It all began with simple curiosity when she picked the book inconspicuously displayed in the corner. The cover was plain, just a simple silver hairpin with one dangling bead and its English title, “Mirror Heart”. On the back was only an unusual poem describing its contents.

Hey, I saw something fascinating

It was the lotus flower

Floating beside a red pavilion

Petals are pink and lively

Leaves green and fresh

It was just like your red robes

And his coat draped on your flesh

Hey, hey, I heard something enchanting

It was the bells hanging on the pillars

Softly chiming with the wind

Bright colors dancing on its surface

It was just like the way your face lights up

When his voice whispers and heart confesses

The pavilion in the east

Is forbidden, now I know

But I felt something quite peculiar

When the blooming flower you are cradling

Is the one I sowed

Hey, I touched something surprising

It was the fallen handkerchief

Embroidered with his name

It was messy and mismatched

Just like how the two of you looked

In the midst of an army's march

Hey, hey is there a room for another one?

Ah, apologies that was unplanned

The question in my mouth dies

As I turned away and smiled

Hey, can I stay in the pavilion?

“Yes. You can.”

Oh, how her eyes lingered on the promise of the last line. From that point on, she missed her chance of seeing the light again. She never thought seeing two letters could give her such euphoria and happiness. The world is still beautiful, it seemed. 

Just like any addiction, the curiosity increased in strength through experimentation, what she liked and what she disliked she discovered without a struggle. However, her finicky nature did not allow her to collect everything pertaining to that two-letter label. No, her journey began with a bang and she won't allow anything to lower the standards she had set.

Alas, many may still attempt to mimic the beauty of her favorite but no one can come close to surpassing it and its glorious cast.

Ah, if only, if only. She shakes her head as she lies down on her queen-sized bed.

There is always a longing in her heart. 

If only I can live the same time with you, the same world with you, I am sure it will be the most fantastic experience. I will surely enjoy watching you all fall in love all over again.

She closes her eyes and imagines.

Long red lashes flutter as a petal lands lightly on the tips. A fair hand, long and elegant, picks the petal with his index and middle finger. 

A flat and firm chest leans on his shoulder, this person's black hair resting on his back, the strands mixing in with the reddish hue of his tresses. This person's hand, hidden inside a black glove, takes his fingers and kisses the petal.

“Little Fang, behave.” The red-haired laughs.

The black-haired smiles, his violet eyes twinkling with the sunlight. “Feng-er, please stay.”

A tear rolls down her face.

Uwuu! The tragic tale of the second male lead, oh!  

Her fantasy switches to another scene. This act comes from the first book, she remembers it quite vividly and her favorite moment comes into focus.

The Jade Emperor's golden hair spreads to the floor as he kneels, his white robes with golden details are stained by the wet and dirty gravel. The top of his head lowers, the very top that no one in the whole universe can ever hope to view. This illustrious privilege is only given to one person, one lord, one man.

The Supreme King that stands above millions, willingly submitting his godly being to a creature far lower than him.

He raises his head, their inhumanly mercurial depths contain an emotion so deeply human that his otherworldly looks fade and becomes flawed, for a moment.

“I vow to always cherish you, always stay by you, always stand by you, always follow you, and always love you. The universe may perceive you as their enemy but I will always be your ally.”

“Xiaoxiao¹translates to ”little” repeated twice; a term of endearment Ji, you will be my one and only. Always.”

 Her lips curve and finally, she falls into a sweet, sweet sleep.

The walls creak, her body sliding from side to side. The motion reminds her of a baby's swinging crib. 

“Who turned on the light?”

Her eyes blink open. She blinks again.

Turned on the light? It's dark in here! What a joke. 

She attempts to get up, planning to look for the fool and ask him what is wrong with his head. She can't go far, she suddenly finds, not even a single step. She wiggles in her spot and discovers her hands and feet are bound tightly.

Did someone kidnap her in her sleep? 

A sickeningly sweet smell hits her nose, causing her to gag. It tickles at the edge of her memory. A fact she should know but cannot seem to recall what. She squints, her sight finally adjusting from the darkness of the small chamber. She can perceive lumps the same length as her on both her sides, covered in some sort of rough cloth.

