The night air hummed, alive.
The sun had just set for the day, and all the animals were stirring.
My sister and I were in the Luni grove, collecting fruit for the next week.
The Luni trees glowed a soft blue in their leaves, and the fruit glowed as well, just the shell.
They were round, sweet and crunchy.
I finished off snacking on one as my sister sat below, counting all the fruit I just gathered.
She called up to me.
“Okay Yue!
That’s enough!
We’ve got plenty for dinner and tomorrow!” “I’m coming down then!” I jumped branch to branch until I reached the ground.
Luka sat nearby, inspecting the fruits for bad spots or bugs.
She wore a dirty old pair of pants and a loose shirt, her fur all messy, a light orange.
She turned over the fruit in her hands before setting it back in the basket, her yellow eyes flashing at me as she hopped up and stretched.
“This bunch looks pretty good.
Let’s head back home.
Dad said he’d teach me about using chi to create illusions today.” “Hmph, chi manipulation is boring.
I don’t understand why you sit through all those lessons.” I picked up one basket while she took the other, and we started walking the trail back home.
She snorted at me.
“It’s not boring.
It’s fun!
One day, I’ll be as strong as Dad is, and I’ll be able to use chi to do anything.” I shrugged.
“I already know how to use chi for important things.
Why would I need to know more?
I want to move to Lunaris and live in the big city.
I’ll get fancy job and live like a queen!” She rolled her eyes.
She’s heard all about this before.
“Hmph, and you’ll find a prince who’ll sweep you off your feet huh?” “Yeah!
It’ll be the romance of the eon.
Just like in my books!” My numerous romance books that I kept hidden away from our father under my bed.
She laughed at me, hopping ahead on the trail as it narrowed.
“You’re such a little kid.
Everyone knows romance isn’t like in stories.
You should grow up.” “I am grown up!
And what’s wrong with wanting love?
I want a man who’s handsome, strong, kind, and he’ll always listen to what I say.
And you’ll end up all alone pursuing your ‘strength.'” I had to hurry to keep up with her.
“If you find a man like that, I’ll eat my own tail.
C’mon, race you back home!” She took off.
I should have known!
She always does this!
“Hey, no fair!
Come back!” I pumped my legs, running after her, but she’s always been faster than me.
She disappeared between the trees, running along the path, as I fell further behind.
I kept running, the air burning my lungs, the basket suddenly gone.
Catch up!
I had to catch up to her!
Or I’ll get left behind!
Just one more curve… I practically slid around the final corner of the trail, into the clearing where our house was.
And froze, stiffening up.
Luka was nowhere to be seen, and our house was carved into the base of a large tree, whose canopy extended over the entire clearing and a little further beyond.
It was covered in thin white fibers, strung between the branches and crawling over the bark.
I turned back and gasped, stumbling away from the forest.
The way I came from was barred with thick twisted ropes, cutting us off from the world.
My eyes finally focused on the tiny white particles floated through the air.
My hand flew to my necklace, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
The air purifier was on.
I wasn’t infected.
I turned back to the house and swallowed.
I stepped forward, stepping on the strands as I walked towards our home.
Father and Luka were inside.
They had to be.
I made it to the door, the strands closing in around the edges, almost making it impassable.
I had to really shove the door to snap them and open it up.
The white fiber snapped easily individually, but together they were difficult to break.
Inside wasn’t much better.
Everything was coated in white.
The kitchen looked like it hadn’t been used in months.
I stepped in, letting the door fall shut behind me as I took in the still, deathly air.
No sign anyone was here.
Where was Dad and Luka?
Were their air purifiers on?
I pushed deeper into the house, walking from the kitchen into the back hallway that led to our rooms.
My room was first, and I ignored it in favor of stopping at the one on the other side.
Luka’s room.
I fought with the door again, this time it was even harder to push open.
Empty.
I glanced around the empty bed and fibrous desk before leaving the door open and moving on to the back of the hallway.
Father’s room.
This door was the hardest to push open.
I growled, leaning my entire weight against it and roughly shoving it with my shoulder before it budged.
Every inch was a battle, everything slowed as I finally got it open and looked inside.
Father was on his bed, covered in the fibers.
“Father!” I rushed forward, but someone suddenly grabbed me from behind.
“Yue, No!” Luka struggled to hold me.
“Stop!
It’s too late for Father!
We need to leave!” “No!
He’s right there!
He’s still breathing!” I could see it, the soft rise and fall of his chest, his breath swaying the delicate mesh of webbing in front of his face.
“Yue!
Yue, look at me, look at me Yue.” She set me down, grabbing my face and forcibly turning it towards hers.
