Extraction

The darkness does not surround me. It folds over me. It thickens, presses, and bends like a living night swallowing my breath. I do not know if I am falling or floating. My body is long gone. If it still exists somewhere, it must be nothing more than a discarded shell lying on a floor I can no longer feel. My mind drifts in an infinite well. Something pulls me downward. Something pulls me upward. I am suspended between both forces like a wounded leaf trapped between two winds.

It is strange. I thought dying would be colder. Instead, I am warm, as if the memory of the moon’s light still clings to my skin. But this warmth trembles. It flickers like a candle that could vanish at any moment. The void around me pulses with a faint echo of their voice. I recall the last event before my death. Yulin was there, radiant and marvelous. But then, everything went out of my hands…

I lost consciousness again.

Somewhere far away, a voice calls a name I recently heard for the first time, Akin. Suddenly, a violent brightness cuts through the endless darkness. My chest contracts sharply, even though I no longer know what a chest is. I blink, or I think I do. My perception sharpens, shifts, and reshapes itself. I feel as if my soul is forced into a different mold. A different life. A different time.

Suddenly, I am standing. I have legs under me, steady and familiar legs, but not my own. My hands are small, and my breath is soft. The air is thick with the perfume of heated stone and blooming flowers. I know this scent. Yet I do not. I am not Xia anymore. Or I am Xia, watching through the eyes of another.

Who is she? I feel her name resting on the edge of my awareness, aching to be spoken. I do not say it. I cannot, because her voice rises instead of mine. She is laughing. I hear it echo between tall trees whose leaves shimmer with light that feels alive. She turns her head, and before me stands a man with warm copper skin and intense dark eyes. He is chopping wood. Sweat shines on his brow. He wears a loving smile. This man must be her lover. Soon, he approaches with slow steps.

“You see,” he murmurs in playful tone, “I only need half an afternoon to impress you.” Her laugh escapes again. It is sweet and affectionate. I feel it passing through me like an old melody I had once forgotten. She touches his arm. The gesture is delicate. She truly loves this man, and he loves her back.

Is this Gudo? His face is completely different, yet something makes me think of him.

A ripple distorts the scene, and it all disappears. The forest fades. The light bends. The warmth shifts into radiant heat.

Suddenly, the woman I am living with is no longer facing her husband. Instead, someone else stands before her. They are Akin, the spirit of the sun. I do not know how this can be possible, I just feel that they are truly the human shape of Tudigan, here named Akin, the one and only spirit of the sun. Their presence is overwhelming. It is not blinding like Yulin’s, but heavy and warm. A humanoid shape forged from gold and fire. The air trembles around them, as if light itself bows at their feet. And yet, they look gentle, curious, and almost shy. They tilt their head toward me… toward her.

“You came back,” Akin says. Their voice vibrates in my bones.

She smiles softly, “I could not stay away. Not after everything you told me last time.”

Akin’s brightness flickers, as if embarrassed. “It is pleasant… to speak with you. I discover new things each time. Even when you speak about your daily life. I did not know that someone could care about such ideas.”

She approaches a smooth rock, sits down, and looks up at the radiant being, “Small details are sometimes the most meaningful.”

A familiar tenderness swells in her chest. My chest. It is overwhelming because I feel it too. It is like watching someone slowly discover a part of themselves they never knew existed. Akin listens to her, asks questions, and laughs with sparks of sunlight dancing around their hair. This celestial being, master of infinite heat, behaves like a curious friend meeting the world for the first time.

A long time passes. Days perhaps. Weeks. She returns to speak with Akin often. She tells them of her childhood, of the shapes she sees in clouds, of how she enjoys observing ants build their small cities. Akin listens with a fascination so intense it burns deeper than the radiance around them.

Then one day, she brings her husband with her.

My breath, her breath, becomes unsteady. On the other hand, the husband is smiling politely with a composed expression. But I feel something coiling inside him. Something sharp and dangerous: jealousy. It is quiet at first, like the shadow cast by a small stone. But each time Akin looks at his wife with luminous admiration, the shadow of jealousy grows darker. Yet, on the surface, the husband hides it well. Too well. Akin does not sense it. Or perhaps they sense it but do not understand.

Time bends again, another shift.

The forest darkens a shows a heavy atmosphere. Akin’s humanoid form arrives again. They walk slowly toward the couple, unaware of the storm about to swallow them. The gentle woman smiles when she sees Akin. She waves happily. The spirit raises a hand, responding with a soft glow.

