We waved goodbye to the old lady, who told us to call her Grandma Nina. After learning that we did not have parents and were living in a 'group housing for orphans', she felt pity for us and allowed us to call her Grandma Nina.
"Do you think it's safe for her to walk alone in these mountains?" Tuan asked, concern etched on his face as he glanced at me and Lin. We followed Grandma Nina's retreating figure, her silhouette gradually fading against the backdrop of towering trees and rocky paths.
"She assured us her husband is already waiting for her, so we shouldn't worry," Lin replied, turning her gaze from the old woman to Tuan. I looked at both of them, momentarily drawn away from the sight of Grandma Nina.
Lin continued, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "I really don't think she's just a frail old lady. Remember when I tripped earlier on the pathway? Grandma Nina was the one who steadied the heavy hand cart with one hand while reaching out to pull me up with the other before I could hurt my knees. That cart was no lightweight, especially going uphill. It must have taken incredible strength for her to manage both the cart and me at the same time. She definitely has a secret identity!"
With bright eyes and a clap of her hands, Lin exclaimed, "She must be Sun Wukong's grandmother! You know, the Chinese mythical Monkey King, famous not only for looking like a monkey but also for his amazing powers and skills. Those powers must have come from Grandma Nina, the legendary matriarch behind his strength!"
I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head at the whimsical picture she painted with her words. Tuan joined in, both of us amused by Lin's vivid imagination. I turned my gaze back to where Grandma Nina had been walking, feeling a twinge of concern. I wondered if she might need help, worried that she was just being polite when she insisted she didn't require assistance and that her husband was waiting not too far away. But when I looked back along the path, the space where Grandma Nina should still have been was empty—she had vanished like a ghost, leaving us standing there in stunned silence, unsure of what to think.
Tuan and Lin walked alongside me, seemingly unbothered by the unsettling mystery of Grandma Nina's sudden departure. My enhanced hearing, usually sharp and alert, detected no other footsteps apart from Grandma Nina's, and just as we were momentarily distracted, she seemed to vanish. It was perplexing; I would typically be able to hear her steps echoing far down the dirt pathway, ensuring she reached her husband safely.
"Sapphire, am I slowly losing my werewolf abilities too?" I pondered, reaching out into the emptiness within my mind where Sapphire used to dwell. That space now felt like a desolate void, echoing with the absence of her presence. "Not only am I losing you, but I feel like I'm losing the very essence of who I am."
A heavy sigh escaped my lips, and I felt tears welling up in my eyes, blurring my vision and threatening to spill over.
"Meimei, are you okay?" Lin's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts, laced with genuine concern. She halted our movement, turning her full attention away from Tuan, the worry in her gaze palpable. It was as if she instinctively sensed my turmoil in me. Tuan, understanding that something was off, turned to us as well, his brow furrowed with concern.
I looked at both of them, summoning a smile that I hoped was reassuring, and nodded my head slowly. "You silly! I'm just fine! It's probably just the dust from this dirt pathway," I said, attempting to downplay the unease. To enhance the act, I shut my eyes tightly and opened them with exaggerated effort, mimicking the motions of someone desperately trying to clear their sight of 'imaginary dust' particles.
Lin, her brow still knitted in concern, insisted that I stay still while she prepared to blow air gently into my eyes, hoping to clear away the 'dust'.
In that moment, just as she moved closer, Tuan stepped in front of Lin, positioning himself between us. He gently lifted my chin with his hand, forcing me to tilt my head upward to meet his gaze. Before I could even react, he blew softly into my eyes. The sensation was unexpected, and I burst into laughter as his warm breath only tickled my eyelashes, serving no purpose in removing any supposed dirt.
Lin, fiercely protective, immediately stepped forward, shoving Tuan aside and placing herself firmly in front of me. Her eyes widened with a mix of indignation and determination. "What do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "Only I'm allowed to take care of my Meimei! You're not even qualified to pick up her shoes, let alone remove dirt from her eyes! What if you blew too hard and made her go blind? Will you take responsibility for that? Huh?! And what about all the 'bees' that swarm around you—how will she defend herself?!" Without allowing Tuan the chance to respond, Lin took my hands and swiftly pulled me away, quickening her pace to increase the distance between us. The rustling leaves and chirping birds seemed to fall silent, amplifying the tension in the air.
As we distanced ourselves, I caught a faint murmur from Tuan, quiet yet firm, "I can take responsibility for her, Lin." His voice hung in the air, filled with unspoken resolve.
Acting as if nothing had happened earlier, Tuan ran towards us and squeezed between Lin and me, wrapping his arms around our shoulders. He joked and laughed as the three of us continued to walk. "Lin, don't tell me you fell for it! You know that once we decide to start a family, we'll have to sever all ties with the guild forever. The magic binds us with an oath that prevents us from uttering its name. This vow is etched deep within our very souls; even if we had the desire to speak of it, we wouldn't be able to. Sometimes, the magic twists our words, turning what we want to say into gibberish, making us sound like madmen babbling about ridiculous things."
Lin's skepticism was evident; she stopped walking abruptly, causing both Tuan and me to halt as well. With her arms crossed defiantly and a questioning look on her face, she challenged, "What was that about, then?"
Tuan beamed at us, his expression softening. "Lin, you and Mei are like my little sisters. I was just being a good big brother helping his sister out."
Before Lin could respond with her usual quick wit, I acted on instinct, grabbing both her and Tuan and shoving us all aside with urgency. Just seconds later, two arrows sliced through the air, landing with a thud in the dust where they had stood moments before, the sound punctuating the tense silence. A tense silence enveloped us as we instinctively fell into a defensive formation, our senses heightened and adrenaline coursing through our veins. I could tell that only one person was out there, lurking in the shadows, poised to kill us.
In a hushed voice, I instructed Tuan and Lin to stay still and cover me while I took action. They nodded in understanding, their eyes wide with anticipation. I discreetly reached for the dagger concealed at my ankle, its familiar weight reassuring. With a swift motion, I turned and hurled it behind a tree, aiming for the unseen assassin. There was a thud, and I felt a rush of relief as the figure collapsed to the ground, motionless.
I nodded at both Lin and Tuan, our hearts racing as we sprinted toward the body shrouded in black. The eerie sight intensified as we got closer. My eyes widened in shock when I realized that my dagger, which had been aimed directly at his head, hadn't just embedded itself—it had completely pierced through, exiting out the other side. The blade was nowhere to be seen, swallowed by the darkness of the surrounding area.
Lin's gaze fixed on me, a mixture of amazement and admiration etched on her face. I could feel the weight of her eyes, questioning what had just unfolded. Meanwhile, Tuan focused intently on examining the corpse, meticulously searching for any clues that could reveal the identity of the victim or the mastermind behind this brutal act.
"What the hell? Are these humans made of tofu?" I muttered under my breath, frustration bubbling inside me. "Aren't my werewolf abilities diminishing? What is going on?" My thoughts spiraled as I turned my gaze away from Lin, now fixed on the lifeless figure. The stillness of the scene contrasted sharply with the chaos in my mind, and I struggled to comprehend the gravity of the situation unfolding before us.