I gasp for air as the illusion around me breaks. I fall against the wall of my room, dropping my flute to the floor. I use the wall for bance as something changes within my spirit.

  After the feeling within my spirit passes, I lean my back against the wall and close my eyes.

  Even the Matriarch hadn’t come close to the power I felt within that man. It was inexhaustible, terrifying, and truly magnificent. Part of me is in awe, while the rest of me wants to run as far away from it as possible.

  I hug myself as I focus on my breathing. As my breathing eases, so does the rest of my body, my muscles loosening and my heartbeat slowing to a normal pace.

  Zhu Teng, the creator of The Twelve Requiems of Illusion, made me his successor. I know what that means, but something tells me there is more to it beyond the obvious. His words had an effect on the spirit within me, but I am not skilled enough to tell what the effect is.

  I take one st shuddering breath in, then out. I open my eyes, and step away from the wall, picking up my flute from where I’d dropped it.

  I examine it, checking for any damages. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I’d harmed my instrument.

  I sigh with relief as I hug the unharmed flute to my chest. It was my mother’s st gift to me, and I think something inside of me would’ve broken if I’d harmed it.

  Still holding the flute to my chest, I fall into my bed.

  I close my eyes as I try to remember my mother’s face, her ughter and her own beautiful music.

  I fall asleep with a small smile.

  ***

  I stretch in my bed as I wake up the next morning, enjoying the feeling of the covers on my skin.

  I leisurely get my martial robes on, feeling better than usual.

  Once I’m dressed, with my sword at my side and my flute in the pocket of my robe, I open the door to leave my room.

  The servant who stays near our rooms is sweeping the floor with an old broom. I nod to her as I pass her by, startling her.

  I don’t go towards the Martial Masters for training, instead continuing on down a now well-worn path.

  Qiu Tai meditates next to the portal. I bow to her as I enter the clearing.

  She opens her eyes, observing me thoughtfully. “I’ve been speaking with Elder Wu Li Mei.” She stands up. “We have been speaking of your position as my unofficial disciple, and I fear that I have been failing you.”

  I look at her in surprise. “You haven’t been failing me, Senior Sister. Without your guidance, I wouldn’t have made any progress with Spirit Cultivation.”

  Qiu Tai shakes her head. “I haven’t been giving you the attention or training you deserve.” She holds out her hand, and qi flows into one of her rings, creating a small bck portal to her side. She reaches in, and pulls out a bde with writing going down its length. The bde looks to be made of… paper?

  “You have been practicing your sword arts here in this clearing. Let me see what progress you have made.” She says, her sword held to her side.

  I hesitate, before bowing again. “I look forward to your guidance.”

  Qiu Tai smiles, her eyes taking on a sharp look I’ve never seen from her before. “Come.”

  I draw my sword and enter a stance for The Whispers of The Silent Raven. I step forward, my movements as quick as I can make them,

  She blocks my first strike, twisting my sword away until the tip of her bde is at my throat. “You use two very different sword styles, Junior Sister.” She says as my eyes focus on the bde still at my throat. “The style you just used is meant for tricking and quickly killing your opponent, but you use it too forcefully. I could read your movements as if they were an open book.”

  I step back, thinking on her words. I switch to a stance from The Roars of The Ruinous Dragon. My strike is powerful, and doesn’t open up my defenses.

  She steps to the side, her sword catching mine and moving the force of my blow away from her. Her sword moves, the ft side hitting my arm and forcing me to drop my own weapon.

  “You are an amateur of both styles, Lin Jia, do not switch between them until you are confident in your abilities in both.” Qiu Tai picks up my weapon and holds it out to me. “Return to the style you first faced me with. Once you are decent with it, we can move to the other style.”

  “Thank you Senior Sister.” I say, grabbing my weapon.

  “Hard times will come for you Junior Sister.” Qiu Tai says as I get into a stance from The Whispers of The Raven. “When those times come, I want you to thrive in them.”

  I lower my head in thanks before moving forward again, my movements swift.

  Qiu Tai easily blocks my every move, criticizing my technique and telling me what I’m doing wrong as I do. Every time she attacks, the ft of her bde hits me, reminding me of what could be my death every time.

  After a long time of this, Qiu Tai calls for a break and motions for me to have the water I’d brought with me.

  She puts her sword back into the strange portal, and I sheathe mine.

