Tang San’s Twin Sister

Two weeks Later

Tang Yin simply decided to forget that she had a second spirit. Sometimes, at night, she still felt sudden strikes of pain and had cramps. Tang San, who slept beside her, noticed and helped her where he could. But even with their combined efforts to think of something helpful and a couple of tries with methods from the Tang Sect, small silver cracks appeared on her arm.

The cracks appeared slowly, and she noticed that Tang San occasionally refused to sleep in worry, but it was futile. They could hardly stop the markings from spreading.

She told him it was fine. If she went and died again, she would do so with a big bang, not quietly at night while sleeping. Father said in her current state, if she decided not to become a spirit master, she would last ten, maybe fifteen years, with constant physical training. As a Spirit Master, everything depended on her progress. If she was fast enough and trained hard enough. But chances that she would pull it off were close to nil. If it was Tang San, maybe he would be fine, but she was not a workaholic and would never become one. An everyday life would be impossible either way.

So they slowly packed up their sparse belongings. Their entire possessions fit into two small duffel bags. Tang Yin felt strange when she stared at their life all wrapped up like this. The small tokens, the drawings of their home, the sharpened wooden tools she used to draw on the small plaquettes, and the blueprints they made. Their biggest treasure, though, was a book, a small notebook. The paper they had bought from a trader, and Tang Yin had bound it herself, remembering how from a college colleague whose mom had made her money via bookbinding. Put all their knowledge into it. The art and understanding of the Tang Sect and the history and ideas from modern technology were all written together.

The strangest thing was that suddenly it was not only Tang San but also Tang Yin that was treated as the village's favorite. Everyone tried to get closer to them. The reasons were simple: Tang San would enter the Spirit Master department, and Tang Yin would enter the relatively obscure literary department for Spirit Master theory in the same school. Teacher Lee arranged everything down to the most minor details, proud they would have the chance to visit a proper Primary school in the city.

Their Father meanwhile taught them the basics and the knowledge of forgery. He drank as much as before and returned to caring little to nothing about them, but he insisted we watched and learned his forging. He also gifted Tang Yin a glove for her right hand where the first cracks had started to appear, made of thin, soft black material with swirling silver leaves pattered over it. He said they would never vanish, and once they reached her heart, she would die. It made Tang Yin wonder increasingly more how her Father knew these things, but Tang San insisted they would not ask and simply accept it. Everyone had their secrets.

It was late at night when Tang Yin snuggled close to her brother's side of the bed and hugged him while staring at the sky.

"What is it?" he asked. They have shared a futon for forever; she wasn't usually the biggest cuddler. She only does that when she is worried or has nightmares.

"I don't know. I think it's just that I will miss this, the Moon, and the stars from our residential leak," she muttered.

"I too, but take it as a chance. No more snow next to you in winter." He answered, looking upwards, "But this view is worth it."

The sky was full of stars, and the crescent moon was shining brightly, which colored the surroundings in a dim grey.

"Promise me something, bro?" she asked, and he turned towards her, surprised.

"Sure."

"Promise me that you won't die, that you won't forget me. No matter what happens." she muttered and closed her eyes, silently crying, "I don't ever want to lose my family again, never again." Her voice cracked, and she hugged him tighter.

"You won't lose me, Sister, I promise you, and I won't let you die." He hugged her back with all the strength he had in his little arms while she fell asleep.

Looking at her tiny face, the trembling body. She was afraid to die again, to vanish into nothing, like in her previous life. She still had nightmares from her last death at times.

"I won't let you die, Sis, don't worry. Your brother will protect you."

---

They had their best clothes on, and Uncle Sally was waiting outside with Elder Jack and his Wife. They were ready to travel.
Their Father was still asleep. It was too early for him. They had spent their last morning on the hilltop, watching as the sun started to tint the horizon and going home sooner than usual.
Tang San left a message on the floor, and we looked around for a last time: the wild vegetable garden, the half-open door, the rotten fence, the leaking roof, and the crooked house. The always-burning coals for the forgery, the table, and the worn-down bowls.

"Now I miss congee," Yin muttered as the scent slowly filled the room. They had started for Tang Hao's breakfast.

"Suddenly, I thought you were craving chocolate," Tang San said, handing her the second bag in which she stored her carving stones and wooden pieces for drawing.
"Now I miss congee."

He smiled, "Okay, I am sure the kitchen in Nuoding City has congee."
"Now, I miss homemade watery congee." She muttered, and they left.
With a last glance home, she turned around.

"Bye, Dad!" she shouted and waved before climbing the carriage and settling between Elder Jack and Tang San.

"Then let's go." Uncle Sally clicked his tongue, and the cart started to move toward Nuoding City.

"Do you already miss Holy Spirit Village?" Elder Jack asked as the landscape slowly changed from what they knew to a total unknown. They had never been this far away from their cottage home.
"Yes, the Village and Father." Tang San said, leaning against Yin. "But it is a new beginning.", Yin finished his phrase.

It was now or never. Nuoding City was waiting for them.