Next to them, her husband stares in their direction for a long time. His hands are trembling. Something is wrong.

When Akin stands close enough, the husband speaks with a surprisingly cold voice. “Akin… I have a question.”

Akin tilts their head with their usual gentle curiosity.

“What is it you desire most?”

Akin gives an innocent answer. Something simple. Something pure. I do not hear it because at that moment, the husband has moved forward and lunges to trap Akin within him. One second later, everything explodes into blinding white.

The woman screams, intense pain expressed from her throat. Akin’s humanoid shape cracks like molten glass under a hammer. A burst of celestial power erupts, engulfing everything. The force slams through the woman. I feel her essence ripping apart. My soul aches as if it is splitting too. She reaches for her husband with desperate, trembling fingers. He is illuminated by Akin’s dying radiance. For an instant, he looks monstrous. Then, he seems terrified. His eyes widen as unimaginable power tears into him.

I close my eyes and feel the body of the woman falling to the ground. There is no blood, no wound, just emptiness. Her soul is swept away like sand in a storm. She drifts into the invisible world, torn from everything she loved.

A faint whisper rises beyond the void. A hand touches my arm. A breath brushes my cheek. And suddenly, I am falling back into the world.

The first sensation that returns to me is cold. Not the cold of death or the void, but the cold of night air brushing against a wounded body. My wounded body. I try to open my eyes, but they barely twitch. My lashes feel heavy, glued with dust or tears. Some distant voice murmurs something I cannot decipher. Then hands slip under my shoulders. Someone is lifting me gently. Carefully. As if afraid that one wrong movement would shatter me completely.

I manage to inhale sharply. It hurts. My chest burns as if fragments of the explosion still hide inside my ribs. My throat tightens. I want to ask where I am, who is touching me, where Yulin is… but no sound escapes.

“Stay with me,” the voice whispers. It is a man. His breath trembles with worry.

I am carried. My head lolls against his chest. I hear his heartbeat—fast, irregular. Not calm like Mbiri’s, not familiar like Gudo’s. A stranger. We move through uneven ground. Grass sways against my legs. A dirt path crunches under hurried steps. The man mutters prayers I do not recognize.

“She will know what to do… she must… hold on…”

A door creaks open. Warmth floods over me. A dim light flickers. The smell of herbal smoke tickles my nose. Then another voice rises. Soft, aged, calm.

“What have you brought me, child?”

“A woman… I found her outside the northern grove. She was breathing, but barely. I did not know who else to call.”

“Lay her there. Gently. Let me see her.”

A pair of wrinkled hands touches my forehead. Heat ripples through my skin. Not magical, not divine, but deeply human and comforting. I hear the old woman—Nyore, the man called her—exhale sharply in concern.

“This one has been touched by something far beyond our reach.”

I try to move. My fingers twitch. “Do not waste your strength,” Nyore murmurs near my ear. “Your spirit is wounded. But not lost. Not yet.”

The stranger steps back. “Will she live?”

Nyore does not answer immediately. She runs her fingers along my cheekbone, then presses her palm lightly against my sternum. I feel a resonance, faint but real, as if she is listening to echoes inside me. “She needs rest,” the woman says. Her tone is firm, but not hopeless. “And time. Whatever tore her open was not of this world. But she is still here. That is enough.”

Gently, she pulls a blanket over me. The weight is comforting. Heavy. Real. I cling to that sensation as if it is the last anchor to my existence.

My breath shakes. My vision flickers. I want to speak, but the only thing that escapes is a single cracked whisper. “Yulin…”

Nyore freezes. Her expression shifts. It appears to be curiosity mixed with something older, deeper. She leans closer. “Hush now,” she murmurs. “This is no time to speak. Keep what remains of your strength to recover.” Her hand closes around mine. It is warm and steady and impossibly kind. “Rest. I don’t know what happened to you or which battles you faced. But tonight, you will live.”

My eyes close. The darkness that comes next is no longer the void. It is soft and peaceful. For the first time since the explosion, I feel strangely wet and burned at the same time, but alive nonetheless.

