A veil of white mist, thin as silk, draped over the bamboo forest. Gentle gusts stirred the bamboo stalks, making them sway and whisper with a rustling sound, like the murmurs of heaven and earth. The faint light of the moon filtered through the leaves, scattering hazy streaks across the damp ground, where a few drops of dew still clung to the leaves, glittering like tiny shards of crystal. The silence was so deep that even the faint drip of water falling from the tip of a leaf could be heard.
But that peace was soon torn apart by shouts, hurried footsteps, and the blaze of red fire that lit up a corner of the forest. Torches were raised high, burning as if with wrath, enclosing the quiet space.
Whoosh!
A flash of white cut through the mist. A pale figure darted past the bamboo like a fleeting wind graceful yet filled with panic.
"Little Bach! Where are you? Don't hide… Come out! I won't let them hurt you!"
The voice rang out, desperate, carrying a pull that tugged at her heart. Yet she did not stop. Her snowy fur brushed against the leaves, leaving behind trembling trails in her wake. She was running again, as she had so many times before, but this time, her fear was not only of being hunted.
"Trach Hien… I'm sorry… I cannot see you."
The reply, choked with tears, slipped out of the darkness like a sob. She dared not look back, dared not let her resolve waver. Behind her, the footsteps drew closer, voices echoing through the woods:
"The demon is here somewhere! Split up, surround her!"
"There! Over there! Catch it!"
She turned, her dark, glistening eyes wide with terror. In front of her stood Trach Hien, the one who had made her heart tremble countless times. Behind her surged the blaze of torches, the clash of metal, the roar of curses, all closing in as if to devour her.
"Stop!" – Trach Hien rushed forward and spread his arms to shield her. – "She's innocent! She hasn't hurt anyone!"
The men would not listen. Their eyes were blinded by fear and hatred. A middle-aged man shouted angrily.
"Out of the way! Don't defend the monster!"
A blade slashed through the air.
Thud!
Blood splattered. Trach Hien collapsed, his shoulder torn open by a deep gash, scarlet soaking through his robe. He was struck down and quickly bound by two burly men. His face turned pale, drenched in sweat, yet his eyes never left her. They were gentle, as if pain no longer existed.
Droplets of his blood fell onto her white fur. Each one seared into her heart, making her body tremble uncontrollably.
"Its eyes… they're red!"
"It's transforming… the demonic aura is rising!"
She stumbled back in panic. Within her chest, a strange force surged, not from the body but from deep within her spirit, where the ancient seal had begun to crack. The air thickened, the wind roared violently.
And then,
Boom!
A thunderous roar rolled down from the mountain peak. The entire forest shook. The mist split apart. Gusts whipped the torches, scattering sparks into a storm of fire. A towering figure descended like a falling star, hair the color of ash streaming in the gale, his frame carved as though from stone.
He said nothing. One leap shattered the ring of men, sending three flying. His gaze was sharp as blades, every step forward pressing on the crowd with unbearable weight. His whole being radiated killing intent, forcing hesitation into their ranks.
Yet he was still too far away.
Bach Lan caught sight of him for just a heartbeat, and her heart pounded wildly. It was not fear. It was something achingly familiar.
But she had no time to grasp it. Trach Hien's voice, weak with pain, reached her ears.
"If you don't go… both of us will die."
He continued to speak in a weak, whispering voice.
"Run! I am human. They will not kill me."
Seeing her red eyes, he begged.
"Please don't hurt them… I cannot bear to see you become a true monster."
His face was drained of color, but his eyes were as tender as the first day she met him. She looked at him, torn apart inside. Memories surged their days together, the warmth of his words, the embraces that once held her safe.
And then a voice, fierce and undeniable, screamed from within her: Run!
"Trach Hien." – She whispered, her voice trembling like a farewell.
A dim light wrapped around her body. Power surged beneath her feet, lifting her slight frame into the air.
The wind wailed like mourning. The mist split open. She dissolved into a swirl of white smoke, rising into the sky, leaving everything behind leaving the man who had bled and been bound for her sake.
"Trach Hien… in this life and the next, I will always be in your debt."
***
Bach Lan jolted awake in the middle of the night.
The fan creaked as it turned in steady rhythm. Moonlight spilled through the window frame, stretching into a cold silver streak across the floor. She sat up, clutching her chest, her heart pounding as if she had just fled from something terrifying.
Sweat soaked through her collar, strands of her long hair clinging damp against her forehead. She raised a hand to her face and felt the wetness there not only sweat, but tears.
That dream again. The same forest, the same longing eyes, the same nameless pain.
Beside her, Thanh Nhi stirred, her drowsy voice drifting into the stillness.
"Bach Lan, was it that dream again?"
Bach Lan nodded faintly. Her eyes were vacant, fixed on the darkness before her.
"Yes. I've lost count of how many times… All I know is that each time I wake, my heart aches as if it's been torn apart."
She could not recall the face in the dream, nor could she call out the person's name. Yet the feeling lingered the swell of love and sorrow that surged within her chest whenever the dream ended.
"Who are you really?" – She whispered, her voice so soft it almost blended with the wind.
"Why is your face so blurred, and yet so familiar? Why does my heart hurt so much each time I see you?"
She lay back down, turning toward the window, one hand pressed over her chest. Her heartbeat was still uneven, as though she were still being hunted through the depths of the forest.
"Thanh Nhi." – She murmured, her voice on the verge of dissolving into the night. – "Do you believe… that some dreams are memories? Memories of another life we once lived?"
Thanh Nhi did not answer at once. She remained still, eyes closed, before mumbling softly.
"Maybe you've just read too many novels."
A quiet laugh escaped Bach Lan, though it carried no trace of joy only the vast loneliness of the night sea.
If it were nothing but fiction, why did the tears feel so real?
If it were only a dream, why did her heart ache so much?
Outside the window, the moon hung suspended in the sky, silent as a witness to her unspoken sorrow. In the hush of midnight, there remained only the sound of breathing, the faint beat of a restless heart, and a yearning with no name.
A dream, or a memory?
She did not know, but she felt certain that something was about to begin.
***
Do you still remember the fate from a past life?
"Little Bach, Little Bach, Little Bach Lan"
Flowers bloom in full splendor, a graceful figure appears.
Bach Lan, Moonlit Night, Snowy Mountain Plains.
Even if heaven separates two souls.
We meet again in this life must be destiny.
Note:
Bach Lan is the main character's full name.
Her family and close ones often call her Bach Nhi — affectionate nicknames that mean "little Bach" or "dear Bach."
They all refer to the same person.
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