I messed up.

Those were the words that kept playing over and over in her head as she ran through the woods. A gasp escaped from her mouth when an arrow whizzed past her and embedded itself in the tree in front of her. Her heart thudded in her chest. She ran as fast as she could, her breath coming in short pants.

Heavy footsteps were close behind her, getting closer every second. She could hear men shouting but couldn't make out what they were saying. Fear propelled her faster. She dodged trees and leaped over dead logs. Her hand grew tense around her sword--her useless sword. If only she could fight, but her sword skills were still so poor that she could barely hold her own. She had only recently begun training in the sword. What was more, she was only a kid, and those were grown men, so engaging in a battle was a stupid idea. Running away was the best choice. The only choice.

Another arrow was shot, and then another. The first arrow nailed into the ground a centimeter from her feet, while the other grazed her shoulder. She let out a short, harsh gasp of pain and stumbled on the hem of her robe, almost falling.

"Hui!" Chen Xue exclaimed as she grabbed her sister's little hand.

Shu Yue scrambled to regain her footing and followed Chen Xue, trying to ignore the pain in her right shoulder. The cold wind hit their faces like a knife as they ran through the forest, desperate to escape from the hunters. Chen Xue never let go of Shu Yue's hand, making sure her sister didn't lose her balance again.

I messed up.

Gripping her sword, Shu Yue once again regretted her decision of coming here without her mask. She thought everything would be fine. She thought the forest would be safe. It was safe until the hunters arrived. It turned out that they were sent by the Crown Prince to hunt for demi-humans, particularly younger ones like her. She was the perfect target. Even though she wore a veil over the lower part of her face, the pair of sharp horns on her forehead gave away her identity as a demi-human.

Why now of all times?

She just wanted to be herself for once--to not hide behind a mask and just be the demi-human that she was. But then the hunters showed up, ruining her fleeting moments of freedom. The Crown Prince ruined everything.

Chen Xue yelped and let go of Shu Yue's hand as she fell over. Shu Yue's heart thrummed and she stopped in her tracks. Chen Xue was lying on the ground, an arrow protruding from her shoulder. She whimpered as she struggled to get up.

"Xue!" cried Shu Yue, rushing over to assist her, but her sister pushed her hands away.

"Run!" Chen Xue yelled. "I'll just slow you down. Don't worry about me. It's you they are after. I'll be fine."

Shu Yue hesitated as she glanced at the hunters. There were four of them, and they were getting closer. One man halted and pulled out an arrow from behind him. Placing it on his longbow, he aimed at Shu Yue.

Chen Xue gave her a gentle push in the back. "Go! I can't run anymore." She was slightly limping as she walked. She must have scraped her knee when she fell. The arrow was still stuck to her shoulder. Her right sleeve was soaked in blood.

Just as Shu Yue opened her mouth to argue, Chen Xue let out a yelp. Another arrow struck her in the left shoulder. She grimaced as she crouched down, her face twisted in pain.

"No! Xue!" Shu Yue screamed and kneeled before her sister.

"Fuck!" one of the hunters cursed. "Don't shoot carelessly. You fucking hit the wrong girl again."

The sound of footsteps drew closer and closer, then stopped. All were silent, and the only sound that could be heard was the heavy breathing of the panting men. They had caught up with the two young girls and were now standing just a few feet away from them. The two hunters drew their swords from the sheath.

"Be a good girl and come with us," one man said. "No one is going to get hurt again."

Shu Yue could barely make out what they were saying.

"You hurt her," she said in a barely audible voice, staring at her bloody hands. She took another step backward. "You hurt her!" Her raging scream shattered the forest silence.

The hunters hardly reacted to her sudden outburst.

"We came on the order of the Crown Prince," one man said firmly. "You don't have any markings, so you're not owned. Come with us and we'll get the girl treated."

Shu Yue looked up at them. Tears were coursing silently down her cheeks, but her face was devoid of emotions. She stared at the hunters with unblinking eyes, then glanced at her blood-stained hands.

To everyone's surprise, Shu Yue grabbed her sword from the ground and drew it out of its sheath. With a shrill scream, she charged forward in a blind rage.

"Don't!" someone shouted. Shu Yue couldn't tell if the voice came from the hunters or Chen Xue. Her blade homed in, sinking into flesh and grating past bone.

"Hui..." Chen Xue's soft voice brought Shu Yue back to her senses.

Shu Yue blinked. Her vision cleared, revealing who stood in front of her. It was Chen Xue. The girl was staring at her, but something was wrong with her face. Her small lips were slightly parted in shock, and her eyes were filled with confusion. Slowly, Shu Yue's gaze slid down. That was when she realized.