A male voice murmurs from high above her and soon, an outline of a white rectangle appears. She closes her eyes in anticipation. Someone is coming!

Creak. 

She peeks with her right eye. Hm, at least it isn't as dark outside as in here.

A set of boots land beside her, quiet and almost unnoticeable. She feels a disturbance in the air and senses the intruder's approach.

It crouches. 

“She's the only one alive.”

A spark comes alive and grows into a floating flame above her. It illuminates the room and uncovers what the darkness concealed.

The sharp intake of breath is like a pin dropping in an eerily silent room.

She tilts her head but something horrid draws her eyes. 

The lump she has perceived earlier isn't as tightly bound as her, shown when a part of its content slips from the brown sack and the pungent smell becomes so unbearably concentrated she begins to dry heave.

Only then does the intruder's words hit her. 

She's surrounded by dead bodies.

Fan Shuangxi is completely still, stunned by the sight below. Of all the coincidences and chance meetings, it is her fate that tangles with Fan Shuangxi.

“Xiaoxi-jiejie² jie - older sister; repeated twice!” A child cries out and grasps the corner of Fan Shuangxi's black robes. She blinks and glances down.

A small boy, she concludes, appearance-wise he looks to be a five-year old, short and thin. However, with the conditions he is found, Fan Shuangxi ventures to guess he is older than how he is perceived.

She doesn't shake off his clutch, finding comfort in the fact that a child can still recognize her as a form of sanctuary. 

Hao Fang, in his disguised form, bends and says to the woman, “can you stand?”

The woman stares at Hao Hang with a blank face. “Can you untie me?” Her voice does not shake, does not unnecessarily questions, and demands action; a testament of her personality.

The cowardly her that Fan Shuangxi once met in the forest, her head bowed while wearing shame on her tattered sleeves has now vanished or maybe, she is always this kind of woman but her trying days have hammered her into a submissive woman.

Or... her inner self butts in, she is another transmigrator.

That's not possible, right? Fan Shuangxi questions without conviction. The sudden burst of light earlier has signaled that someone has been brought back from the brink of death; even from death itself.

How can three transmigrations happen in a short period of time. It hasn’t been a year yet when I began traveling. Granny Fan wasn’t lying too!

The heck? This world is insane!

That only means you aren’t so special after all, her inner self jibes. The sentence stings but Fan Shuangxi quickly scrubs it away. Her feeling can only be termed as dread as the idea gains acceptance.

If this one is another Two then fuck it! I’m really going to run away even if it kills me! Fan Shuangxi already can't handle Two’s personality, what more if there’s two of them.

“Xiaoxi-jiejie,” the boy cries again when Hao Fang steps back up, carrying the woman bridal style.

“Oh, what a heavenly pair.” Fan Shuangxi can’t help but exclaim. The compliment is said in a sincere tone, her admiration evident. Despite looking like a ragtag pair, their looks ordinary and scarred, their innate auras ooze like a pair of dragon and phoenix. 

Why is that? She wonders and catches Hao Fang's glare.

Fan Shuangxi purses her lips and turns to pat the boy’s head.

The boy swipes her hand away. How despicable! Since when did she become someone easily bullied?

The boy runs up to Hao Fang and the woman stares at him with a blank face, her lack of response easily discerned by Fan Shuangxi's suspicious eyes. It won't be too much of an assumption if there is evidence to support the obvious.

Fan Shuangxi's gaze lingers on the woman's face before turning around. It must be because she has prepared herself that she can now control her reaction to the hair-raising sight.

In the end, who is the heartless person that destroyed such a pretty face?

“Xiaoxi-jiejie?”

The floor is devoid of any captive person and the only ones left are the four of them. Fan Shuangxi walks away from the macabre scene. Her black boots stepping on dried puddles of blood. 

Fan Shuangxi hides her trembling hands inside her sleeves, raising her head up and away from the slaughter beneath her feet.

“Let go of my Xiaoxi-jiejie!”

Fan Shuangxi hears the boy scold and she pauses in her steps to glance behind her. Hao Fang has ignored the boy and continues to carry the woman. The woman grimaces but she remains obedient in his arms.

