Finding the call

In the evening, about an hour before the party officially started, Lia stood in Rosa's room, gazing thoughtfully at the giant mirror on the wall as three of the stylist's assistants prepared her outfit. They were busy wrapping the hanfu elegantly around her, and perfecting her hair. Lia, however, was lost in her own thoughts.

She was reminiscing about the time she had first met the spirit of her mother. She had been taken to the very beach her parents had met. There, in a moment where she was unsupervised, the waves tried to draw her in to the depths. However, strangely, she was not afraid. Maybe... she had heard the call then too? It had all been like a flash, and there she was, around a kilometer under the sea. A strange white light had greeted her. A gentle one, something she felt comfortable with. Then, she had heard the voice of her mother. Of course, she had never heard it before, but her instincts, rooted inside her, seemed to tell so. Lia remembered the entire conversation, even though it had been years. It had explained to her, how she was special, and how the spirit wanted to give her the powers to be a leader. Her mother had given her two things as a parting gift: a seashell, and a pearl.

Lia had shown those to her father the very next day, and Mr. Cliff had promptly made her a necklace and a ring from the respective items. Now, she kept them carefully in a box, they were the source of her power.

After Lia had been dressed, and her make-up was completed, she stepped out to take in some fresh air; and also to check if she was comfortable walking in her outfit.

And then, she heard it. Once again.

Lia froze in her tracks, the sound was distinct, musical, but subtly desperate. She turned her face, trying to locate the source of it.

It seemed... to come... from the balcony?

She deftly picked up the hem of her dress and swiftly ran to the balcony, afraid that she won't make it on time.

Standing at the edge, clasping the railing, she wildly looked around, searching, searching for the call that had been haunting her for weeks.

Once again, she heard the call.

She knew now, the direction from which it came from. Moving her head a little to the right, she gazed at the distance.

Nothing there, that might call out to her. Just a lot of estates, maybe a couple of cottages around the countryside... and then...

Lia furrowed her eyebrows in concentration, trying to think...

There were a couple of farms too... she had visited them once, although... it was miles away. Farms, and the...

The forest.

Lia gasped, she knew it then. Of course, it had to be the forest! The foliage there was beautiful, otherworldly. She decided that very moment, that she would go the very next day to see why in the world was the forest so desperate to call for her.

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