THE RIVER BELOW ROARED LIKE A BEAST, SLAPPING AGAINST THE PILLARS OF THE OLD BRIDGE. THE RAIN POUNDED HEAVILY, DRIPPING OFF SIYUN'S HOOD AND STICKING HIS HAIR TO HIS PALE, BRUISED FACE. HIS FINGERS CLENCHED THE RAILING, TREMBLING, HEART POUNDING LIKE DRUMS IN A WAR CHAMBER.
THE WIND HOWLED THROUGH THE NIGHT, WHISTLING ACROSS THE METAL PILLARS (WOOOOSH… WHIIIISSSSH!), PUSHING HIM AGAINST THE RAIL, ALMOST TOPPLING HIM INTO THE BLACK WATER BELOW.
AND THEN—
A VOICE CUT THROUGH THE RAGE OF THE STORM. CLEAR. ECHOING.
"WHEN SHADOWS BIND THE HEART OF MAN,
ONLY THE LOST SHALL FIND THE LIGHT WITHIN THEIR HAND."
SIYUN FREEZED. HIS BREATH HITCHED. THE WORDS—STRANGE, HAUNTING, AND FAMILIAR—SEEMED TO WRAP A COLD HAND AROUND HIS SOUL.
"HOW… HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?" HE GASSED, HIS EYES WIDE. THE RAIN MIXED WITH TEARS, BLURRING THE FIGURE IN FRONT OF HIM.
THE MYSTERIOUS GIRL STEPPED CLOSER, HER UMBRELLA TILTED, KEEPING HER FACE PARTIALLY IN SHADOW. SHE SPOKE SOFTLY, CALMLY, LIKE A WHISPER OF THE NIGHT ITSELF.
"DO YOU WANT REVENGE ON THEM… FOR BETRAYING YOU?"
SILENCE FELL, BROKEN ONLY BY THE RAIN STRIKING THE BRIDGE (PLOP… SPLASH… CRASH!). SIYUN FELT HIS THROAT TIGHTEN, MEMORIES SLASHING THROUGH HIS MIND LIKE A BLADE.
FLASHBACK – THE GRASSFIELDS OF LONG AGO
HE REMEMBERED RUNNING THROUGH TALL GREEN GRASS, THE SUN WARM ON HIS BACK, SMILING FREELY, HIS HEART LIGHT AND UNBURDENED. LAUGHTER ESCAPED HIS LIPS, MIXING WITH THE SOFT WHISTLE OF WIND (SWWWWWOOOOOOSH…).
AN OLD MAN STOOD IN THE DISTANCE, HIS VOICE STRONG AND RESONANT, CARRYING THROUGH THE AIR LIKE AN ECHO FROM ANOTHER WORLD.
"WHEN SHADOWS BIND THE HEART OF MAN,
ONLY THE LOST SHALL FIND THE LIGHT WITHIN THEIR HAND."
SIYUN STOPPED MID-STEP. HIS CHEST HEAVED. HE FELT THE WORDS PIERCING HIS HEART, LIKE A DULL PAIN THAT REFUSED TO FADE. AND THEN—
THE FLASHBACK SHATTERED LIKE GLASS, SPLINTERING INTO THE DARK RAINY NIGHT BEFORE HIM. (CRRRAAAACCCKK… SPLINTER… SPLASH!)
BACK TO THE BRIDGE
"I… I REMEMBER… THAT… BUT HOW…" SIYUN STUTTERED, STILL GRASPING THE RAIL. HIS HEART POUNDED (THUMP… THUMP… THUMP…), MATCHING THE RAIN'S RELENTLESS RHYTHM.
THE GIRL STEPPED CLOSER, HER EYES UNWAVERING, CALM AS IF SHE CONTROLLED THE CHAOS AROUND THEM. "I'M HERE TO RETRIEVE YOU. YOU ARE AT THE CROSSROADS, SIYUN. YOU HAVE CHOSEN DEATH… BUT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY."
HE STARED AT HER, SHAKING HIS HEAD. HIS VOICE CRACKED. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND… I HAVE NO ONE. I'M WEAK… I'M PATHETIC… THEY ALL HATE ME… I'VE SACRIFICED EVERYTHING, AND STILL… I'M NOTHING!"
SHE HELD OUT HER HAND, CALM, STEADY, A LIGHT IN THE DARK.
"IF YOU WANT REVENGE, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GRAB MY HAND. I CAN GIVE YOU THE POWER… THE MEANS TO STRIKE THEM BACK. NOTHING WILL STOP YOU."
