The village square had fallen silent. Everyone stared at the second silver thread floating above them. Unlike the others, it was not connected to Lian, Chen, or anyone else. It drifted slowly between the rooftops and wooden stalls, as though searching for something. Qing Li watched it carefully. "That one isn't connected to anyone." he said. Yan Luo stood beside him, following its movement. "It's looking for someone." Qing Li glanced at him. "I was hoping you'd say something less worrying." "Would you prefer that I lie?" Yan Luo asked. Qing Li sighed. "Just once would be nice."
Shen Lian watched the thread change direction. "The earlier threads responded to memories. This one isn't waiting for someone to remember." She narrowed her eyes. "It's choosing." Xu Yang sat near the edge of the square, his golden eyes following its movement. Choosing? That sounds familiar. The last time something here started choosing, a farmer nearly lost his entire life. I would prefer not to see a repeat before lunch...
Behind them, Lian laughed and pulled Chen towards the wooden stool. "Come here!" Chen's form had become clearer. His legs were fully formed, and his bare feet rested against the dusty ground. When he shifted his weight, two small footprints appeared beneath him. Qing Li glanced at them. "His form is becoming more stable." Chen looked down and lifted one foot before placing it back on the ground. "I can feel it." he said, looking at Lian. She smiled. "Of course. You're standing on it." Chen gave her a puzzled look. "I remember running with you, but I don't remember learning how to walk." Yan Luo stepped closer. "Do you remember anything else?" Chen thought for a moment. "We used to play in the market. I remember that." "And before that?" Yan Luo asked.
Chen's smile faded. He looked towards the empty space behind Lian. "I don't know." Lian immediately tightened her grip on his sleeve. "Stop asking him questions!" Qing Li raised both hands. "I was only trying to understand." "You keep looking at him strangely!" she protested. "He's my brother!" Chen gently caught her sleeve. "It's fine, Lian." He gave her a small smile before looking at the others. "Maybe they don't remember me." Lian turned towards him, her anger slowly giving way to sadness. She looked at his uncertain expression before reaching for his other hand, holding both of them tightly. "Then I'll remember enough for all of them," she said.
Chen blinked, looking down at their hands. "But what if one day you forget too?" Lian shook her head at once. "I won't." Chen lowered his gaze. "You can't promise that. People forget things, even when they don't want to." Lian's fingers tightened around his. For a moment, she didn't answer. Then she stepped closer and gently tugged his sleeve, just as she used to. "Then I'll remember you again. Even if I have to tell you everything from the beginning." Chen looked at her, his lips parting slightly. "What if I don't remember you?" Lian tried to smile, though her eyes were beginning to glisten. "Then I'll introduce myself. I'll tell you my name, show you our favourite places, and remind you which dumplings you always steal."
Chen laughed. "I really do steal them?" "The biggest ones," Lian replied, nodding firmly. "Every time. And you always pretend you didn't." Chen looked at her with a faint smile. "Perhaps I was hungry." "You're always hungry," she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. His smile lingered for a moment before fading. He looked down at their hands again, "Then I suppose I should be glad you remember me." he murmured. Lian shook her head and stepped closer. "You don't have to remember everything to be my brother, Chen." She lifted their joined hands slightly. "You only have to stay." Chen stared at her. His fingers slowly curled around hers, and he gave a small nod. "I'll try!" he whispered.
After a brief pause, he leaned closer and rested his forehead against hers. "I want to stay with you too." Lian closed her eyes for a moment, holding his hands as if afraid he might disappear if she let go. Xu Yang's ears tilted forward.Lian shook her head firmly. "I'll remember you." The silver thread around Chen brightened. Its light spread across his body, making his outline clearer. Xu Yang narrowed his eyes. Every time Lian spoke of Chen as someone who belonged in her life, his form became more stable. So her memories are becoming his foundation. The more she remembers him, the stronger his existence becomes. Xu Yang looked towards the second thread. It had begun to descend. Qing Li noticed it first. "Yan Luo, it's coming down." The thread moved between the villagers. Several people stepped aside as it passed.
An old man rubbed his arms. "Why is it so cold?" A woman beside him shook her head. "I don't feel anything." Qing Li raised his hand. "Everyone, stay back. Don't touch it." A young villager looked nervously at the strand. "What happens if it touches someone?" Qing Li watched it move towards the edge of the square. "I'd rather not find out." The thread suddenly changed direction. It moved straight towards an elderly woman standing beside a wooden stall. Her grey hair was tied in a loose bun, and one hand rested on a walking stick. As the thread approached, her fingers began to tremble. "Move her away!" Qing Li shouted. But he was too late.
The silver strand touched her shoulder, passed through her robe, and disappeared into her chest. The woman froze. Her walking stick slipped from her hand and struck the stone ground. "No..." she whispered. Zhao Wei stepped towards her. "Madam, are you alright?" She did not answer. Her lips moved as though she were trying to remember something. "I remember something," she murmured. Yan Luo approached carefully. "What do you remember?" The woman pressed one hand against her chest. "I have a son." Zhao Wei looked surprised. "You have a son?" She nodded, then shook her head. "I don't know." Her voice trembled. "I can't remember his name."
