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334 Words
It was his only connection to the father he had never met. Sometimes he wondered, what kind of man was he? What did he look like? What did his voice sound like? Where was he now? Was he even still alive?
And that woman – his mother. The woman who left after giving birth to him. Why did she go? Where did she go? Did she… ever think of him?
These questions grew like weeds in his mind during every sleepless night, but no one could ever answer them.
He closed his eyes, forcing himself not to think about them.
Tomorrow, they were going up the mountain to gather herbs. Grandmother’s medicine was running out; they needed fresh herbs. The mountain paths were difficult; he needed to be well-rested.
The moonlight crept inch by inch across the floor, up the earthen walls, over the chipped bowl on the table.
In the distance, the vast Mangcang Mountains emitted a low moan in the night, as if something deep within was awakening.
Li Qingyun lay awake in the darkness, listening to the wind outside. Tonight, the mountain breeze felt colder than usual, more…
Uneasy.
But he quickly pushed the feeling aside.
He turned over and finally fell into a deep slumber.
What he didn’t know was that this was his last peaceful night in Qingshan Village.
From tomorrow onward, everything would change.
Outside, unseen clouds had veiled the moon, plunging heaven and earth into utter darkness.
Deep within the Mangcang Mountains, several points of faint green light flickered silently into existence, like eyes opening from the abyss of the underworld.
They fixed upon the small village below, as if appraising a feast soon to be savored.
The night wind suddenly ceased.
An all-encompassing silence fell.
Even the insects’ chirping vanished, as if every living creature sensed some ominous omen, trembling in fear, not daring to make a sound.
And the villagers of Qingshan Village remained lost in their dreams, unaware that a cataclysm was steadily approaching.
- Writer
