Present

I have one thing in my mind.

That I never know if it is right.

It reminded me how I whined.

When I saw you, and I shook in fright.

***

The year 2021, 500 centuries away from Zhaochong Empire.

After an hour, she was done prepping up herself for the day of her work as an article writer. She wore a loose white top and high-waisted jeans. It was paired with white sneakers and a sling bag. She brushed her brown hair to the side and she pinched her little nose while smiling at her reflection in the mirror. She sighed as she whispered, "This was gonna be it. I hope my grandmother and parents are happy in heaven."

She breathed out as she went out of the bedroom swiftly while gripping the straps of her bag. She wore her knee-length fluffy coat behind her back and straightened it. She closed the front door gently behind her as she ran up the stairs towards the gate of her house. She smiled as she ran towards the corner of the highway and stopped through the bus station. She glanced at her cell phone's wallpaper with her wide smile beside her grandmother and she sighed as she looked up through the sky.

"This was it, Grandma. I will finally become a top author," Althea sighed as she jumped out and down through the waiting station while she was waiting. The people on the line took their turns glancing at her. She huffed some air as she smiled widely while grasping the bag on her side. The bus zoomed through the highway and stopped through the signs as the people stepped inside.

Althea was the only one left and she waited for another bus to come. The line piled up quickly as a bus stopped once again and she was the first one to ride. She smiled widely at the one driving the bus and she seated right behind the driver's seat. She looked outside of the window and leaned back on her seat. She swallowed as she knew that her dream was now coming true. The song from the radio was so relaxing.

The bus took another route and they found themselves intersecting through the Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel. She saw complete darkness as she averted her eyes from the window towards the front. As soon as she shifted her eyes from the window, she fixated her gaze through the driver's seat. She looked around as the light on the exit of the tunnel was still far away and she smiled while looking around the seats.

The smile from her lips vanished as she saw a glinting light through the last set of seats behind the bus. She furrowed her eyebrows as she stood up from her seat and observed it. She saw that it was a woman with her eyes glowing, and her hair was shimmering in the color of blonde. She swallowed as she scrutinized it.

As soon as she opened her mouth, her grandmother's voice erupted through her mind suddenly and she fell down on the center of the bus. Everything was muffled as she covered her ears. She crouched down while she tried to look up through that light, but she failed to do it. She closed her eyes and grunted upon as the unbearable pain from her ears made her cry out. Her heartbeat was louder than usual as she gasped for more air while she heard her grandmother's voice.

"You should change him. You were the only one who could change him."

The words circled around her mind repetitively. As she opened her eyes, the ringing stopped abruptly. The light passed through the windows of the bus as the beads of sweat trickled down through her forehead. The people on the nearby seats were asking if she was fine. She looked at them with alarmed eyes as she laid down her hands from her ears and stood up from the center of the bus.

She quickly stared up through the last seat of the seats on the behind of the bus while she panted. She saw a female student with her hair draped over her face while she leaned her head back through the window. She was restlessly sleeping at her seat with earphones on her ears. Althea didn't know what happened as she darted her eyes everywhere and saw pairs of eyes that were observing her.

She breathed out while wiping the sweat from the side of her head with the back of her hand. She mumbled shakily, "I'm fine, you could... you could get back to your seats."

She rapidly sat down through her seat earlier as she caught up with her breath. She looked out and saw the long tunnel that was above and built through the Yangtze River. She swallowed as she saw the skyscraper of the Hanzi Times. She swallowed constantly as she knuckled her fists. The bus stopped at the waiting station right after an exit from the bridge and she pressed the button that signaled that someone was going down from the bus.

She stood up from her seat as climbed down quickly while grasping the bag on her abdomen. She turned around to see that the student was still sleeping on her seat as the bus doors closed down. They zoomed out of sight as Althea stood aloof from the waiting shed. She gritted her teeth as she slapped both of her cheeks and whispered an encouragement at herself, "You need to get a grip on yourself, Althea. You need to be a top author, right?"

She remembered the woman she saw earlier and how it was similar to what her grandmother was telling her. She bit her lip and ignored the legend in her mind.

She pretended to put on a wide smile as she turned her heel around and knuckled her fists. She put her hands through her coat as she glanced above. It was weeks after New Year, and still, she was alone in this world with nothing but herself. The morning snow finally dipped down through the streets of the Hanzi Times as Althea stopped in the middle.

"Who was that woman? I am sure that it was from the Legend of the Cursed Dragon," Althea whispered while the bits of snow fell down through her brown hair. She looked up as she saw that it was finally snowing and the degrees of the weather had dropped. She heads out her hand through the sky as the snows found their place on her palm.

"I wish you were here, Grandma. I am puzzled about the Legend. I have more questions for you," she muttered as the tears welled up in her eyes while she laid her hand down through her side and looked down. She inhaled a large amount of air as the one she heard earlier crossed her mind once again. She swallowed as she doesn't know what that words were trying to convey.

She was startled when someone patted her head on the street and she turned around immediately. She widened her eyes as she saw Chen Li, the editor of her articles.

Althea smiled through and she showed the small dimples at both sides of her bottom lips. She stood a little smaller on Chen Li.

He smiled as he gripped the brown hand luggage, showing off his nose scrunchies. His eyes were almond and narrow in shape but it was gleaming with delight. He also has brown hair, had bristly eyebrows, a pointed nose, defined cheekbones, and had a very deep voice. He had a dashing personality, and he was standing straight.

He mumbled, "It's glad to see you. And, from what I've heard, you had been approved to go to the next level of Zuozhe Inquirer for their author's recruitment. You're so great, Althea."

Chen Li said as he looked at how beautiful she was. He had a deep crush on Althea since the very first time he saw her and he was mesmerized by the round eyes that she had. She had a coil of leaf-brown hair that was flowing over her shoulders, a pointed nose, and she had a saccharine-sweet lip. She wore elegantly, not like a simple office worker that you will come right at the side of the streets, and she had a dashing personality.

She smiled through that shiny, halo-white teeth and she said, "It's still a preliminary audition, it's not that big. I have to pass five rounds through that competition so that I can finally say that I am a winner."

The people through the office ran up the steps, ignoring the two people who were talking in the middle, and Chen smiled at her. He muttered, "Still, you're so great. You had been my writer for years. And I see so much potential in you."

He grinned as he wanted to hug her right then and there but he knew that he got to have permission. He lengthened his arms wide and Althea was so surprised by what he did. He laughed at her while she took steps towards him and clasped both of her arms around his waist. Chen's heartbeat got louder as they both hugged each other tightly.