Start over

Xia and Imani’s stay in Gungara was brief. At the end, they only shared one whole day with Imani’s family. Kind as they were, they understood Xia and Imani’s need to travel away for some fresh air.

Still, Xia wanted to try something before she left Gungara. She had to see if the connection she felt with the city was related to the spirit of the moon, Yulin. Night had already fallen on Gungara. Swiftly, Xia began to meditate. She did her best to focus on the connection. This time it was strong, stronger than any other meditation she had done before. Even more surprisingly, for once, she did not feel that something was missing. She was complete. Xia wondered why this city made her feel that way. It was a mystery, all of it. Only one thing was certain: what she sensed was real. She felt that she was being called by this city.

But as dawn broke, it was time for her and Imani to leave. On the boat, Xia was not fully awakened from last night’s experience. A bit of her wished she could have stayed longer. Was it really this city that made her feel so complete? Some doubt remained in her mind. For now, she decided to focus on her next objective: visiting her family. After all that time, she was ready to see her loved ones again. Whatever their reactions might be, she would be happy to see them.

Their trip went smoothly. The boat moved steadily through the calm ocean, its silence punctuated by the distant calls of seabirds. In their cabin, Xia did her best to be near Imani. It was hard for him to be on a boat. It reminded him of many moments shared with his father. A huge part of his life had been on the sea. Imani had listened to tons of negotiations and written thousands of sales reports. But that life was from the past. That day, he was traveling with Xia, the extraordinary woman who had agreed to share her life with him. Imani was profoundly happy to be with her. He knew that once in Shuijin, they would have to be separated for a while. It was forbidden for a foreigner to travel inside the land of Linghua. Hopefully, Xia’s old mentor, Muya, would let him rest at her house in Shuijin while Xia journeyed to meet her family. Imani remembered how nice Muya had always been with Xia.

Yet, for the next three or four weeks, he had no idea how his life would be. He had thought of returning to their house in Tambara. He would have taken care of their animals while Xia visited her family. But he had decided otherwise. It was unthinkable for Imani to be separated from Xia for so long. Hopefully, a part of him already knew what he would do in Shuijin without Xia. Imani would explore the flora around the port city. Who knows what he could find to improve their own medicine? This idea reassured him for the rest of the trip. Soon, Xia and he would reach Linghua and glimpse Shuijin’s harbor.

Xia’s face was lit up by a wide smile as she admired Shuijin. Without delay, the boat berthed at the docks. Xia and Imani took their belongings and started to walk through Shuijin’s narrow streets. They were both excited when they caught sight of Muya’s silhouette. Xia’s old mentor was carefully varnishing a piece of furniture. It was crafted from rich and elegant hardwood. Some drawers were adorned with delicate motifs of golden flowers. Adding to its beauty, the glossy lacquer Muya was applying gave it a final touch of refinement. It was a true spectacle to behold.

As Xia and Imani entered Muya’s workshop, a male guard announced their arrival. Perplexed, Muya stopped her task. As she recognized Xia, she stood up and hugged her in a strong embrace. When Muya turned around to look at Imani, she seemed astonished and shared her reaction.

“I’m reassured to see you both together. Imani, the last two times I saw you with your father, I was surprised not to see Xia. You were acting quite strange, you know. At first, I could have sworn you didn’t even remember who I was.”

Dazed, Imani kept his mouth open. He had no idea what Muya was talking about.

Xia intervened.

“Muya, what are you saying? Imani and I have stayed together for the last year. We were in a faraway village in Zimori, and none of us had traveled on a boat since then.”

Clearly, everyone was lost. Several minutes were needed to figure it out. At last, Xia suggested the most plausible explanation.

“Imani, your sister Runako looks exactly like you. Could she have taken your place in secret? Why would she do that?” Xia wondered.

Imani asked himself the same question. As weird as it seemed, it was probably what had happened.

“Perhaps my sister and I were born in the wrong bodies. Just as I always admired my mother’s work but could never do it, Runako felt the same about our father’s life as a merchant. She often dreamed of accompanying him on his boat, but she was stuck in Gungara, watching me leave while she stayed behind.

