Chapter 12 Book 1 Chu Xinxin
The chill of the night air clung to the Maen Continent's misty port, swirling around Xu Mei as she followed Lyra, Rong, and Iris. The ground felt damp and slick under her feet, and the gray fog was thick enough to make the shapes of the docks a blur. She clutched Lyra's hand tightly, her small knuckles white against her new friend's. The colossal shadow of the ghost ship loomed before them, its skeletal masts clawing at the sky. A shiver, not just from the cold, ran down Xu Mei's spine. It was a sense of profound unease, a feeling that something ancient and forgotten resided within the ship's decaying timbers.
Lyra, Rong, and Iris, however, seemed undeterred. One by one, they withdrew their wands, the familiar polished wood feeling like a small comfort in the oppressive atmosphere. The tips of their wands began to emit a soft, warm light that pushed back the oppressive fog, creating a clear, shimmering path leading directly to the gangplank. Xu Mei could now see the details of the ship: the peeling paint, the worn ropes, and the eerily silent deck. The ship's appearance was a stark contradiction to the magical glow that illuminated their way. But as long as she held Lyra's hand, she felt a little braver, a little safer.
Stepping onto the gangplank, Xu Mei expected the same decay and coldness. Yet, as soon as her foot touched the polished wooden floor of the main deck, she felt a change. The air was warmer, the mist was gone, and the feeling of unease began to dissipate. The interior of the ship was not what she had expected. Instead of a rotting vessel, it was a lavishly decorated, rustically charming floating hotel. There were rich tapestries on the walls, polished brass fixtures gleamed in the ambient light, and the scent of old wood and spices filled the air. She saw other children, all her age or a little older, being led to their cabins by a ghostly, translucent crew. They moved silently, their forms shimmering like heat haze.
A shimmering crew member with a friendly smile led Xu Mei and her friends to their respective cabins. She was a bit disappointed to be separated from Lyra, but the sight of her own small, comfortable cabin with a soft bed quickly soothed her. The room was simple but elegant, with a single window that looked out onto the still-misty sea. As she settled onto the bed, the gentle rocking of the ship began to lull her. She closed her eyes, trying to process the day's events, and was soon fast asleep.
A sudden, insistent rapping at her door startled her awake. She sat up in bed, her heart pounding. The sun had long since set, and the moonlight cast long shadows across her room. The knocking continued, faster and more frantic. Xu Mei's hand instinctively went to her locket, the one Director Jing had given her. She could feel a strange panic emanating from the other side of the door. It wasn't the menacing fear she had felt earlier, but a raw, desperate kind of fright.
Carefully, Xu Mei slid off the bed and tiptoed to the door. She peered through the small peephole, seeing a young girl, no older than herself, with wild, dark hair and wide, terrified eyes. The girl was dressed in clothes that looked like they were barely held together, patched and frayed in countless places. She looked like she had just run a very long way.
Before Xu Mei could even fully open the door, the girl burst inside, a whirlwind of desperation and whispered urgency. She slammed the door shut and leaned her entire body against it, her small frame shaking. She pressed her ear to the wood, her eyes darting around the room as if expecting someone to burst in at any moment. Xu Mei stood frozen, completely confused.
"Are… are you okay?" Xu Mei asked, her voice barely a whisper. The girl jumped, as if she had forgotten Xu Mei was there.
She pushed herself off the door, smoothing down her tattered clothes. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to barge in like that," she said, her voice soft and a little shaky. "It's just… they were right behind me."
"Who was?" Xu Mei asked, stepping back a little. The girl looked at her, her eyes full of a vulnerability that made Xu Mei's heart ache.
"My… my family," the girl said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "The ones who bought me. I ran away."
Xu Mei's confusion turned to concern. "You were… bought?"
The girl nodded, her eyes glistening. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "I'm Chu Xinxin. What's your name?"
"Xu Mei," she replied, still trying to process everything. "It's nice to meet you, Chu Xinxin. Are you... from an orphanage, too?"
Xinxin shook her head. "No. My mother… she sold me when I was six. I've been with that family since then. But I saw them. They were looking for me on the dock."
Xu Mei was speechless. She couldn't imagine her own life, which had been so full of love from Director Jing and the other children, being anything like this. Xinxin must have noticed the look on her face, because she quickly added, "But I'm here now! I have my invitation!"
She reached into a small, worn bag tied around her waist and pulled out a letter. It was identical to the one Xu Mei had received: the same thick, creamy paper, the same elegant script, and the same familiar seal.
"Wow," Xu Mei breathed. "I got a letter just like that. From a white bat, on the night of my eighth birthday."
Xinxin looked surprised. "A white bat? My letter… I just found it yesterday. In an old bag that my mother gave me before she… left. I just turned eight, so I guess it was a sign." She held the letter close to her chest. "I knew I had to take this chance. It was my only way to escape."
"Escape? From the people chasing you?" Xu Mei asked.
Xinxin nodded, a shadow passing over her face. "They… they wanted to drain my blood. I don't know why. I overheard them talking about it last night, about how I had a special kind of magic, a pure mana that could make them stronger. They were going to do it today. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do."
"But... you're a Magii, right? You should have been able to protect yourself," Xu Mei said, still trying to make sense of the story. She also forgot that all magii who have just awoken could use magic.
"I think my powers just woke up last night," Xinxin said, looking down at her hands. "It was like a jolt, like someone had poured a bucket of cold water on me, and then… nothing. But I heard them talking. And I knew. I just knew I had to run."
"Hmm… It seems that your awakening is also like the others?" Xu Mei muttered as Chu Xinxin's awakening is not like that of Ethan who shone golden light around his body.
But then her heart ached for this girl who had been through so much. She thought about her own journey, the books she received from her respected teacher, the game-like status window, and the comforting presence of the people from the orphanage, and now her new friends Lyra, Rong, and Iris. She had been worried about a new school, but Chu Xinxin had been worried about her life.
"I'm so sorry," Xu Mei said, her voice full of genuine sorrow. "That's a terrible thing to happen to you."
Xinxin just shrugged, a small, sad smile on her face. "It's okay. It's in the past now. I'm here. I'm safe." She looked around the cabin, her eyes widening at the soft bed and the clean walls. "This is a beautiful room."
"It is," Xu Mei agreed. "And you can stay here with me. No one will find you." She looked at Xinxin's tattered clothes. "Do you… have anything else to wear?"
Xinxin looked down at her rags. "No. This is all I have. I just ran with the clothes on my back."
"You can borrow some of mine," Xu Mei said, opening her small trunk. It was a new trunk, full of new clothes that Director Jing had bought for her. She pulled out a simple but clean dress and a pair of soft trousers. "Here. You can have these."
Xinxin's eyes welled up with tears. "You… you would do that for me?"
"Of course," Xu Mei said, her own eyes a little misty. "You're my friend now."
Xinxin carefully took the clothes. "Thank you, Xu Mei. Thank you so much." She went to the corner of the room, and with her back turned, quickly changed. When she turned back, she looked like a completely different person. The clean clothes made her look less like a street urchin and more like the bright, eight-year-old girl she was.
"You look nice," Xu Mei said honestly.
"I feel nice," Xinxin said, a genuine smile finally breaking through her fear. "I've never worn anything so soft before."
They sat on the bed together, two little girls on a ghost ship, sharing their stories. Xu Mei told Xinxin about her life in the Holy Hand Orphanage, about the kind Director Jing, and about her friends, Lyra, Rong, and Iris. She didn't mention the status window; that was her secret, for now. She talked about the fun she had, the chores she did, and the books she loved.