Two is perceptive enough and may even have her own suspicions.

Fan Shuangxi thus becomes the leader and the other three follow her up to the second floor where the rest of the captives are resting. They don't react when Fan Shuangxi walks past but when Hao Fang arrives with the woman, many of them begin to shake, some showing joy, most wearing a look of shock.

Whispers and small conversations filter through her hearing.

“She survived! I swear she was dead already.”

“...bless her luck.”

“Xiaoxi-jiejie! Wuwuwu...”

“Ah, where are you taking Xiaoxi-jiejie?” The boy shouts when Hao Fang proceeds to the upper floor.

Hao Fang pauses and sweeps the large group with an arrogant gaze. “This woman is mine.”

Fan Shuangxi misses a step.

Lang Yi's eyes widen.

The whole room quietens.

“Tyrant!” Then the boy charges at Hao Fang. “Give back Xiaoxi-jiejie.”

The people in the room pale and the events prior to their rescue come rushing back to them. It all began exactly like this; a young boy rebelling against their captors, trying to save a woman about to be raped. 

Fast like lightning, the woman jumped in between the two, shielding the boy from the deadly gas field of a cultivator and sacrificing her life in the process.

The people collectively step back, their fears guiding them to wash off their hands in what will happen next.

Hao Fang transfers the woman on his shoulder, her bottom sticking up while Hao Fang's free hand falls to the boy.

The others close their eyes and silently pray.

“Ah!” The boy shrieks, throwing his small fists around while Hao Fang holds his small head at bay.

The boy tries to follow-up with a kick but Hao Fang catches his small limb and lifts him up.

“Let's go,” Hao Fang commands as he overtakes Fan Shuangxi.  

Lang Yi leads his master to a private room where Hao Fang unceremoniously dumps his two baggages.

Fan Shuangxi gestures and her robes swish, the air gathering in small twirls to catch the two bodies from crashing to the hard floor.

The woman's eyes widen and their eyes meet but no sign of recognition befalls on her small face.

Fan Shuangxi hears Hao Fang's sigh, prompting her to open her mouth to explain. She stops and chides herself.

An act of kindness is better left unsaid rather than endorsed.

She keeps quiet and waits for Hao Fang's move. After all, Two is proficient in verbal plays.

The boy whimpers and crawls to Xiaoxi's arms. The woman accepts the boy while keeping the three in her scope of vision, her back straight and shoulders tense.

Hao Fang bends his waist and holds the woman's stare unflinchingly. He inspects the woman before asking in a casual tone, “are you one of us?”

Fan Shuangxi slowly blinks at Hao Fang.

How straightforward can you be?

Hao Fang shrugs.

Faster this way.

The woman's mouth twitches. “Modern?”

Hao Fang and Fan Shuangxi stiffen.

She has said it in English.

Boom!

Roar.

“Ah!” The scream of people downstairs reaches their room and the floor--no, the whole ship tilts.

“What happe--” Fan Shuangxi shouts as her body slams to the wall and temporarily forgetting Xiaoxi’s new identity.

“Lang Yi!” Hao Fang turns to his subordinate who is writing a rune on the floor.

The rune flickers but its glow dies out, leaving a smudge of the written art. Lang Yi shakes his head. It is a testament that a rune did not take effect.

“Master, this floor and the one below are the only ones not submerged in water. Unfortunately, it won't be for long.” Lang Yi bows, “we must vacate as soon as possible.”

“Go!” Hao Fang orders.

“How about the people?” Fan Shuangxi sprints to the corridor leading downstairs.

“We don't have time for them!” Hao Fang points out while looking upwards, eyebrows narrow, vigilant and ready to strike.

“Why?” Fan Shuangxi cries out.

Crack.

Woosh.

The wooden ceiling is no more. The once clear skies has become stormy without her knowing. Lightning strikes, illuminating the gigantic tentacles slamming and coiling all around her.

Fan Shuangxi gapes, frozen in shock.

A shadow approaches in great speed and covers Fan Shuangxi's whole body.

