A new day had broken. The sunlight streamed in from every wall of this magical place.
I stretched and yawned, trying to readjust to my new body as I felt so groggy. Already my stomach growled in impatience. I wanted more noodles, more noodle soup; in fact, any noodles would do.
I got up, forgetting that I had taken off my shirt last night, feeling the weather was too hot even in the cool night air. My mind was now reminded by a small thud at the door.
I looked over to see Yang staring at me, his shoes he was holding now on the floor. He stared for a brief moment, turning again with his cheeks turning a tinge of red.
We both brushed it off, focusing on other matters. "What brings you here- I mean, what is it you wanted to tell me without knocking on my quarters?"
"Oh, yeah, we need to get going. If you're bound to adjust at all, then we must jump on that horse early," he said, fiddling and picking up the shoes. "Here, you may want to wear these."
I got dressed and found myself feeling a lot more relaxed. I had all but accepted that this situation was weird and there was nothing I could do about it except keep moving forward and try to figure this out as I went.
I rolled some sort of tapas dessert in my mouth, stuffing in a side of a smoothie that looked too green for my personal comfort; yet thankfully it tasted nice.
Finally, stepping out of the shop into this new world, I scanned around and the sun blasted my face. I wasn't exactly sure what region or city we were in, but it was very unrelenting; the sun did not care how you felt about it.
In some ways that reminded me of Yang. He was so bright and blazing, not caring to stop and smell the roses, nor of my particular consent in this situation.
He wasn't all bad, though; he was a breath of fresh air to me at least. A welcome change, even if blinding.
We walked the streets again. This time I didn't bother to ask where we were headed. I figured he wouldn't answer me anyway. I looked around, taking in the sights properly for the first time. Everywhere seemed to bustle and turn, people of different races and ethnicities mixing without fear.
I felt a slight pang in my heart, my body still remembering a deep-rooted pain from my past, so deep that it was within my very soul. Forged of burning sour taste, the kind that leaves an uncomfortable feeling in your gut.
My mind knew and pieced together the source of this emotion. I knew very well how society had functioned prior: people of any difference, some none at all, would end up either dead or somewhere worse.
Life is a tricky thing. Some things we understand intrinsically and then older humans teach us otherwise. When I was but a child, in my wee days, it wasn't that bad. I used to have friends of all kinds. I remember at least I viewed everyone as equal.
I tried to let my mind wander anywhere else than this subject, figuring I should tarry no longer.
Yang grabbed my hand in the crowd of street goers, ensuring I wouldn't get lost. Eventually we stopped at yet another building; it had a vibrant, avant-garde sort of appearance. It looked peculiar to me. Upon walking inside I saw a wide assortment of glass sculptures.
I felt myself perk up for some reason. I had not yet known why that was. However, seeing this place made me feel the first spark of joy I hadn't felt since I had been chucked here.
"It's a glass-blowing studio. Do you like it?" he said, asking me expectantly and hopefully.
I nodded, a real, genuine nod, the kind you don't realize you are doing before you already have. I felt a sense of joy threatening to take hold over my mock stern stance.
As if he could read my mind, he reached over and put his fingers on my forehead, pressing down gently. "Relax, this is a good thing. You like glass blowing, no?" He kept his eyes on me, trying to read them perhaps. "I figured you could start working here. Feu knows some people here and comes often to manage; she basically owns a part of this company too, so..." he trailed off, hoping I would surmise the rest of his intentions.
"Mmm, I can try," I said rather than protesting. I was interested in this. "So what do I do to learn the ropes in working here? I am not even fluent in the language around here."
"That's where I come in! I'm your man. I can translate and you can speak some English. Most of the glass blowing doesn't need a ton of speaking; that's for the teachers that hold courses to do. Your job is to make beautiful pieces to sell—that's all." He sounded very cheery, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
I thought I was adjusting fine; however, I seemed to teeter and lose my balance, Yang now rushing to catch me.
What was that? Why did I suddenly feel so peculiar and out of whatever normal was normal? It was as if shadows themselves were trying to snag hold of me and pull me down, the darkness trying to claim me as its own.
Yang looked at me with worry filling his brows. "Sit down, okay? Sit down," he said in a concerned voice, now pulling me down to the floor. "I am not big enough to carry you as well if you faint on me," he reminded me.
I laughed; I knew this well. He definitely couldn't—I had no doubt. My head was swirling with too much grogginess to form any statements though; it hurt to even try.
It reminded me of when I had taken sleeping pills and alcohol. I reached my hand up to slap my face to bring myself back into focus. However, before my hand made contact with my face, he was already there, holding my wrist and stopping me from having hit it.
He looked at me and shook his head. "Don't," he said. That was all, nothing else. He looked almost angry underneath the tense worry. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, sitting cross-legged as he meditated. He put his hands on either side of his knees, positioned his hands just so, then he started to glow.
It was not a slow glow, nor a faint one. His entire being seemed to radiate light, his hair now turning a shade of white-blueish white and vivid bright golden—as it began to defy gravity itself.
To say he glowed was an understatement for the otherworldly being I was setting my eyes upon; his eyes were pure unadulterated shining whiteness, not even his eyelids visible now in the glow.
Parts of his skin seemed to crack through to reveal a white source, making a mandala marking around his entire skin.
The air crackled with the intensity. I was worried the building might explode from the pressure of this much power. I was so hyperfixated on what I was witnessing I didn't realize that my tiredness had begun to fade.
My mind was now clear, clear as day. You would think that opposite energies would oppose each other; however, it seemed to only make harmony.
My eyes widened, taking him in—the sight of what he truly was. Only a glimpse of it was enough to make the world tremble.
Part of me understood why we were a pair in one whole now. Somewhere deep down, in that small part where dark meets dawn, that moment before the sun rises, the light hidden deep within my soul.