Chapter 4 - Sent Away

Yin didn’t ask but she had a lot of questions she wanted answered. She wanted to know what was her connection between her and Lay; the man in the picture; information about Boundless Daemens; and the secret behind the Origin Arm she bears. 'Xiah's Arm' was what she picked up from the enemy. 

The children, including Ying Jie and Xiang Hua, were safe thanks to Ji Eun. They found cover at the spring’s clearing. They were overjoyed that Lay and Yin returned unharmed, but didn’t notice their troubled minds. Ji Eun suspected that something went wrong but she didn’t want to press on to talk.

Yin was sitting on her futon thinking about what just happened that night. The children went back to sleep but Yin couldn’t once again. She was given strict instructions by Lay to stay in her room until he came back. She stood up and began to pace. She thought about what the Boundless Daemen had wanted in exchange for Xiang Hua’s life. He mentioned the Origin Rune and the Origin Arm. Were they somewhat related to each other?

It was the crack of dawn when the door slid open to reveal a tired Lay. Yin stopped her pacing and ran to his side.

“Yi Xing.”

Lay sighed. “I’m sorry, Yin, for making you involved in this tonight. I thought it would keep you safe if you were hidden from the facts. I made a mistake.”

“Please do not blame yourself. I was too curious on what everything was trying to tell me.”

Lay put a hand on her shoulder to make eye contact with her. 

“‘What everything was trying to tell you’?”

“It was that painting of the tree that led to the shrine and the Snow Pinwheel flower in the garden.” Lay’s hands, that were on her shoulders, flinched.

“I realized that there was only one flower of that species where there were others in groups.” Yin paused. “Is there something hidden there?”

Lay sighed but did not answer. “I’m afraid that there are some questions that I can’t answer. All I can tell you right now is that you are not safe here anymore, especially with that arm permanently attached to you. I know you have lost your purpose and beginning but you must leave from here. Quickly.”

He tugged on her hand and led her to Ji Eun’s room. She was already packing only a fraction of her belongings, also leaving the orphanage.

“Ji Eun?”

“I know I should have told you earlier,” she started while zipping up her bag, “But I am going with you. I can’t let you leave alone.”

Yin didn’t know what to say but she was grateful for having someone to go with her to a new place where she may not know about. When Ji Eun finished, Yin grabbed her hand  and they dashed through the halls with Lay right in front of them. Before they could leave the orphanage, they heard two pairs of frantic footsteps and voices calling out to her.

Yin was suddenly stopped by Xiang Hua who was in a fit of tears, while Ying Jie was fighting against his own.

"Please don't leave, jie-jie!" she blubbered as she wrapped her short arms tightly around her waist. Ying Jie couldn't hold back anymore and also flung his arms on her other side.

"We need you here! What if those bad Daemens come back and attack us again?"

"I'll be a good girl if you stay here! I'll eat all my vegetables, and I won't be a crybaby anymore! Just please don't leave us!"

Yin returned their embrace just as tight, and then thought of an idea. She momentarily let go of the two children and unclasped her teardrop necklace she had been wearing the entire time. She delicately placed it in Xiang Hua's hands and enclosed it.

"Don't lose this, you hear me? Once I see this necklace, I promise I'll look for you two," Yin turned to Ying Jie, who was wiping his tears with his sleeve. "Ying Jie, promise me you'll look after Xiang Hua. Protect her with your body if you have to."

He nodded fervently and she turned to Xiang Hua for one last time, "Now you have to promise me you'll stay safe and stay alive. No matter what happens, once you send this necklace to me, I'll find you."

She nodded tearily and they said their last goodbyes before she had to leave. The two children watched Yin, Ji Eun and Lay until they were out of sight, holding hands tightly. "Goodbye, jie jie."

Lay led them deep into the forest. He cleared the stray tree branches for them for easy access as they were following the trail.

The trio stopped in front of an entrance to a cave where Lay kneeled and started to create hand seals. After a sequence, he opened his palms forward and a portal began to open at the entrance. He stood up and took something out from his robe and placed it in Yin’s hands.

Yin looked to see a small pouch with something solid inside. She looked up and Lay unraveled the front flap of his robe to reveal a crest of a unicorn along with the front of his right shoulder that showed his Crux mark.

“I don’t know whether you knew, but I am a member of Faction Twenty Four. I don’t know if I will return to the secret society, but I’m certain that we will meet again.”

“The secret society?” Yin repeated.

“Yes. I can tell that you have been there before but I will leave that for you to figure out on your own. This is the portal that will lead you to the Gunga Mountains. You have to run through this passage in less than five minutes, or else the both of you will be trapped there forever. There is someone there on the other side for you to meet. He will help you.”

“Will he? Will I trust him like I trust you, Lay?" Yin’s tears were about to fall but Lay held her tightly for one last time.

“You will. I promise.” Ji Eun told her that they needed to hurry and Yin reluctantly pulled away.

“Keep this safe. Protect it with your life if you must,” Lay warned. She firmly nodded.

“I will come back for you, Yi Xing. Until then, please look after Xiang Hua and Ying Jie for me.”

Lay kissed Yin’s forehead and smiled. “I will be waiting, Yin, and with my life.”

Yin bowed and turned to the portal. She took Ji Eun’s hand and took a deep breath. “Let’s go.” Ji Eun nodded and they both ran through. Lay watched them disappear and grasped his crest. “Please watch over her well.”

Yin and Ji Eun were running as fast as they could while staying very close to each other. Yin held the pouch close to her chest, determined not to lose it. 

“Tell me, Ji Eun! If we are running out of time in here, what will happen?” She shouted. The walls were ominously dark and gloomy like rain clouds but the ground was solid. There was barely any light because the passage was part of another dimension where darkness was surrounding everything.

“The walls will start to disintegrate and the cleaner will wipe out everything in its path!”

“Cleaner?” Yin clarified.

“It will start to come on the last minute out of five!”

“How long has it been then?”

“Three!”

Yin cursed to herself and they picked up the pace. “Don’t worry! We’re almost at the end!” Ji Eun reassured.

“Have you been through this portal before?”

“I used this portal to get to the orphanage to start my mission! It wasn’t easy but I managed to get here right before the cleaner hit me!”

The two women suddenly heard rumbling from far behind. They looked at the walls, which were starting to melt, and then at each other with looks of horror and fear. “Is that...?”

“Uh huh...” Ji Eun trembled. Yin tried very hard not to look behind her because she could feel a new ray of light burning. The noise and rumbling became louder and more earth-shaking that both of them started to panic.

“Ji Eun! Are we almost there‽” Yin was almost out of breath and energy that she stumbled slightly moments before.

“I hope so! We don’t have much time left!”

Yin dared to turn her head back and saw some kind of freight train steaming towards them. It was picking up on speed very quickly that she had a feeling that they wouldn’t make it through the portal.

“Don’t look back! It will slow you down!” Ji Eun reminded Yin using the last of her energy.

Yin was still in panic mode until she suddenly did something she never expected to do. She used all of her strength beyond her limits to leap far ahead and rolled her right sleeve. She didn’t know how much strength she regained but it was worth a try. Ji Eun just ran past her and Yin gathered all the strength she had. She charged ahead, jumped high and gave the head of the cleaner a knockout punch.

It was a good strategy but a reckless idea. The impact from Yin’s remaining ability and the cleaner’s speed made her fly backwards into Ji Eun, and sending them flying towards the exit.

On a peaceful mountain range, a portal in mid-air abruptly opened with a bang as Yin and Ji Eun burst out of the exit and crashed on top of land, unconscious.