Qing Li frowned. "Do you remember what he looked like?" The woman lowered her eyes. "No." She paused, struggling to find the words. "I remember waiting for him. I used to keep the door open because he never liked knocking." Her fingers tightened against her chest. "I remember listening for his footsteps. And I remember missing him." Qing Li fell silent. Yan Luo looked towards Shen Lian, who was studying the thread beneath the woman's robe. "The two threads have different beginnings." she said.
Zhao Wei glanced towards Lian and Chen. "How are they different?" Yan Luo gestured towards the children. "Chen is being supported by Lian's memories. She remembers his face, his habits, and the life they shared." His gaze returned to the elderly woman. "But this woman remembers no clear face or name. Only that someone is missing." Shen Lian nodded. "One is formed from memories. The other is forming from longing." The old woman looked at them anxiously. "Does that mean my son isn't real?" No one answered immediately. Qing Li chose his words carefully. "We don't know yet. We need to understand what the thread is doing."
Nearby, Lian pulled Chen towards the stool and brushed the dust from its surface. "Sit here. You always sit here." Chen lowered himself onto the seat. "Do I?" "Yes," she replied firmly. "And you always steal the bigger dumplings." Chen smiled. "Then I must be very lucky." Xu Yang glanced towards the elderly woman. The thread inside her chest had grown darker. Unlike Chen's, it did not spread outwards. It sank deeper into her body. One thread is building a person through memories. The other is digging into an empty place. I don't like where this is going...
A dark patch appeared on the wall behind the woman. It slowly stretched upwards, growing taller until it formed the outline of a person. Qing Li turned towards it. "Don't tell me there's another one." Yan Luo's expression tightened. "That isn't forming the same way." Xu Yang rose from the stone step. The difference was clear. Chen's thread felt warm and responded naturally to Lian's words. The new shadow was hollow. Its shape appeared and disappeared, as though something were trying to fill it without knowing what belonged there. The elderly woman turned towards it. "He should be here." she whispered. Zhao Wei looked at her. "Who should be here?" "My son." She stared at the shadow. "He always comes home at this hour." "From where?" Zhao Wei asked. The woman hesitated. "I don't know."
Shen Lian watched the figure. "This is no longer memory reconstruction." Qing Li glanced at her. "Then what is it?" Yan Luo answered quietly. "Creation." Xu Yang felt the familiar pressure behind his eyes. Something had brushed against the second thread. It was faint, but he could sense it clearly. Something is guiding it. The shadow became taller. Its shoulders and arms slowly took shape, but its face remained blank. The elderly woman smiled through her tears. "He's here." The figure turned its head towards her. Then, slowly, it looked towards Xu Yang. His golden eyes narrowed. Oh. So you can see me...
Qing Li tightened his grip on his sword. "Did you see that?" Yan Luo nodded. "It's reacting to him." The old woman took a step towards the shadow. "You came back." she whispered, reaching out. Zhao Wei hesitated before speaking. "Madam, are you certain?" She nodded. "He's my son." "But you said you couldn't remember his name." Her expression hardened. "I don't need a name to recognize him." The figure leaned towards her. Its outline became clearer, almost as if it were responding to her emotions. Chen watched it from beside Lian. "It's not like me." he said quietly. Lian looked up at him. "What do you mean?" Chen shook his head. "It feels empty."
Xu Yang understood what he meant. Chen had been formed through familiar memories and the bond between two people. This figure had no such foundation. It was taking shape from the old woman's longing, but something else was filling the gaps. Shen Lian stepped in front of the elderly woman. "If this is your son, tell me when he was born." The woman froze. Her lips parted, but no answer came. "I..." She lowered her head. "I don't remember." The shadow flickered violently. Qing Li stepped forward. "There. That's the problem."
Yan Luo watched the unstable figure. "It has no foundation. It cannot hold its shape." The elderly woman clutched her chest. "No! He exists!" Tears ran down her cheeks. "I've always felt that something was missing." Zhao Wei looked at her with sympathy. "Loneliness." he said softly. The woman nodded. "Yes." Shen Lian looked at the thread inside her chest. "This thread came from longing, not memory." Xu Yang felt the pressure grow stronger. The presence inside the thread brushed against it again. This time, the shadow reacted immediately. Its body twisted, then returned to its previous shape. The threads around Chen trembled. Qing Li noticed the movement. "Something is wrong."
Yan Luo turned towards the children. "The second thread is affecting the others." The elderly woman reached towards the shadow. "Come here," she whispered. "I missed you." The moment she spoke, the threads tightened. The shadow took another step forward. The village square flickered. For a brief moment, two different scenes occupied the same space. In one, the elderly woman stood alone. In the other, she stood beside a tall man whose face remained hidden. The two images overlapped before the world snapped back into place. Qing Li caught the edge of a stall to steady himself. "That's not normal."
