The air around her was calm, and familiar, carrying the faint scent of dried herbs and freshly prepared medicine. It drifted into her lungs, steadying her just enough to focus.
Her father stood beside her, guiding her movements with patient precision as he adjusted her hands.
"No, don't force it. Let your hands follow your intent" he said softly.
Ena made a small adjustment, her fingers trembling slightly under her father watchful gaze.
"Steady… don't rush" he continued.
She nodded, concentrating as she followed his guidance, mindful of every small movement.
There was only silence between them, broken only by the faint rustle of cloth and the quiet clink of tools.
He let go of her hands, and Ena remained still, holding her position as he observed her for a moment.
"…Good" he said with a nod.
Ena exhaled, her shoulders loosening as the tension slowly faded.
Her father studied her for a moment longer, as if weighing something, before his expression softened slightly.
"The technique can be learned. But skill alone is not enough."
Ena looked up at him and met his calm gaze, a quiet warmth lingering beneath it.
"One without constant virtue cannot practice medicine."
"The way of medicine is to first correct oneself and then correct others."
His voice was steady and firm.
"Come. Recite it with me."
Ena straightened instinctively.
"One without constant virtue cannot practice medicine"
"The way of medicine is to first correct oneself and then correct others."
Her voice was soft, but steady.
For a brief moment, the words felt heavier than they should have.
Her father watched her, then gave a faint nod.
"Good. Always remember this."
He gently patted her head, lingering a little longer than usual.
Not long after, the lesson came to an end.
...
...
When the lesson ended, Ena stepped away as always, leaving the quiet interior behind and making her way to the medicinal garden.
The scent of herbs filled the air, soft and comforting as always. Rows of medicinal plants stretched neatly before her, their leaves swaying gently in the breeze.
'Everything feels… right' Ena simply watched the world before her.
"Mother" A soft voice came from behind.
Ena froze at the sound, something strangely familiar in it as she turned. When she did, a small figure stood there.
'Yao-Yao' The name came to her instantly as Ena tilted her head slightly.
"…Mother?" she asked.
"Yes." Yao-Yao nodded. "I am your child."
Ena looked at her for a moment. "…I see."
The wind rustled softly through the garden.
"…You're the same height as me?" Ena asked.
Yao-Yao looked down at herself. "Mm. I am."
"…Children usually aren't this tall" Ena tilted her head slightly.
"I grew" Yao-Yao said with a small shrug.
"…I see" Ena nodded.
The wind moved gently through the garden, rustling the leaves around them.
Yao-Yao looked at her. "Mother is also not very tall."
"That's true" Ena nodded.
"…There's someone else like that" Ena said suddenly.
"Someone?" Yao-Yao tilted her head.
"…Mm. About a head taller than me" Ena said, her eyes lifting slightly.
"Then it's not strange" Yao-Yao said softly.
The wind passed through once more, carrying the scent of herbs as the leaves swayed gently.
Ena gaze followed the leaves movement of the leaves without much thought, her attention drifting with it as everything remained familiar.
The soft rustling of leaves slowly faded into something faint, replaced by a quiet clink that echoed nearby, while the scent in the air deepened, losing its freshness and becoming heavier, more concentrated, like herbs already dried and prepared.
Ena stepped forward without hesitation.
The ground beneath her feet no longer felt like soil, but firm and smooth. As she moved, the open space around her narrowed, and the distant rows of plants subtly shifted.
Wooden frames appeared where there had once been open air. Lantern light softened above, casting a steady glow over shelves lined with dried herbs, jars, and instruments.
Ena stopped and slowly reached out absentmindedly.
her fingers brushing against a hanging bundle of herbs. They were dry and neatly tied, different from the living plants she had passed, though the scent remained familiar.
Behind her, someone was moving at a steady pace.
Ena turned, only to see Yao-Yao already walking ahead.
Ena followed her.
At the far end, a figure lay motionless.
A patient.
Their breathing was shallow, barely there, but their body was still warm
Ena stepped closer to the patient, her gaze steady as she observed their condition.
Her hand hovered just above him, not yet touching.
'Something about him felt… off' Ena thought, her gaze fixed on him.
"Mother… They're still alive" Yao-Yao soft voice came from behind.
"But not for long."
Ena hands lowered slightly, then stopped.
"…We have to save him" Yao-Yao continued gently.
Ena frowned faintly, but she said nothing.
The scent of herbs in the air felt heavier now.
"This medicine exists to preserve life forever… doesn't it?" Yao-Yao tone calm and patient, reminding Ena of something she already knew.
"…Yes" Ena replied.
"You don't need to hesitate" Yao-Yao said, her voice steady and certain.
"…This doesn't feel right" Ena said.
Yao-Yao stepped closer to her.
"It will help them" she whispered.
Ena gaze lowered slightly, her expression tightening.
The patient chest rose faintly, then stopped moving
"It will save them… Just like you always did" Yao-Yao touched Ena hand
Ena fingers twitched.
