Empty-handed
1150 Words
He said to rest whenever there’s downtime... Well, to complete the mission sooner, I should follow his advice.
With the gentle sway of the carriage, I soon drifted into a deep sleep...
By the time we reached the outskirts, it was already dusk. The servants set up tents and cooking stoves; we were finally settled for the day.
After dinner, I lay on the grass, gazing up at the stars. It felt wonderful to be transported back to my childhood. I hoped to complete the mission successfully and rewrite my destiny as soon as possible...
In a daze, I seemed to hear my mother’s voice: “This girl, sleeping here? Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Then, I felt the warmth of a familiar embrace, a long-missed, comforting hug...
Early the next morning, Sister Li Hua tugged me awake.
“Miss, it’s time to pay respects to the ancestors.”
“Yes... alright,” I replied groggily.
The mountain path was truly hard to traverse, but luckily, I was just a child, so people took turns carrying me on their backs, ha-ha.
When we reached the destination, I knelt obediently, watching Mother perform the ancestral rites. Suddenly, a flash of blue light appeared before my eyes.
To make sure it wasn’t an illusion, I blinked, but it vanished. Strange... What if it was the very thing I was searching for?
I began to pester Mother, saying I needed to relieve myself. Reluctantly, she asked Sister Li Hua to accompany me. Pretending to be in a rush, I quickly darted off.
“Miss, wait for me!”
Luckily, the grass here was quite tall, so I hid within it and searched around, marking my path back with stones.
After a while, I heard voices calling out.
“Miss, where are you!”
“Miss...”
“Miss, are you alright?”
“Miss...”
Oh no, in this small body, my efficiency is terribly low. I’d been gone too long, and now everyone was looking for me.
Approaching them, I collapsed to the ground and began to cry loudly.
“Tell Madam quickly—the young miss is here!” a servant said as he picked me up, trying to comfort me.
A moment later, Mother rushed over, taking me in her arms, worry filling her eyes.
“Where did you go? I was so worried!” She was on the verge of tears. “I only have you; what would I do if something happened to you?”
“Mother... I... I got lost. But I’m alright now.” I blinked at her with innocent eyes. “I know I was wrong, please don’t blame Sister Li Hua; it was my own fault for chasing after butterflies and running off.”
“It’s fine, as long as you’re safe. Let’s go back quickly.”
Returning to the campsite at the foot of the mountain, I still couldn’t shake that blue light from my mind. A bold idea came to me—I decided to “sneak up the mountain at night.”
“Your Highness, come out—I’ve got a lead.” I called to Kronos in my mind.
“What?”
I recounted what I’d seen during the day and my plan to “sneak up the mountain at night.”
“Is there any spell or blessing you can use to make me stronger?”
“No.”
“Then... if I encounter danger at night while I’m this weak, will you protect me?”
“Perhaps.”
“???”
What kind of companion was this, honestly?
After some thought, I decided to go for it. Opportunities like this don’t come twice, and my progress so far was zero. Besides, these were my ancestors on the mountain—they would surely protect me.
Better take a nap first. For some reason, ever since I met Kronos, I’ve been able to fall asleep easily at any time...
Late at night, when everyone was asleep, I quietly slipped out of my small tent. Being small had its advantages—I was less likely to be noticed.
I snuck up the mountain. At first, I was excited, but after half an hour of trekking, the path seemed endless. I trudged along, sometimes crawling, and after nearly two hours, I finally arrived.
Collapsing onto the ground, I suddenly heard a rustling sound.
On such a dark, windy night, was this where my life would end? My heart was pounding.
I followed the sound and saw a blue light rushing toward... the offerings?
The blue light took on a human form and started gobbling up the offerings.
“Hey! Eating other people’s ancestral offerings? Have you no shame?”
“Mmmph... your... ancestors... have long gone... It’s just... a waste... of food... mmmph.”
“Who... what are you?” I demanded.
“I’m no one,” it said, turning around with a full mouth, “I’m already dead.”
“Ah, so a ghost.”
Considering how chaotic this world had become, encountering spirits and monsters was hardly surprising anymore.
“Why are you wandering here?” I sat beside it.
The ghost, appearing as a girl around ten years old, handed me a pastry. “I don’t know either. I was waiting in line to reincarnate, then suddenly found myself here.”
Could it be due to the disruption of time and space? Either way, she wasn’t what I was looking for.
The sky was already lightening; I needed to return before sunrise. Would I make it back in time?
“I have to go now,” I said.
“Um... could you visit me often? I’ve been alone—no, a lone ghost here for ages. I don’t know where to go, and only when offerings are left do I have something to eat...” she pleaded, looking pitiful.
My heart softened. “I can’t come often, but... why don’t you come home with me?”
“Home? Yes, yes! Where is it?”
“For now, down there.” I pointed to the camp below.
As I was about to lead the way, a blue light wrapped around me, and in a flash, we were back at the campsite.
I summoned Kronos.
“All for nothing. I found nothing.”
“Beginnings are always difficult.”
“Yes, and the middle is too, and the end’s even harder.”
“It wasn’t all in vain; didn’t you bring back that little girl?”
“What does she have to do with my mission?”
“Everything happens for a reason.”
Hmph, always being mysterious.
Today’s activities were relaxing—boating on the lake, admiring flowers, drinking wine, flying kites, and watching cricket fights. If only I hadn’t missed out on sleep last night; my energy was running low today.
Tomorrow, we could go home!
- Writer