Fan Shuangxi sidesteps unconsciously, still wearing her shocked expression.

Crack. Crack.

Her robes almost fly off her body, her hair swishing behind her while her feet bound and firm on the floor. The air from the descending tentacle has destroyed the walls of the ship and its path of destruction continues downward.

Water splashes her face, the smell of the ocean pronounced as turbulent winds batter the ship, and all around her are screams.

Everything happened swiftly like somebody fast-forwarded a scene times two.

“Help!”

Fan Shuangxi doesn't know what to do.

“Please help!”

Her breathing becomes rag.

“Fan. Shuangxi.”

Slap.

Hao Fang's stern eyes pull Fan Shuangxi from a panic attack and her stinging cheeks remind her of the reality she's in the middle of.

“Assist Xiaoxi with vacating the people. Lang Yi is waiting on the other side.”

“I--” Fan Shuangxi croaks.

Hao Fang pats her shoulders. “Remember. You are strong.” He grasps her shoulders tightly. “Their lives are in your hands now.”

Ba-thump.

Fan Shuangxi turns away, her mind blank, her body moving on its own. She jumps below and to the other side of the broken floor. Water keeps on rising and the bodies of people that haven't escaped from the tentacle float on its surface, some face down, others facing up, their look of terror forever frozen in their faces.

Fan Shuangxi's wide eyes take them all in while her hands mechanically carry unconscious bodies without any conscious effort.

She flies back to the upper floor where a circular rune keeps it steady and upright.

“Ssh, it will be okay, little ones, the big brother will be sending you to a safer place.” Xiaoxi calms the children as their ship hovers above, glowing on all sides as the runes act as a barricade from the slamming tentacles.

“Be calm.” Xiaoxi's voice booms over the panicking group. “Give support to those who cannot walk or are unconscious. Do not run!”

When abled people start to push around, Xiaoxi glares. “Those who are impatient I won't hesitate to push to the pincers below.”

Fan Shuangxi glances down when she hears Xiaoxi's threat and she gulps. She hasn't noticed that the beak of the tentacle monster has penetrated the deepest part of the ship and grinds everything it swallows to miniscule pieces.

“Hey! You coming or not?” Someone questions behind her.

Fan Shuangxi sees Xiaoxi waving at her while the crowd already disappeared to the ship.

“He won't be able to dispatch these monsters if we don't evacuate so hurry up!” Xiaoxi reminds and walks up to the ramp of runes serving as the stairs to the hovering ship.

He?

Fan Shuangxi raises her head and witnesses the formation of numerous circles in the air and Hao Fang's form suspending above them. The deep violet hue dyes his body in the same color, the shadow transforming his whole visage into a ruthless warrior.

He has wiped off his mask and has revealed his real face, dark and unyielding. Fan Shuangxi's heart calms down.

He is someone she can trust to do the job right.

They will be safe. Fan Shuangxi thinks and returns to their ship with peace in her heart.

The air sizzles as thin blades form within the violet circles. When no life stands in between the attack spell and its target, the blades solidify and rain down.

Holes appear on the tentacles, blowing them off to pieces, piercing and carving off flesh from the giant.

The giant tentacled monster roars in pain even while its body sinks, retreating with only two of its eight tentacles intact, and dragging what remained of the traders' ship with it.

The raging waves begin to calm but the sky remains bleak.

As if telling them there is more to come.

The sky darkens further as another giant body descends.

Screech.

The cry of a winged-creature resounds.

In the origin myth of the Earthen Realm, when the Mother Goddess sat down to design her realm, two creatures had vied for her attention; the eight-armed Octo and the three-winged Roc.

Thus, when the Mother Goddess slept and left the realm to her three children, the two creatures disappeared. The eight-armed Octo dwelt beneath the sea and the three-winged Roc explored the sky.

Only when the Mother Goddess' lifepulse beats again upon the Earthen Realm shall these two emerge, seeking her favor once again.

The wind will howl, floods will rise and in their wake, spring will reign.

Hear ye, hear ye, may our generation be blessed by the Great Mother's life.

- an excerpt from the third book of The Origins, The Clan of Nuwa