I can almost picture her asking my father to let her take my place, even knowing how dangerous it would be if anyone found out. But honestly, I don’t think my father would have ever agreed to something like that.”

Muya had always been a wise person. She could understand things better than anyone. She added in a gentle voice.

“After all that happened to your father in such a short time, he must have been devastated when you ran away, Imani. In desperate times, we often accept things we never would otherwise.”

Those simple words concluded their exchange. Imani would have to speak with his sister, Runako, the next time he saw her.

As the night began, the four of them ate together in Muya’s home. The joiner loved to receive people, and each of them ate more than necessary. The next morning, Xia departed for her village. She was very excited to travel, as the others wished her well.

Day by day, it felt natural for Xia to find her way. She had grown up near these landscapes and found it lovely to cross them again. Seven days were needed before she reached her childhood house.

About a year earlier, Xia had entrusted her old mentor Muya with a special request: to write down every piece of news she received about her little sister. Thanks to that, Xia already knew her sister had taken over her old responsibilities. So, when she arrived and caught sight of her sister running the place, she was not surprised. With teary eyes full of pride, she watched her.

Soon, her sister noticed someone she knew standing near the road and stopped her work immediately. In great haste, she ran into Xia’s arms. At once, both sisters were crying, overwhelmed by too many days of unshared love.

Now, Xia had to announce her presence to the rest of her family. Surprisingly, each of them welcomed her almost as joyfully as her little sister did. Xia was reassured to realize they were doing quite well. Yet, she could not miss the new wrinkles crossing her parents’ features. It must have been difficult for them to accept her departure. She looked at them with tenderness and told them all that had happened since she had left.

And so, the following days went smoothly. Xia helped in the fields along with her little sister. Together, they carefully planted seeds and kept the young crops free of any weeds. As for their little brother, he gathered ripe vegetables and set them aside for pickling and storage. Each morning, Xia would also meditate with her family at the rise of the sun. However, she was the only one to meditate at night. So far, her night meditations had felt distant. There still was a connection, she was sure of it. But here, in Linghua, so far from Zimori, it felt out of place. She missed the strong connection she had with Yulin, the spirit of the moon. As much as she loved her family and Linghua, some part of her wished to be back in Zimori. Her heart torn between two worlds, she focused on cherishing each moment with her family. When leaving Shuijin, she had promised to be back one month later. For fifteen days, she could relish her family’s presence.

Before she knew it, her fourteenth and final night had come. That evening, Xia’s mother saw her slipping out and decided to follow. She stayed silent during her daughter’s uncommon meditation. Once Xia had finished, her mother joined her and spoke,

“I don’t remember your father and me encouraging you to meditate for Yulin. Why do you do it, Xia? You know this spirit likes the quiet of the night. Do you think it’s wise to bother it?”

Xia could have been startled by the presence of her mother. Yet, she was not. Her mother had always been too curious about her children. Because of this, Xia hesitated to share anything with her. The last time she had shared her dream of breeding with her parents, they had not listened to her. Still, Xia had changed. She had proven to them how capable she was of making her own choices. Today, she would reveal it all to her mother.

“I have good reasons to do so, Mum. Let me tell you how it happened.”

Once she had explained everything from her first mistake when she had meditated before the rise of the sun until her last powerful experiences in Gungara, her mother started to weep.

“Oh, my precious eldest daughter. Of course, you were meant to accomplish great things. Do you realize how extraordinary your connection with the spirit Yulin is? We, simple people, are nothing like the spirits we honor. If one of those spirits has decided to connect with you the way you feel it, you must listen to it. This is all very clear to me, you must return to this city called Gungara. I don’t know why, but your place is there. The spirit Yulin wants you in this city, there is no doubt for me. Come here, we will miss you greatly, but knowing this will make your absence much easier.”

Her mother approached Xia and hugged her. Xia could not remember the last time her mother had embraced her. Worse, she had never seen things from this angle. Was Gungara where she was meant to be? As hard as it was for her to accept it, she knew it was. Her life needed to continue in Gungara. Until she unveiled what the connection with the spirit of the moon meant, there was no place where she would feel more needed.