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Today marks the anniversary of my siblings passing. As I do every year, I make the trek up the mountain to their burial site. The journey is peaceful and quiet, giving me time to reflect on the past year, seeing how much I've changed and how far I've come. It has been several months since my Dohsa began teaching me about the spirits. Through my training, I feel closer to my siblings now than I ever have before. During the journey, I can't help but think about my brother Xander. Since my last trip to the Middle Realm, I still remember seeing him standing beside that dreaded demon of Naraka. The moonlight illuminates their graves as I begin preparing for the ceremony. I start by clearing away the leaves and debris that have gathered around them. As I brush away the last few leaves, I notice a small caterpillar crawling across one of the graves. I stop for a moment and watch as it slowly makes its way across the stone. "Where are you going, little guy?" I make sure not to disturb it and continue preparing for the ceremony. I place four candles before the graves, one for each of my siblings. I light them one by one. "Nyx." "Selene." "Titus." "Xander." Their flames flicker and dance gently in the wind. From my pack, I take out incense and herbs and carefully place them before the graves. Finally, I remove a small wooden carving of the Vermilion Bird and place it among the offerings. I lower a flame to the base of the wooden carving. Slowly, the fire begins to spread. The flames climb along its wooden wings until the entire bird is engulfed in fire. For a moment, it almost looks alive. Like a phoenix rising from the flames. I watch quietly as the wooden bird slowly turns to embers. As the fire begins to die down, I sit on the ground in front of my siblings graves and close my eyes. I slow my breathing and try to clear my mind. The sound of the fire slowly becomes quieter and the win begins to fade. Everything becomes silent. I let myself fall deeper into the darkness. And wait... When I open my eyes, I find myself somewhere unfamiliar. The area is covered in an eerie fog, and I can only see a few feet in front of me. There is a single path ahead. With nowhere else to go, I begin walking down it, unsure of what mysteries await me. As I clear the first patch of fog, I can make out a small willow tree. Hanging from one of its branches is a cocoon, a delicate mesh of silk threads woven tightly together. Further in the distance, I can make out a faint light through the fog. A lantern. Like a moth drawn to a flame, I find myself drawn toward its light. As I approach, the lantern's glow pushes back the surrounding fog. A small pond is revealed before me. The water is completely still. As I peer within the water, I see not only my own reflection, but those of my siblings as well. A ripple suddenly cascades across the surface, distorting their faces. I quickly turn around, hoping to find my siblings standing behind me. What I find instead... is a pair of unwavering eyes staring back at me. They are unlike any eyes I have seen before. Rings of light surround their dark centers, like an eclipse staring back at me. They do not blink nor move. They simply watch. For a moment, I stare back. As the fog begins to roll between us, the eyes slowly disappear. As the last trace of them vanishes, something on the ground catches my attention. A laughing theater mask. Its wide grin almost seems to be mocking my reaction to the eyes. I pick up the mask and examine it. As I turn it in my hands, its expression changes. Happy. Sad. Angry. Afraid. Each time I turn the mask, a new expression is revealed. Continued... | |