"Are you... a healer?"
"Yes. I arrived in the Luofu not long ago"
"Ahh... then I should say this first. Becoming a medicine practitioner here is not easy, miss..."
"Ena. My name is Ena"
"Miss Ena" He nodded.
"The Xianzhou requires certification from the Alchemy Commission. Most outsiders would have difficulty obtaining one"
Ena smiled faintly.
"I already have it"
He blinked.
"...I see"
After a moment, he pointed left.
"Go straight ahead. At the three-way fork, take the path to the right. You should see the clinic soon after"
Ena nodded. "I see. Thank you"
She bowed slightly.
He nodded. "You're welcome... and good luck. You'll need it"
"I will keep that in mind"
Ena followed the directions and left.
Jade Spring Clinic
Ena studied the sign before slowly looking through the entrance.
After taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.
Tinkle
A small bell chimed softly.
A woman in her twenties turned toward the entrance.
Ena quietly walked over to her.
"Excuse me"
The woman gave a small nod. "Yes?"
"Could I work here?"
The woman examined her for a moment.
"Alright... may I see your identification?"
"Here" Ena handed her the card.
Xianzhou Diplomatic Registration Card - Ena
The woman briefly glanced toward Ena before reading further.
Sex: Female.
Race: Human.
Path: Abundance Pathstrider.
A faint nod.
Relation: The Astral Express.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Short-Lived Species: Yes.
She handed the card back.
"Unfortunately, we are not hiring at the moment"
Ena quietly took the card back and looked at it for a moment.
Her gaze lifted again.
"But I have not shown my certificate yet..."
The woman maintained a faint smile.
"All positions here are already occupied"
"I understand. Thank you" Ena bowed politely.
"It's alright" The woman gave a small nod.
Ena slowly turned away.
Tinkle
Ena looked at the blue sky.
Smack
She slapped her own cheeks.
"Alright Ena. This is your journey to become a mature Trailblazer"
She exhaled and moved forward.
"All positions here are already occupied-"
"We are not currently accepting outside practitioners-"
"I'm afraid we cannot take on someone of your... circumstances-"
"...Ahh"
Ena sat alone on a park bench.
'Good luck. You'll need it'
She slowly lifted her arm and stared at it for a long time.
Then let it fall.
Her eyes drifted upward toward the sun.
And slowly, her eyes closed.
"Sleeping in public spaces is not good, you know?"
Ena blinked. "Hah?"
"The Xianzhou is very safe, but still… it's not a good idea to sleep outside"
Ena looked at her. "You are...?"
"I'm Qingling! Nice to meet you!" she said, hands on her hips.
Ena looked at her for a moment.
Qingling was nearly a head shorter than Ena.
"My name is Ena. Nice to meet you" she said gently.
"...What kind of look is that?"
"...You think I'm a kid or something?"
"I have to remind you, this is the Xianzhou. I'm also 400 years old"
She shook her head. "So don't treat me like a kid"
Ena lifted her hands a little.
"I did not mean to disrespect or anything..."
"...sorry..."
She looked away.
Qingling studied her for a moment.
"A seed that has not yet fallen still carries the whole tree within it"
"Hah?" Ena's gaze returned to her.
"So you want to be a medical practitioner, right?"
"...how do you know?"
"Your clothing. Your demeanor"
"...and your gaze"
"You must be a short-lived species. A poor combination for a healer, if I'm being honest"
"I-"
Ena's gaze dropped to the floor.
"...Yeah..."
"No need to despair" Qingling said.
"The Xianzhou does not easily trust what it cannot outlive"
She gently patted Ena's head.
"It will take time"
"okay" Ena said quietly.
Qingling smiled and continued patting her.
A while later, Ena stood up.
"Uhm... I should head back. It's already afternoon" she said softly, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Qingling looked up at the sky.
Sunset
She nodded.
"It's time to go home"
Her gaze returned to Ena.
"You should also avoid sleeping in parks at night"
Ena scratched her cheek. "I was just taking a nap, you know..."
"Because I was tired and all"
"Ahaha" Qingling shook her head.
"Alright. Go home and sleep well"
"Mm"
Ena waved and turned away.
Qingling watched until Ena disappeared from sight.
TBC
...
...
A bird lived inside a greenhouse.
The glass is transparent.
The bird can see the sky.
The food is warm and the people are polite.
But every time she flies toward a branch, she hits invisible glass.
The gardeners watch her flutter and say, "We don't trust birds that die so fast"
But the bird keeps flying.