Her eyes were hard and shiny as her words became softer, almost whispers.
“That is how the Chi Devourer works.
It leaves you just alive enough to produce chi.
But Dad will never wake again.
We need to leave, before it gets us too.” “But Father…” “We can’t do anything for him Yue.
He would want us to escape while we still can.
We need to go somewhere the Chi Devourer won’t reach us.” She finally let me go, and I turned back on more time, glancing at Father.
I swallowed and turned back, my limbs heavy as I moved to follow her back down the hallway.
“But it’s everywhere!
There’s nowhere on Pluas to go.” “That’s why we have to go to through the portal.
To the in-between.” Luke stopped off her room, ripping her closet open and vanishing all her clothes into her ring.
My breath caught in my throat as I lingered in her doorway.
“But we’ve never been there before.
Dad said we weren’t ready.” “We have to be ready.
Grab your clothes, we’re leaving now.” We stopped in my room so I could do the same, storing all my clothes into my necklace, then she ushered me outside.
We went to the hidden path, behind our house, and she pulled out her sword, a brilliant gleaming sword that had a golden sheen.
Burning Sun.
It cleaved through the fibers with ease, cutting our path through what was once a vibrant and thriving jungle.
Now, all lay still except for us, the birds trapped in their nests, the wind no longer blowing, no animals rustling.
I could almost see the Chi Devourer growing, fixing the world into place, forcing it into slumber.
With on last cut, a clearing opened up.
Here, the air was a little more alive, the white strands not quite reaching the center of the clearing where all the branches of the trees snarled together, forming a knot of chaotic chi.
An anchor point, a place that connected Pluas to the larger multiverse at large.
It hung above our heads, the only other living thing in this clearing.
Just barely.
Luka stepped forward, holding out her hand towards it.
“Pay attention Yue.
You might need to know this someday.
First, activate your chi sight.” I nodded, shaky, and activated it.
The world lit up into blues and yellows, yellow for active chi and blue for inactive chi.
The Chi Devourer was all blue chi, centered around sources of active chi.
It forcibly calmed them, leaving only the barest but possible to keep everything alive.
My sister was churning with active chi, showing me how much stronger she’d gotten by training with Dad.
“Okay Yue.
Now I’m going to move my chi to the anchor point and swirl it to the left.
Remember, you need to go slowly, or it won’t take.” Her chi moved out of her and entered the knot.
She swirled it left, slowly, easily, like stirring a pot.
“Once you feel it activate, swirl it faster.
Keep up the momentum.
You’ll feel it once the portal forms, and that’s when you can stop.” More chi poured out of her as the swirl picked up speed.
Eventually, it reached a point where it began picking up chi from the surroundings, and Luka pulled her chi away.
It continued to pick up speed, until a large crack rang through the air.
The swirl split open, shining a brilliant white in my spirit sight.
“Okay, you can stop using chi sight now.” I blinked and the world became normal again.
The portal in the center of the clearing looked black now, hanging just below the anchor point.
Luka nodded.
“You packed your necklace, right?
You have everything you need?” I nodded.
“Yeah, I packed all the clothes I own, and all my treasures from Father.” Luka nodded.
“Here, I want you to carry my clothes too.
I’ll transfer them to your storage space.” “But why?” “I’m close to being full, and I want more space for when we head through.” “But Luka—” She grabbed my hands and, looked in my eyes, solemn.
“Please, just take my clothes.” I nodded wordlessly.
Something about her desperate tone made me shiver.
Once I had them in my necklace, she walked me over to the portal.
“Okay Yue, once you get to the other side, find Father’s friend.
Her name is Lady Ethereal.
She should be looking out for you.
And remember what I just taught you about anchor points.
It might be important one day.” “Luka, why do I have to remember?
You’re coming with me, right?” She took a step back.
I turned to face her, my hands reaching out to hold her sleeve, but she didn’t react.
Her eyes were shining.
“I’m sorry Yue.
I lied to you.
I know you always hated taking my hand-me-downs.” “Luka, you’re coming too, you have to.
I can’t do this on my own.
I barely know anything about chi.
You’re the strong one.” My grip tightened on her sleeve.
Luka closed her eyes.
“I know.
But you’re strong in your own way too Yue.
I know you’ll find your own way forward.
Take care of yourself.” “What no, I’m not leaving, you can’t—” Her hands lunged forward, and I felt her sleeve rip as she shoved me back.
I screamed, reaching out towards her as I fell.
No, don’t do this Luka.
Don’t leave me behind again.
Everything turned black.