SIYUN FELT HIS BREATH CATCH. HIS MIND WANDERED INTO CHAOS—THE EDGE OF SUICIDE, THE RAGE BUILT FROM MONTHS OF BETRAYAL, THE PATHETIC FEELING OF HAVING NO ALLIES… (RUMMMMBBLE… CRASH!)
HIS FINGERS TREMBLED, HIS PALMS SWEATING. HE SWALLOWED HARD, HIS THROAT DRY, HEART BEATING (THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!).
AND THEN—
HE GRABBED HER HAND.
A SHOCK OF COLD AND STRANGE ENERGY TRAVELED UP HIS ARM, SPREADING THROUGH HIS CHEST LIKE FIRE AND ICE. HE FELT HIS HEART SLOW, HIS RAGE CALM, HIS BREATH STEADY. THE URGE TO LET GO OF LIFE VANISHED, REPLACED BY SOMETHING DARK… AND POWERFUL.
THE RAIN SEEMED TO SOFTEN AS HE STEPPED BACK FROM THE RAIL, STILL HOLDING HER HAND. (DRIP… DRIP… SPLASH…)
"WHO… WHO ARE YOU?" HE ASKED, EYES LOCKING WITH HERS.
SHE SMILED, MYSTERIOUS, UNREADABLE.
"I WAS SENT BY A MYSTERIOUS PERSON. TO BRING YOU BACK FROM THE EDGE. AS FOR WHY I AM HELPING… THAT IS A SECRET. I WILL TELL YOU WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT… OR IF YOU CAN FIND IT, THEN… LET US SEE."
Siyun FELT A CHILL CRAWL DOWN HIS SPINE. QUESTIONS BURNED IN HIS MIND. BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE FELT… CALM.
"WHY… WHY ME?" HE WHISPERED.
"SOME THINGS ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD UNTIL THE TIME IS RIGHT. YOU WILL LEARN. FOR NOW… WALK FORWARD, SIYUN. DO NOT TURN BACK INTO THE DARKNESS YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD EMBRACE."
HE RELEASED HER HAND, BREATHING DEEPLY. THE WIND (WHOOSH…) SWIRLED AROUND THEM, AND THE SOUND OF THE RIVER BELOW ROARED (CRASH… SPLASH… RUMBLE!) LIKE A DEMENTED GUARDIAN OF THE NIGHT.
WHEN HE RETURNED HOME, HE WAS MET WITH A SIGHT THAT MADE HIS HEART STALL—HIS FAMILY HAD PACKED HIS LUGGAGE. HIS MOTHER STOOD WITH A SOFT, SAD SMILE, HIS FATHER SILENT BUT STEADY, AND HIS LITTLE SISTER WATCHED QUIETLY, EYES FILLED WITH WORRY.
"YOU WILL UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING… ONCE YOU GO THERE," HIS MOTHER SAID.
SIYUN OPENED HIS MOUTH, BUT NO WORDS CAME. THE WEIGHT OF MYSTERY, EXPECTATION, AND THE GIRL'S CRYPTIC WARNING CRASHED INTO HIM LIKE THE STORM HE HAD LEFT BEHIND.
"GO… NOW," HIS FATHER URGED.
WITH A SHIVER, SIYUN PICKED UP HIS BAG, HEART STILL THUNDERING (THUMP… THUMP… THUMP…). HE PAUSED FOR A MOMENT, THINKING OF THE GIRL, HER POETRY, AND THE EDGE OF SUICIDE THAT SHE HAD PULLED HIM BACK FROM.
THE NIGHT SEEMED TO WHISPER AROUND HIM: (WHIIIIIIISH… DRIP… RUMMMBLE…).
AS HE STEPPED INTO THE DARK AND UNKNOWN PATH, EVERY SHADOW SEEMED TO HIDE A SECRET, EVERY WIND WHISTLE LIKE A WARNING OR A PROMISE. HE WAS ALONE… BUT NOT COMPLETELY.
AND SOMEWHERE IN HIS MIND, THE WORDS OF THE POETRY ECHOED AGAIN:
"WHEN SHADOWS BIND THE HEART OF MAN, ONLY THE LOST SHALL FIND THE LIGHT WITHIN THEIR HAND."
SIYUN CLUTCHED HIS BAG, BREATHING HEAVILY, HIS EYES FIXED FORWARD. HE KNEW THIS WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
THE PATH OF REVENGE, MYSTERY, AND DARK TRUTH STRETCHED BEFORE HIM, AND HE WOULD WALK IT… OR DIE TRYING.