  I gulp the water I brought with me.

  A motion from Qiu Tai brings my attention back to her.

  “It is time I ask you this.” Qiu Tai says as I rest in the grass. “What technique do you cultivate, Lin Jia?”

  Xia Jing’s warning about the dangers of telling those you don’t trust about your cultivation technique comes to mind. I look at Qiu Tai, who looks back at me with infinite patience.

  “I cultivate The Twelve Requiems of Illusion, Senior Sister.”

  Qiu Tai furls her eyebrows in thought, before activating her ring with qi and reaching back into the strange portal. She pulls out a book and flips through the pages.

  I walk closer, curious what she’s looking for. With a snap, she closes the book, a strange look in her eyes as she looks up at me. “It seems, you have gotten your hands on quite a treasure. The Twelve Requiems of Illusion is not listed as a cultivation manual at all, it was supposed to be in the music section of the library.”

  I frown, “What does that mean?”

  “It means your cultivation technique was able to hide itself even from the matriarch’s eyes. Can you use one of the spells from it on me?”

  I nod, and grab my flute. I look at her, waiting for her permission before I start one of the Requiems.

  The First Requiem: Field of Blood

  My song is deep and dark, it’s notes filling the air around us with weight.

  Blood covers the ground as men and women kill each other.

  Qiu Tai observes the illusion with a quiet calm, her sword appearing in her hands almost by instinct.

  As the battle draws to a close, the two st warriors fighting each other and dancing to my music, Qiu Tai speaks.

  “Have them fight me.”

  I pause, the illusion almost shattering.

  Then the music continues as I try to follow her orders. One man kills the other, then turns to Qiu Tai, raising his sword. Qiu Tai meets him, her sword matching his blow for blow. To my surprise, the man deflects her sword and goes for a killing blow.

  Qi bursts out of Qiu Tai, throwing the man and I back, breaking the illusion.

  Pain fills me as the requiem is destroyed, my qi burning from the disruption.

  Qiu Tai appears at my side, holding me as I grit my teeth from the pain. “Forgive me little one. I went too far.” She says, her qi soothing the rampage of my own qi.

  I close my eyes, my breath ragged.

  She hugs me, the pain beginning to fade.

  I bury my face in her robe, trying to endure the st of it.

  When my qi is once again calm, I let out a breath of relief.

  “I-I am sorry.” Qiu Tai’s voice catches.

  I wrap my own arms around her and hug her to me, my face still buried in her robe.

  She holds me and I don’t want to leave her embrace. Her smell reminds me of my mother.

  After some time, Qiu Tai pulls away. “I shouldn’t have used my qi like that. I’m sorry Junior Sister.”

  “I-it’s alright.” I respond, wiping tears away from my face. “Now I know what happens when a Requiem is forcefully broken.”

  “It isn’t alright.” Qiu Tai says, pcing her hand on my head in comfort. “But thank you for forgiving me.”

  I look at the darkening sky, then force my body to stand up. I bow to Qiu Tai “Will I be able to return to our lessons tomorrow?” I ask.

  Qiu Tai looks up at me from where she still sits on the ground. “For as long as you’ll have me as your teacher.”

  I smile at her. “I look forward to it, Master Qiu Tai.”

  I look around to find my flute in the grass a few feet away from us.

  It looks fine, but I still pick it up and double check for any damage.

  I look over at Qiu Tai, who stares off into the woods, before turning her gaze towards the path.

  With a sigh, I sit down into the grass and bring the flute to my lips.

  Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and py. It’s another song of my mother’s, emotional and hard to py.

  The music speaks of a new life, beauty rising from the ashes of destruction.

  I open my eyes.

  Qiu Tai watches me, her mouth open. Qi flows from me into my music.

  We both watch as pnts grow from the ground and the trees, blossoming into beautiful blue and violet flowers.

  The song ends, but the illusion of the flowers stay.

  “Will you formally accept me as your disciple, Master Qiu Tai?” I ask, unable to meet her eyes.

  “I will.”

  I fidget with my flute as I stand up and walk away. It was presumptuous of me to ask. She’s supposed to ask me, not the other way around. I got caught up in the moment.

  Still, she said yes.

  I’m happy she said yes.

  I hold my flute to my chest as I hurry back. I’m supposed to meet with Xia Jing and Lai Ming for dinner.