Two weeks Later

  Tang Yin simply decided tet that she had a sed spirit. Sometimes, at night, she still felt sudden strikes of pain and had cramps. Tang San, who slept beside her, noticed and helped her where he could. But even with their bined efforts to think of something helpful and a couple of tries with methods from the Ta, small silver cracks appeared on her arm.

  The cracks appeared slowly, and she noticed that Tang San occasionally refused to sleep in worry, but it was futile. They could hardly stop the markings from spreading.

  She told him it was fine. If she went and died again, she would do so with a big bang, not quietly at night while sleeping. Father said in her current state, if she decided not to bee a spirit master, she would st ten, maybe fifteen years, with stant physical training. As a Spirit Master, everything depended on her progress. If she was fast enough and trained hard enough. But ces that she would pull it off were close to nil. If it was Tang San, maybe he would be fine, but she was not a workaholid would never bee one. An everyday life would be impossible either way.

  So they slowly packed up their sparse belongings. Their entire possessions fit into two small duffel bags. Tang Yi strange wheared at their life all ed up like this. The small tokens, the drawings of their home, the sharpened wooden tools she used to draw on the small pquettes, and the blueprints they made. Their biggest treasure, though, was a book, a small notebook. The paper they had bought from a trader, and Tang Yin had bound it herself, remembering how from a college colleague whose mom had made her money via bookbinding. Put all their knowledge into it. The art and uanding of the Ta and the history and ideas from modern teology were all written together.

  The strahing was that suddenly it was not only Tang San but also Tang Yin that was treated as the vilge's favorite. Everyoried to get closer to them. The reasons were simple: Tang San would ehe Spirit Master department, and Tang Yin would ehe retively obscure literary department for Spirit Master theory in the same school. Teacher Lee arranged everything down to the most minor details, proud they would have the ce to visit a proper Primary school iy.

  Their Father meanwhile taught them the basid the knowledge of fery. He drank as much as before aur little to nothing about them, but he insisted we watched and learned his f. He also gifted Tang Yin a glove for her right hand where the first cracks had started to appear, made of thin, soft bck material with swirling silver leaves pattered over it. He said they would never vanish, and ohey reached her heart, she would die. It made Tang Yin wonder increasingly more how her Father khese things, but Tang San insisted they would not ask and simply accept it. Everyone had their secrets.

  It was te at night when Tang Yin snuggled close to her brother's side of the bed and hugged him while staring at the sky.

  "What is it?" he asked. They have shared a futon for forever; she wasn't usually the biggest cuddler. She only does that when she is worried or has nightmares.

  "I don't know. I think it's just that I will miss this, the Moon, and the stars from our residential leak," she muttered.

  "I too, but take it as a o more snow o you in winter." He answered, looking upwards, "But this view is worth it."

  The sky was full of stars, and the crest moon was shining brightly, which colored the surroundings in a dim grey.

  "Promise me something, bro?" she asked, aurowards her, surprised.

  "Sure."

  "Promise me that you won't die, that you won't fet me. No matter what happens." she muttered and closed her eyes, silently g, "I don't ever want to lose my family again, never again." Her voice cracked, and she hugged him tighter.

  "You won't lose me, Sister, I promise you, and I won't let you die." He hugged her back with all the strength he had in his little arms while she fell asleep.

  Looking at her tiny face, the trembling body. She was afraid to die again, to vanish into nothing, like in her previous life. She still had nightmares from her st death at times.

  "I won't let you die, Sis, don't worry. Your brother will protect you."

  ---

  They had their best clothes on, and Uncle Sally was waiting outside with Elder Jad his Wife. They were ready to travel. Their Father was still asleep. It was too early for him. They had spent their st m on the hilltop, watg as the sun started to tint the horizon and going home soohan usual. Tang Sa a message on the floor, and we looked around for a st time: the wild vegetable garden, the half-open door, the rotten fehe leaking roof, and the crooked house. The always-burning coals for the fery, the table, and the worn-down bowls.

  "Now I miss gee," Yin muttered as the st slowly filled the room. They had started for Tang Hao's breakfast.

  "Suddenly, I thought you were craving chocote," Tang San said, handihe sed bag in which she stored her carving stones and wooden pieces for drawing. "Now I miss gee."

  He smiled, "Okay, I am sure the kit in Nuoding City has gee." "Now, I miss homemade watery gee." She muttered, and they left. With a st gne, she turned around.

  "Bye, Dad!" she shouted and waved before climbing the carriage aliween Elder Jad Tang San.

  "The's go." Uncle Sally clicked his tongue, and the cart started to move toward Nuoding City.

  "Do you already miss Holy Spirit Vilge?" Elder Jack asked as the ndscape slowly ged from what they ko a total unknown. They had never been this far away from their cottage home. "Yes, the Vilge and Father." Tang San said, leaning against Yin. "But it is a new beginning.", Yin finished his phrase.

  It was now or never. Nuoding City was waiting for them.