The blade of her sword was buried in Chen Xue's chest. The girl's pale pink robe was soon blood red.

"X-Xue?"

***

"Young Mistress!"

Shu Yue woke with a gasp. Xiao Ran was looking at her with a worried expression on his face, his hands on her shoulders.

She stared at him, breathing heavily. She was beaded with cold sweat.

"I killed her?" Shu Yue said after a moment of silence. "Chen Xue died at my hands?" Her voice cracked as tears stung her eyes. She covered her face with her hands.

I'm the one who killed her.

"It's just a dream, Young Mistress," Xiao Ran reminded her softly. The bed shifted under his weight as he sat down beside her and stroked her hair. "You didn't kill her. I know because you told me what really happened."

But it felt so real.

What she saw in her dream was the same as what had happened twelve years before, except for the last part where she stabbed Chen Xue. She had never drawn her sword or attempted to attack, as far as she could recall. Chen Xue was shot in the chest with an arrow, but Shu Yue kept running because Chen Xue begged her to.

However, after having that dream, Shu Yue began to doubt her memory.

"Master," Xiao Ran whispered.

Shu Yue moved her hands away from her face and looked at him.

"Dreams aren't real," Xiao Ran assured her. He then helped her in sitting up and wiped her tears with his thumb. "Don't let them deceive you."

Before Shu Yue could say anything, Xiao Ran stood up and took the cup of water from her dressing table and handed it to her. Shu Yue drank it down her throat. A little water dribbled past her lips, and she wiped it away with her hand as she handed the empty cup to Xiao Ran.

"I'm sorry for making you worry, Xiao Ran. You can go back to sleep now. I'll be fine."

Xiao Ran stared at her for a few moments, his golden eyes glowing in the dim light of the room. Then he brushed a strand of hair from her face and pushed it gently behind her ear.

Shu Yue froze.

"At least let me comfort you for a bit, Young Mistress. I want to make sure you're fine." His voice was gentle, almost a purr. "I know you're strong, and I know you want to be strong--but I want you to rely on me more. Please rely on me, master. Let me comfort you." He lifted a hand, hesitated for a fraction of a second, then touched her face the way she had touched him back in the bamboo forest. "But if you don't really need me, you can order me to leave. I won't dare disobey you."

Shu Yue didn't really want to bother him this late at night. But more than anything, she didn't want him to see her like this. It was not that she didn't trust him--of course she did, more than anyone. However, having him witness her in this mess was another matter. She felt ashamed, uncomfortable, and so vulnerable, which she despised.

She contemplated telling him she was fine already to alleviate his concern, but she decided against it. She would only be lying to Xiao Ran and herself if she did that. Lying to him was something she hated doing, even more so to herself. And she couldn't really deny that she needed someone's comfort right now. Besides, Xiao Ran was looking at her, his eyes hoping, pleading.

"All right," she said. "Please stay with me until I fall asleep." She sighed and lay down on her bed.

A smile spread over Xiao Ran's face and he wagged his tail.

"Please return to your room and sleep after I have," Shu Yue reminded him in a slightly firm voice.

"I will, master." He lightly brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. Then, in a much quieter voice, he said, "I won't let anyone hurt you, not even a nightmare."

Shu Yue looked into his eyes. He stared back at her, his expression unreadable. Then his face softened ever so slightly.

"Would you like me to play guqin for you, master?"

"Yes, please."

Xiao Ran smiled at her before leaving her room. He returned after a few minutes, carrying a guqin. Placing the instrument on the tea table, he sat down and smiled at Shu Yue before returning his attention to the guqin and beginning to play. A peaceful and soothing sound resembling flowing water filled the air, his fingers plucking the strings with slow, gentle strokes.

He was amazingly good, and he looked peaceful and elegant while playing. Wu Lanqi taught him to play the guqin twelve years ago. According to Wu Lanqi, Xiao Ran saw her playing the guqin and became interested in the instrument, so he asked her to teach him. He said that he enjoyed the soothing sound it produced and wished to play it for his master in the hope of making her feel better. Shu Yue was still mourning the tragic death of Chen Xue at the time. So he studied guqin under Wu Lanqi's teaching while Shu Yue was busy training with her martial arts instructor.

Back in the day, Xiao Ran would always play for her whenever she wasn't feeling well.

Just like today.

Lifting his head, Xiao Ran looked at her. His long fingers danced skillfully on the guqin strings, creating a beautiful and tranquil melody as he gazed at her.

Shu Yue smiled at him before letting the music completely engulf her. But when she closed her eyes, all she could see was Chen Xue with a sword embedded in her chest.