I cannot say how long I have slept. Sometimes I would feel caresses on my skin along with aching sensations. The person taking care of me must be the one responsible. A thin layer of freshness covers many parts of my body, but I do not know what it is. As time passes, the layer gets warmer. At some point, the woman aiding me removes it and puts a new one on the same spots. This makes the coolness come back until it needs to be changed again. The process repeats many times, so many that I can not give a precise number. Once or twice a day, I open my eyes forcefully, my stomach complains, and urges me to survive. Each time, the woman is not far from me. Her occupations are so various that I do not always understand what she does. If I remember correctly, I often saw her cook, using mostly her hands or a long iron knife to shape the grains and veggies accordingly.

She seems very patient. I have no idea how many days I have been there. What I know is that during each of them, the old woman cares for me and helps me eat the porridge. She waits until the last minute to make the pre-made porridge smoother. This way, it is easier for me to swallow, even in my current state. She begins by weakening the food with her knife until the preparation is shattered into small pieces. Then, she mashed the bits between her fingers repeatedly. At the end, the porridge is mellow and easy to swallow. I let the slightly hot preparation slide along my throat, each bite easing my suffering. The woman is there to help me and guides the bowl carefully so I do not take in more food than I can handle and risk choking. I think her name is Nyore.

I heard it at some point as a man’s voice spoke with her in the hut. It made me remember that the person who bought me here had used the same name while asking for her help. I soon realize that I recall how an unknown man found me covered with water and brought me to Nyore’s hut.

Thinking about her, I can tell that she is an impressive old woman. With just a glance at her silhouette, I almost feel intimidated. Her build is thin and elegant. I can tell that she is old, but not to what extent. She has well-preserved features. The wrinkles on her face are soft, and her cheeks are not very pronounced. She has strong, dark-brown eyes that pierce through your soul with confidence and tenderness. Her hair is short, not rising far from her head. It has a similar color to her eyes and curls on itself. She transpires beauty and wisdom.

Yet, something puzzles me with this woman. I can not explain it, but she always looks to be somewhat out of place. Be it the way she moves around, how her graceful fingers bring the food to my mouth, the pride in her eyes, or even how she wears her modest clothes, it does not fit with where she lives. She does not seem to have many clothes. Still, she mixes them in a way that expresses refinement. Perhaps, once I am more acquainted with her, I could ask her directly and unravel the mystery of her polished behavior.

For now, I have not found many occasions to speak with Nyore. First, my mind and my body are fuzzy and struggle to recover. Second, I do not want to be more of a burden than I already am. It is certain that Nyore has arranged her activities so she can continuously watch over me, feed me, and change my leaf bandages when necessary. The leaves she uses to ease my pain truly work wonders. If I am not mistaken, looking at the pattern of the veins and the overall silhouette, they must be leaves from a fig tree. They can grow quite large, and their trunks undulate nicely. Its main branches are almost as thick as the trunk and have various curves, creating an overall tree that seems to dance when we observe it. Its leaves are great for healing, especially when the skin has been burned over a large surface. This is also because the leaves themselves are large enough and can envelope a whole adult hand. Around six to seven veins expand on each leaf. I like the touch of its texture. They are firm, almost waxy to the touch.

But what I have yet to figure out is how my body got hurt this way. I can not clearly remember everything. I know that Yulin, the great spirit of the moon, transformed into a humanoid shape in my room. I felt overwhelmed with awe and joy when it happened. All of it was wondrous from the tip of their feet to the edge of their hair. I know that I was speaking with them, as I would speak with any other human being. It was extraordinary. Sadly, not much longer after, an unexpected event occurred, Gudo. My close friend came into my room and spoke to Yulin as if he knew them. They discussed many things I could not understand. Then, for no reason, Gudo rushed over the spirit of the moon human’s body. What was he trying to accomplish? I have no idea, but this was bad. His sudden action created a sort of explosion beyond my comprehension. All the things before me vanished, from the light of the moon to the shape of my friend Gudo. Only my spirit remained, at least, what was left of it…

I thought this was the end for me.

Apparently not.

Now, after this puzzling dream with a woman I do not know, a jealous husband, and a humanoid spirit of the sun named Akin, I am back in my body. Strange burns have taken place all over my skin. I feel frail and need lots of time to recover… I think several days have passed since someone brought me unconscious into Nyore’s hut, but I am still unable to rise to my feet.

Damn this nonsense explosion I know nothing about! And what could have provoked such an explosion? Was it really related to Gudo touching Yulin? This makes no sense… By the way, where is Gudo in this instant? Was he too within the area of the explosion? Were other members of The Community also touched by it? Could Tariro be concerned?

