Chapter 1: Birthday's
"Happy Birthday!!"
A chorus of cheerful voices burst through the warm stillness of the room, their joy echoing off the wooden walls like a song meant only for her.
The sitting room was awash with soft light and careful color. Festive decorations clung to the walls... bright crimson streamers swaying gently from the ceiling, hand-folded paper lanterns glowing from the corners, and silk tassels hanging from the wooden beams above. They danced lightly with each passing breeze from the open windows. A faint fragrance of incense mixed with the comforting scent of polished pinewood, as if joy and serenity had taken residence here.
At the center of it all stood a table.. short-legged in the eastern tradition, carved from sandalwood and dressed in an ivory cloth embroidered with gentle golden clouds that seemed to drift across the fabric. A cake sat atop it, modest but proud, its white frosting slightly melting under the warm candlelight. Thirteen candles stood lit in a perfect circle, flickering softly like tiny spirits paying tribute. In red icing, shaped delicately and with a child's earnest effort, was written:
13
Just in front of the cake, standing perfectly still with her hands pressed together in front of her chest, was a young girl.
She had long, flowing jet-black hair, strands falling like silk past her waist. But on the right side, just above her ear, was a patch of dark silver hair.. a soft contrast that shimmered under the lantern glow, like a streak of starlight woven into the night. Her skin was pale but warm, touched by candlelight, and her eyes, dazzling emerald green gleamed with a joy so pure it seemed to freeze time. Her gaze remained fixed on the cake, unmoving, almost disbelieving, as if trying to lock this moment in her memory forever.
She inhaled quietly, her chest rising as her shoulders slightly tensed with anticipation. Then
Whoosh!
She exhaled with a delicate breath. The candle flames bent, flickered, and faded into thin wisps of smoke, trailing like tiny ghosts toward the rafters.
A soft round of clapping followed.
Cheers, not loud, but full of warmth. The kind of cheer that filled the heart more than the ears.
The girl smiled then... truly smiled. Her lips parted to reveal small white teeth, slightly uneven in a way that was charming. Her cheeks lifted, eyes narrowing with joy as her hands lowered to her sides. Her fingers curled slightly as if holding onto the feeling itself.
Across the table stood three figures. Her family. The only people who made the world feel small and safe.
One of them stood apart slightly from the others, tall and commanding without trying to be. He wore a dark black robe, its shoulders dusted with ash-colored patterns that faded like smoke into the fabric. His short hair was the same jet-black as hers, neatly combed, and his deep brown eyes shone with a quiet pride that didn't need words to be understood. His face was firm, with lines carved not by age, but responsibility. Broad shoulders carried not just the weight of his stature... but the weight of his home.
This was her father: Xu Yong Du. The man of calm storms and quiet strength.
Beside him stood a woman with elegance that didn't demand attention, it drew it. Her long dark silver hair, darker than moonlight, fell straight down to her waist, glowing faintly under the candlelight. Atop her head sat a single hairpin, a delicate jade ornament that shimmered with an almost magical glow like dust from a dream trapped in crystal. Her robe was deep violet, embroidered with graceful cranes in flight, their wings curling over the sleeves and hem like protective guardians. Her deep green eyes mirror images of her daughter's.. watched with soft affection, pride, and something quieter… a knowing.
She was her mother: Xu Bai Lin. The moon to Yong Du's mountain. Grace to his gravity.
And then there was one more.
A boy.. smaller than the rest, nearly bouncing with barely-contained energy. His eyes, wide and shimmering with innocent excitement, darted between the cake, his sister, and the decorations like they were each holding their own kind of magic. He wore a simple blue robe, the sleeves slightly too long and trailing as he moved. His black hair, shorter and slightly ruffled, gave him a wild and spirited look. His fingers twitched as if itching to clap louder, or maybe steal a taste of the frosting.
This was Xu Yai Lu. Her younger brother. Only six, but already a storm waiting to happen. And right now, his world began and ended at that cake and the smile on his sister's face.
The home around them was modest but warm.. a true warm house, with wooden beams supporting the ceiling, and paper sliding doors allowing light to paint soft shapes along the polished floorboards. From beyond the windows came the hum of cicadas and other types of trees, the occasional chirps of birds in the forest beyond the garden wall, and the rustle of leaves in the morning breeze. Somewhere distant, a stream whispered.
Inside, time felt soft. Sacred.
For now, this moment was perfect....
****
The scent of warm wax and melted sugar still lingered in the air, dancing lazily along with the flicker of candlelight. The walls of the sitting room held the soft echoes of laughter, their vibrant decorations.. a weave of crimson and golden silk banner swaying gently in rhythm with the breeze seeping through the carved wooden windows. In the center of the room, across the corners and the glow from the lanterns pressed gently against the furniture, stood the girl of the hour.
Zolli.
Her emerald eyes shimmered with a quiet joy, their gaze lingering on the half-eaten cake that still stood proud on the table, white frosting melting in lazy swirls beneath the flickering remnants of the birthday candles.
Before she could return fully to the present, a voice cut through the silence.