"You always said no one should die" Yao-Yao continued.
Ena hand lowered just a little more. The space between her fingers and the patient grew smaller.
"It will save them forever." Yao-Yao said softly.
"Isn't that what you wanted?" Yao-Yao whispered.
Ena breathing slowed.
The words settled quietly in her mind, fitting into place without resistance.
"…No one should die" Ena murmured. her gaze fixed on the patient
The words felt familiar and right.
But her heart still hesitated.
"We should save him" Yaoshi said softly.
The answer felt simple and obvious.
Ena hand lowered, almost touching him.
The warmth of the patient body brushed against her fingertips.
Then suddenly a sharp metallic clang broke through the space, echoing out of place, while the scent of herbs thinned as if being pulled away
Then reality cracked open in silence.
...
...
Ena eyes slowly opened.
Her breath caught midway, her chest tightening as the lingering unease from the dream refused to disappear.
For a moment, she didn't move.
The feeling was still there, something wrong, something she couldn't quite grasp anymore, like a thought slipping through her fingers.
someone was right in front of her.
Her vision slowly came into focus.
It was Stelle, her face just inches away.
"…What are you doing?" Ena voice came out softer than intended, still heavy with the remnants of the dream.
Stelle blinked, as if realizing how close she was.
"I was trying to wake you up, Mommy" Stelle said.
Ena frowned slightly. Something still didn't sit right. The unease hadn't fully faded. It still lingered, making her more alert than usual.
Then Stelle hand moved.
Ena froze. Her mind stalled for a moment.
"...Stelle" Her voice was low.
Before Stelle could react, Ena reached up and pinched both of her cheeks very hard.
"Ah!" Stelle flinched, her face reddening almost instantly.
That's not appropriate, Stelle," Ena said, her voice steady.
Stelle lifted her hands instinctively, caught off guard.
"I-I didn't mean to, it's just… you suddenly felt bigger, Mom!" she blurted out.
Ena watched her closely. There was no teasing in her expression, only confusion, and regret
"…I'm sorry" Stelle said more quietly.
Ena grip loosened before she finally let go of Stelle
A faint redness lingered on Stelle cheeks, standing out clearly against her skin.
For a moment, Ena simply looked at her. Then she carefully reached up again.
Her fingers returned to the same spot she had just pinched, gently caressing it.
"…You shouldn't do that" Ena said calmly.
"I won't… I won't do it again" Stelle replied sincerely.
Ena watched her for a while, then exhaled softly as the tension left her shoulders.
"…As long as you understand" she said, her hand still gently caressing Stelle.
"You may not understand it now. And it may not seem important, but it is."
"I understand, Mom" Stelle nodding obediently.
The atmosphere slowly softened, warmth settling quietly between them.
Ena gaze drifted slightly out of focus as the lingering feeling from the dream quietly resurfaced, faint and distant, but unmistakable
Something had almost happened that she would have regretted
"…You stopped me, didn't you…" Ena murmured under her breath.
"…Hm?" Stelle tilted her head, confused.
Ena didn't answer. Instead, she stepped forward and pulled Stelle into a gentle embrace.
Stelle stiffened at first, caught off guard by the sudden closeness, but slowly relaxed as her hesitation faded. Her hands hovered for a brief moment before she returned the embrace, holding Ena gently
"I'm sorry" Stelle said her voice slightly muffled.
"It's alright" Ena gently kissed Stelle head.
"As long as you remember not to do it next time" Her hand slowly caressed Stelle back, gentle and reassuring.
Stelle hold tightened slightly, and the earlier tension slowly faded away. They stayed like that for a short while, wrapped in a quiet, warm silence
When Ena finally pulled back, her hand lingered briefly before she lowered it.
"…Come" she said softly, holding her hand out to Stelle.
Stelle nodded and took it.
They stood side by side, the earlier tension replaced with a quiet understanding, before walking toward the door.
Ena hand rested lightly on the handle as she paused, glancing back for a brief moment.
The room was still. Silent. Nothing was out of place. And yet something about it felt distant now, like it no longer quite belonged to her.
Ena fingers on the handle tightened slightly before she opened the door and stepped through. Stelle followed beside her.
Ena lingered for just a second longer before slowly closing the door behind them.
The soft click echoed. Quiet and final, as if sealing something before it could reach her again.
TBC
.....
.....
Author note: This chapter was hard to write, particularly because maintaining consistency in the dream sequences was exceptionally difficult.
Hey. Hey readers, Nilvan here. You can now support me not just by stoning me, but also by drowning me… in money, not something else.
"But Nilvan, why should we support you? You only post one chapter a day."
That's because I'm not only translating, I'm also editing most things in Chapters 1–16 and writing my own original chapters like 17, 18, and 19. Also, my monitor has two horizontal lines and one red vertical line.
Here is my ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/drownme
The link is also in my profile.