…

No… I feel so worried for my friends. It does not matter if Gudo lied to me or not, I hope he is alright… There is no other choice. Too much time has passed. This can not continue. I have to travel back to The Community. My friends could be in bad conditions or simply worried about me. Weak or not, I must go back.

Since then, I have not found the courage to question Nyore. There is no doubt that she knows where we are and how I got here. I must not lose time. As I finally feel well enough to think clearly, I should discuss with her. Master your strength and your courage, Xia. Your friends probably need you.

I observe Nyore as she finishes replacing the last section of my leaf bandages, “Can you tell me where I am?”

Nyore does not stop any of her motions and continues to apply my bandages. Once she is done, she focuses her gaze on my face, answering me with a soft, elegant smile.

“You are in Zezuru. First, tell me your name. Then, I want to know where you were before passing out.”

Looking for precise answers, I reply hastily, “I’m Xia, and I was in Gungara. Is it far from here?”

“It depends. If you know the fastest way, two hours of walking can suffice. Otherwise, three to four hours.” She pauses for a time and looks at me with curiosity, “What impresses me the most is how far your body traveled above the water while you were unconscious. This should be almost impossible for anyone to survive coming from Gungara to Zezuru in those conditions, and yet, here you are. I would lie if I said you were far from the edge. It seems you have a good star watching over you.”

Was I on a river connected to Gungara? This is unbelievable. Something strange definitely happened to me. Catching on to Nyore’s information, I ask another important question to her.

“How many days have passed since the man I don’t know brought me here?”

“Six days.”

That long, there is no way I will stay here any longer! I have to react and see that my friends are alright.

Presenting a false calm attitude, I add, “Thanks for healing me. I feel better, you know, there is no need for you to stay by my side all the time. I have enough strength now to complete my recovery. I should leave soon so I do not keep being a burden on you.”

Nyore’s face changes. She does not seem to agree with me.

“Listen to me, Xia, this is a bad idea. Right now, you need to gather all your strength just to stand up. Like it or not, I fear that you have no choice but to remain under my watch for the time being.”

Not appreciating her tone, I change my strategy.

“If I want to leave this hut, you won’t be able to stop me.”

Keeping her ground, Nyore clarifies, “I know that. But something tells me you’re not the kind of person who would walk away owing a debt like this. You’re a kind-hearted woman, and you owe me your life. Even though I haven’t met many people with your features in my life, I’m certain you’re an honest one.”

“How can you be so sure of yourself?”

“Life experience. Trust me, that’s enough. Believe it or not, I had to be careful about who I spoke to and what I said for most of my life. Over time, I learned to size people up with just a look. Why do you think I would accept a woman I know nothing about in my hut and dedicate much of my time to take care of her?”

I was not expecting this and do not know how to react. This Nyore is a weird one. She is even a bit scary. Her actions are kind and gentle, but her words are precise and intimidating. There is more to her than what I can see with my own eyes. The thought makes me chuckle to myself as she could say the same thing about me, haha.

As I prepared to answer her, Nyore caught me off guard and added another point.

“There is no need to overthink what you should do. Focus your time and energy on recovering, and then pay me back. If I have to make a guess, I would say that you need seven more days to recover. I will let you calculate how many days you will owe me after that.”

She does not smile nor continue to speak. Instead, she simply walks to the other side of the hut. There, she lies down on her bed made with a thin layer of woven grass mat. Once she is in a comfortable position, no more noises can be heard under the hut. Only the air of the night and the chirping of the crickets persist.

I soon feel my body calling for rest. Sleeping and eating, this is all I am capable of for the time being… Damn this woman! She has indeed saved my life. There is no doubt about this. How could I flee the second I feel better… What kind of person would I be if I did such a thing? … I do not like the idea, but perhaps I will have to repay her. This would require me to wait almost twenty more days before going back to Gungara… I do not know what to do.

Pondering the question with myself, I finally decide to wait and see. First, I should try to feel better so I can pray for Yulin. Once I am strong enough to go outside and see the moon, I will meditate for them. Yulin should be able to guide me and give me clues about what happened that explosive night. I hope the incident between Gudo and them was not too grave.

Wait for me a bit longer, Yulin.

Wait for me a bit longer, my friends.

I am coming to you. I promise.