"Elder Sister Zolli! What did you wish for!?"
The urgency in the boy's voice was impossible to ignore... rushing footsteps padded against the floor, hurried and almost tripping over themselves with excitement.
Zolli blinked, her smile returning as she tilted her head slowly to meet the eager face of her younger brother. Xu Yai Lu... full of boundless energy, eyes bright as a cloudless noon sky. He stood before her now, panting slightly, his short frame cloaked in a simple blue robe that swayed with each breath. His black hair was tousled, some strands sticking against his forehead from his little dash across the sitting room, and his brown eyes shone with impatient curiosity.
Zolli lowered herself slightly, her hand reaching forward. She ruffled his hair with a gentle sweep, her fingers weaving through the soft strands like they were brushing against threads of memory.
"It's a secret," she said, voice playful, yet calm like a stream running quietly..
Yai Lu's cheeks puffed immediately, his lips forming a pout, eyes narrowing just a little.. not angry, but clearly dissatisfied.
"That's not fair..." he mumbled under his breath, crossing his arms as he rocked slightly on his heels.
Zolli chuckled, the sound like wind chimes gently brushing against one another. She straightened slowly, glancing toward the two figures not far from her.. standing side by side, warmth practically glowing off of them.
Her parents.
With a quiet breath, she took a step forward. Her red robe, light yet finely threaded, shifted along the ground, the edges brushing faintly against the polished wooden floorboards. Zolli bent slightly at the waist, hands cupped before her in a respectful gesture, her head tilted low.
"Thank you very much, Father... Mother," she said, her voice soft, yet carrying the weight of sincere gratitude.
Before she could lift her head again, arms wrapped around her.
Xu Bai Lin.. her mother had crossed the space between them without a sound, her long silver hair swaying like a calm waterfall behind her. The strands shimmered faintly under the lantern light, and the enchanted hairpin she wore caught a subtle glimmer as it tilted. Her green eyes matched Zolli's perfectly, now filled with quiet pride and gentle love. Her purple robe whispered softly as she moved, threads of embroidery along its sleeves catching the candlelight.
"You're welcome, dear," Bai Lin whispered, tightening the embrace, "You deserve this… even more. We are truly proud of you."
Zolli froze. Her arms slowly wrapped around her mother's frame, fingers clutching softly at the fabric. Her heart thudded gently in her chest.. too fast to be calm, too steady to be overwhelmed.
A deep voice joined the moment, steady and calm.
"Your mother is right."
Xu Yong Du stepped closer, his tall frame towering beside them, robes dark like shadow and trimmed with ash-gray that softened against the warm hues of the room. His black hair was neatly kept, and his deep brown eyes, though sharp, now mirrored the serenity and warmth within the gathering.
"You deserve this," he said again, voice low but firm, a hand resting gently on Zolli's back as he leaned in, arms wrapping around both of them. "And even more."
The embrace swallowed her whole. Zolli closed her eyes as warmth pressed in from every direction.. each heartbeat, each breath, each voice grounding her in the present moment. Her throat tightened. Words hovered at the edge of her lips, but none came. Her emotions were too full to shape them.
And then...
Bump!
A small weight collided against the side of her leg.
"You almost forgot me!" Yai Lu huffed, squeezing his way into the family hug, cheeks still puffed with indignation, though the sparkle in his eyes betrayed the joy he felt. His arms latched around her waist with determination, his small body trembling slightly from excitement.
The tension cracked.
A round of laughter spilled from everyone's lips, echoing softly into the air like bells ringing from a faraway temple. It rippled outward.. gentle and endless.
The night unfolded with gentle grace from that moment on.
Plates clinked gently, the faint scrape of chopsticks dancing atop ceramic bowls. Laughter danced through the air like fireflies under moonlight. Glasses of fragrant tea clinked with soft toasts, food passed from hand to hand, steam curling into the air with the scent of honeyed rice and sweet herbs.
Through it all, the room remained warm, not just from lanterns or hearth, but from the bond that tethered each soul within it together. Strong and silent, unshaken even if the heavens split open.
Even if a mountain were to rise and stand firm between them... this bond would not break.
It simply… couldn't.
Not now.
Not ever.
.....
Night descended without warning.
The sky beyond the windows had darkened, bleeding into the hues of distant indigo and quiet violet, stars poking through as if hesitant to intrude upon the joy.
Zolli lay in her room, tucked beneath the layers of soft, silk-lined blankets that matched the light-red hue of her robe. Her room was quiet, save for the gentle creak of the paper lantern swinging faintly above her.
Yet sleep refused to come.
She rolled onto her side. Then onto her back. Then again onto her stomach.
Her emerald eyes stared at the ceiling, wide open, mind circling around the hazy remnants of something that still clung to her thoughts...
A dream.
One that didn't feel quite like a dream at all.
One that felt... deeper.
More real.
But no matter how she tried to understand it, she couldn't. Not on her own.
Her fingers gripped the blanket tightly, knuckles pale under the fabric.
"I need to tell someone..."
The thought lingered.
Soft. Persistent.
And so, without waiting any further.
she sat up..