Chapter 1: The Voice
"Wu Xuan....Can you hear me? Wu Xuan...." the voice was getting further and further away. I tried looking at the person who was calling my name but his figure was becoming blurry. Why can't I see him clearly?
I started chasing the figure and suddenly a shiny light flashed right before my eyes. I realized that I was standing on a cliff. Behind me were a bunch of people with swords. Their face showed anger and disgusted. Then a droplet of tear fell from my eye. I reached to wipe my tear and was shock and confused. My hands had blood and I felt pain all over my body. Then I heard the voice again.
"Wait for me...I will take you away...Wait for me..."
I turned around and saw a glimpse of him. Before, I can clearly make out what he looks like, I suddenly woke up with sweats all over my forehead.
"This dream...I have dreamed about him a few times already. Why can't I ever see him clearly?" I thought. "Whatever, my head hurts." I got up to wash my face and got dressed to train my sword techniques with my grandpa.
My grandpa used to say that he was the number one in the world and no one could beat him. But he wouldn't tell me what happened for him to be like what he is now. I heard from my brother that, to save my grandma, my grandpa gave half of his energy to keep her alive longer but in the end, my grandma still left. So I dare not bring that up.
My name is Wu Xuan. I grew up in an island that is across the sea where most people lives. This island only has my grandpa, my father and my brother, Xiao Chen. I'm the only girl. Sigh* how sad and boring. No one to accompany me and gossip with me like the girls in the novels. The novels said that the land across the sea has festivals, colorful fire that lights up the sky and something called snow that makes the mountains all white and pretty. I really want to go see the land across the sea but my grandpa and father say that it's too dangerous. I'll be turning 13 soon and I'm nearly as good as my grandpa in sword techniques so how dangerous can it be?
"Wu Xuan, you better concentrate and not think about leaving the island," scowled Grandpa.
I nervously smiled and thought, "How did he know?" and continued to practice diligently until afternoon. I was starving.
Father finally finished cooking and said, "It's time for lunch. Call Xiao Chen to come eat."
My father is cold but I would say that he is very loving towards my mother. My mother died shortly after I was born so I don't have any memory of her. My father also doesn't talk about my mother much but I know that he misses her every time he talks about her. His eyes would be shiny but it also has a hint of sadness. So I refrain myself from asking him about my mother even though I am very curious about her. I tried asking my grandpa but he only says for me to wait until I am older.
However, I know that my mother was a great beauty and that I inherited my looks from her while Xiao Chen got his looks from our father. They were truly a good match made in heaven if you think about it.