Half of the Soul

by feifu

This tale is purely fictional; any similarity to real life events and people is purely coincidental.

Prologue

Hot.

It's so hot.

It always started like this. It was always hot. The sun, like an oven, was baking the top of her head, making her eyes water, rendering her nauseous. There was no shade available; no tree to cover from, no river to quench her thirst. The land was devoid of life. No one; she can ask for nobody's help for she was alone in this barren land.

Alone, she walked. Taking one step, then another and another and another. It was all she could think of. Her back to the worst of the glare, all she could do was to walk. Step. Step. Step. To stop was to die.

Death… was it so bad if she should die?

Yes! I will not die here. Not in this place. Not like this!

Hours seem to pass by as she walked looking down at her feet. She did not know what prompted her for nothing has changed in the land, but she changed her direction. Now, she walked southeastward. It wasn't long before she looked up to see it. A city, backed by towering mountains rising out of the barren land, that was beautiful to a lonely desert traveler's eye like a mirage.

In a blink of an eye, she was inside the city walls, looking at empty streets and houses. A sparkle caught the edge of her vision and she dodged just in time as an arrow struck the wall behind her. She saw the archer run and hurried after him, unafraid and angry, with one thing in her mind. She knew him.

I know who he is. He can't run away now. I won't let him. Not after everything that he did.

She followed him, pursuing her quarry all around the city until they were near the middle where a tall wall stood. She saw him duck into one of the wall's side doors and hurried after. As she entered, a slight tremor shook her body, as though she passed through electricity. Looking back, she saw that the door she entered had disappeared. She was walled inside…

Where am I?

Gold, silver, and ivory walls greeted her eyes. A palace, a beautiful palace.

She closed her eyes, trying to recall where she had seen this magnificent structure before, "I know this place… I remember seeing it before. I know it by heart. I do. I live here… don't I? I can't remember," and then, she heard a sound; it was all around her. It was faint but steady; the beat of a heart. Thump, thump, thump it went, growing louder by the second.

She was afraid to open her eyes, but open them, she did. She had no control over their movement. She was compelled to open them, even though she didn't want to. Somehow, she knew what she would see. It was always like this, just when she finally found this place, this would happen. She feared to see what she knew she would see.

It all seemed so far away. Like she was standing atop a hilltop watching, observing, feeling absolutely nothing but this great fear of what will happen now that she has her eyes open. She was far away and in the midst of it, both at the same time. It was always this way.

Steam wafting out of bodies dismembered and charred. Smoke and fire rising out of the ruins of houses and buildings once so magnificent that throngs came just to catch a glimpse of them. All gone.

The whole city, the palace, the walls, was forever gone.

Gone.

Destroyed.

The side of her that was far away whirled around in time to see a man run a sword through the body of her counterpart.

Then came pain. She doubled over and tried to scream, but couldn't.

It was the archer. She knew him now. Truly knew who and what he was to her. A name came to her lips, faint as her heart was growing. "H'siole…? You're…?" she heard herself croak out. A very faint voice; a voice almost gone, like the city.

She saw the archer/swordsman's eyes grow wide. She looked up, confused, as the he leaned over her, shouting something she could not understand. Then, then… He was crying, tears ran down his cheeks from eyes the color of the full moon.

The moon stood over them both now, the burning sun gone. No stars were visible as the sky was thick with smoke and thunderclouds. The moon… like a silent sentinel. Then, even the moon disappeared as clouds covered it; gone like the city. Gone instantly in the haze that covered her eyes.

And yet…

Inside her mind was the vision of the moon's light on two orbs sparkling with tears. Sad eyes saying 'forgive me'. Why should she forgive? Who should she forgive? Nothing mattered now… nothing except two silver eyes…

Silver…

to be continued