Yan Luo looked towards the threads. "It's forcing two versions of the same memory to exist together." Chen suddenly staggered. Lian caught his arm. "Chen!" His hands had begun to fade. Yan Luo's expression darkened. "It's taking stability from the other threads." Qing Li turned towards him. "Including Chen's?" Yan Luo nodded. "If that figure fully forms, Chen may disappear." Lian held her brother tightly. "Don't disappear!" Chen looked down at his fading hands. "Lian..." His voice had grown weak. "I'm here," she insisted. "I'll remember you." Shen Lian raised a talisman. "We have to cut the second thread now."
The elderly woman immediately stepped between her and the shadow. "No!" she cried. "You'll kill him!" "If we don't stop it, it will consume the other threads." Shen Lian warned. The woman shook her head desperately. "He's my son!" Then she screamed, "He's already dead!" The words seemed to strike the shadow. A wave of pressure burst across the square. The ground cracked beneath their feet, and a nearby wall split with a loud crash. Villagers stumbled backwards, struggling to remain standing. Qing Li braced himself against the force. "We're out of time!" Yan Luo's attention shifted towards Xu Yang.
The black cat had begun moving forward. Qing Li noticed him and immediately stepped towards him. "No." Yan Luo caught his arm. "Don't interfere." Qing Li looked at him. "He's going to do it anyway." Yan Luo kept his eyes on Xu Yang. "I know." Xu Yang walked towards the centre of the square. The threads twisted around him, and the ground shook beneath his paws, but he did not stop. I've given this enough time... Chen is fading, the villagers are in danger, and whatever is hiding inside that thread has started passing judgment on me. Enough... He stopped before the shadow. Then everything went silent.
The threads suddenly stopped moving. The pressure spreading through the square disappeared, and even the dust in the air seemed to freeze. Xu Yang looked around, his golden eyes moving from one thread to another. Wait. What happened? Did it stop? Is it really over?... Before he could make sense of it, a strange light appeared around his body. It spread quickly over his black fur, covering him from head to tail. Xu Yang looked down in surprise. Hold on. Not now. Why is this happening now?...His small body began to change. His paws stretched into hands, his legs grew longer, and his entire frame slowly became taller.His fur disappeared as the light covered him completely. The change happened so quickly that he barely had time to react. Seriously? In front of everyone? Couldn't this wait until I was somewhere private?... The light suddenly faded.
Xu Yang was now standing in human form, dressed in dark robes, with his long hair falling over his shoulders. His golden eyes were the only thing that had not changed. He looked down at his hands for a brief moment before slowly raising his head. Every villager was staring at him. Some looked terrified, while others stood with their mouths open in shock. Xu Yang froze. Oh, no. They saw everything. Every single one of them. He had been so busy dealing with the threads that he had completely forgotten about the villagers. Wonderful. Just wonderful. I save the situation, and now I have to explain why the village cat has turned into a man.
Zhao Wei pointed towards him. "That was the cat..." A villager stepped backwards. "He turned into a man!" Qing Li lowered his sword slightly. "Damn it. Everyone saw." Yan Luo did not reply. Xu Yang raised one hand. The threads responded immediately, turning towards him. The shadow twisted violently. "Wrong..." its voice echoed. Xu Yang looked directly at it. "You were never meant to exist like this." The threads tightened around the figure, holding it in place. Xu Yang guided them carefully, separating the unstable thread from the old woman's longing and the stability it had taken from the others.
The shadow struggled, its outline twisting as the presence inside pushed against his control. Xu Yang closed his fingers. The figure finally collapsed into fragments of dim light. They gathered together, forming a single silver thread that floated motionlessly above the ground. It had not been destroyed. It had simply become dormant. The pressure disappeared. The cracks in the stone stopped spreading, and the other threads slowly settled. Chen's hands became solid again. Lian rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him. "You're still here." she whispered. Chen nodded and looked towards Xu Yang. "He helped."
For several moments, no one spoke. The villagers stared at the man standing where the black cat had been. Zhao Wei took a cautious step backwards. "What are you?" he asked, his voice unsteady. Someone behind him whispered, "He controlled the threads." Another villager looked towards the dormant strand. "They listened to him." Qing Li approached Yan Luo and lowered his voice. "This is bad." Yan Luo nodded. "They've seen him." "And they won't forget." "No." Shen Lian walked through the crowd towards Xu Yang. Unlike the others, she showed no fear. Her gaze settled on his golden eyes. "You're not a spirit beast," she said. Xu Yang remained silent.
Shen Lian studied him for another moment. "And you're not human either." She glanced at the threads around his sleeves. "Then what are you?" Xu Yang did not answer. Shen Lian looked towards the place where the shadow had disappeared. "You controlled the threads and stopped the collapse. How?" Qing Li stood behind her, but Yan Luo lightly caught his sleeve when he looked ready to interrupt. Shen Lian continued, her attention fixed on Xu Yang. "If this is tied to the memory threads, then you must be connected to them too. But your connection is different from ours." She stepped closer. "Who are you exactly? And why can you control them?" Well, there it is. The question I've been trying to avoid since I arrived in this village. I could tell her I'm a cat. That part is technically true. I could tell her I'm human. That would also be technically true, depending on how generous we're being with the definition...