Chapter 7: Dream or Reality

Li Ran slowly gained consciousness but she did not wake up. She slowly felt she is floating, it seems she is not fully awake but she is not fully unconscious. She just felt.... nothing.

There are lots of stories about death, some say people go to heaven or hell, some say they are reincarnated depending on their karma.

Li Ran is not the religious type, but she does her religious activities to the bare minimum. She goes to church once a month, as Meng Xia refers to as 'soul-cleansing' days.

She believes there is a God, and even prays every night; she prays for a salary increase, for shopping sales, and for winning lottery numbers but she never prayed for serious matters, even a prayer for a better relationship with her family is not uttered.

Li Ran is surrounded by silence, but she is not bored. 'So Death is like this, silent and unmoving.' She thinks as she continued to float in place.

Then suddenly, she felt her body get heavy and she slowly descended. She felt her body lay on a wet surface, just as she thought that she can feel the ground, she felt she is sinking in the water.

Li Ran did not fight back and let herself sink further, welcoming the water. Before her whole body is completely submerged. She suddenly heard a loud voice "WAKE UP!"

It was so loud that as if on reflex, she opened her eyes. As soon as she opened her eyes, she breathed hard. She could feel the water but oddly she also felt the ground as if it was there all along and she just imagined she is sinking.

She slowly sat up and saw the water below, it was a few inches deep. She slowly stood up and she expected to be wet but when she is fully standing she found herself completely dry.

She looked around and saw full body mirrors surrounding her. It's like there are millions of mirrors around her. She expected hell, but this is definitely not heaven, this could be purgatory but it was different from what she envisioned.

She approached a mirror and saw a beautiful woman with long brown hair, and wearing a yellow gown. She is shocked and the woman is also shocked. She bowed her head to greet and the woman also bowed her head to greet.

'This is a mirror, but it is not my reflection.' Li Ran thought to herself as she backed off a few steps.

She then approached another mirror and saw another face, this time she looked like an elf wearing gold and white armor. She looked like an elf warrior with a bow and arrow in hand. She frowned and approached another mirror.

In each mirror, she saw different faces wearing different clothings. She had seen many mirrors but she never saw her real face, Li Ran's face.

She suddenly thought of something ridiculous. 'It's like in a game where the player chooses a character and class to play.' Li Ran laughed at herself at the thought.

She randomly tried to touch one of the mirrors but nothing happened. 'Is this the start of my punishment for taking my life?' Li Ran asked herself.

She continued to walk as she browsed the different faces on the mirrors until she reached what seems to be the middle of the place. She thinks it was the middle because there stood a big and tall tree in the middle of it.

It was a majestic tree but there are no leaves, it seems to be a dead tree. Li Ran walked closer to the tree and sat on a tree trunk. 'This place is odd, I can see the way, the mirrors, and the tree but there is no source of light.'

She continued to look around, it seems that her eyes adjusted to see everything even in the dark, but it is brighter than when you ordinarily get used of the dark at night. She looked up, there is a vast space of nothingness, no stars, no moon, nothing.

'Is this a dream or reality, if it is a dream, then I am not dead yet. If this is reality, then is this the underworld? And those people in the mirror are dead people? Will I also be trapped in a mirror like them?'

She is not afraid, instead, she welcomes the idea, inside the mirror, it seems there will be no expectations. She won't hurt and there seems to be a sense of tranquility.

"Its coming quick choose who you are!" A male voice is heard again. Li Ran stood up and looked around at the source but she never found it.

The voice urged again, "Only you can choose yourself, choose a mirror!"

"What do you mean? Why should I choose a mirror." Li Ran asked back, not knowing where to look.

"There is no time, I cannot help you more than this. Choose a mirror and leave! It is coming!"

"Who is coming? Why should I care, I want to die anyway!" Li Ran retorted back.

The voice is heard again. "If you don't choose a mirror you will be sent back to the time you died and will relive your death again and again until you choose your mirror. If you can choose the correct mirror then you will get your heart's most ardent wish! Beware if you choose the wrong mirror then you will relive your death again!"

Li Ran remembered the pain of her bones breaking and shuddered. She wanted to die but not to suffer from the pain again and again. "Just tell me the correct mirror then and stop wasting both our time!" She snorted.

"No, you are the only one who could choose. Trust your judgment. Now choose!" The voice continued to urge her.

Li Ran walked through the mirrors again. "What should I do once I've chosen? I tried touching a mirror and nothing happened." Li Ran asked as she browsed the faces on the mirrors.

The voice replied. "Your heart will know and your soul will feel."

Li Ran frowned. "What does that mean?" Then, something caught Li Ran's eyes that made her do a double-take.

On one of the mirror further in the back, she saw a little girl, her hair is like an old woman who had half of her hair turn gray, but the gray strand on the little girl shines like silver it did not diminish her cuteness instead it enhanced her uniqueness and highlighted her remaining black hair.

Her eyes are black and sharp with a hint of curiosity in her gaze as if it was alive and not just a reflection. She seems to be only six or seven at most, but there is something about her that seems to call her.

"So you are a kid, then so be it! Till we meet again little one!" The voice is heard then a bright light shone blinding her gaze.

Li Ran is shocked. "Wait! I just felt she is cute not that I chose her! I want to pick a full-grown woman! Wait!"

"Now, WAKE UP!"

Li Ran heard the sound of a mirror breaking then as if the ground beneath her feet disappeared she felt like she is falling. She suddenly felt panicked, then she remembered 'Li Ran you are already dead so why are you panicking!'

Just as she stopped flailing, her vision became black, and then she opened them again with a start.

"Miss! Are you okay? You seem to be having a bad dream." A female voice is suddenly heard beside her.

Li Ran blinked her eyes and looked at the middle-aged woman sitting beside the bed. Wait. Bed?

Li Ran sat up quickly and looked down, she is indeed lying on a bed. She is utterly confused.

"Miss? How are you feeling? You almost drowned and had caught a cold. The madam is furious right now." The middle-aged woman continued to speak to her.

Li Ran is bewildered being addressed as miss so she asked back. "Who are you and why are you calling me miss?" As soon as the words were out, both the woman and Li Ran are freaked out.

Li Ran inwardly screamed: 'What happened to my voice?

"Miss Elvira, what happened? Can't you remember me? I'm Sonya your nanny." Sonya asked hurriedly and even pointed to herself.

Li Ran shook her head, then she looked at her arms and kicked the mattress to see her legs. 'They shrank!' And for the first time in Li Ran's life, she fainted due to shock at seeing her 'shrank' body.

Sonya panicked. "Miss!" She tucked Li Ran on the bed and hurriedly went out of the room to get the doctor and the madam of the house.

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