7. Chapter – Wake up to reality

Several hours later, Mei Lin regained consciousness. It was the first time in her life that she had faced such a life-and-death crisis. Her right hand was mangled, making it impossible for her to release her grip. The pain was excruciating, and she found herself surrounded by a horrifying scene. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she cried out in agony, the horror of her situation sinking in.

Summoning every bit of strength, she pushed her body upright, surveying her surroundings in an attempt to locate Li Wei. "Li Wei, are you all right?" She called out, but there was no response. "Li Wei, are you awake?" Again, silence prevailed. Desperation enveloped her, and tears mixed with blood and despair streaked down her cheeks.

With a bizarre, almost comical motion, Mei Lin began dragging herself towards Li Wei. It took her a while, but when she finally laid eyes on him, her despairing expression froze instantly. The sight of Li Wei savagely butchered with an intensely ferocious expression struck her to the core. She frantically wiped his face as if possessed by madness. To her relief, she discovered that he was still alive.

Driven by urgency, she started crawling back to her belongings in search of bandages to stem the bleeding. Gathering all the spare clothes and bandages she could find, she began the arduous journey back towards Li Wei.

First, she tended to her right arm, carefully wrapping it with a bandage before turning her attention to Li Wei's injured right leg. Despite her injuries not being too severe, the fear of what might be revealed when she looked at her legs was overwhelming. The prospect of further damage was too much for her to bear.

As she began the task of bandaging, her hand was in terrible shape made the work very difficult. She spoke to Li Wei continuously, though he remained unresponsive. The uncertainty of his survival weighed heavily on her, as his fate seemed connected to her own. If he dies she will die too. After a half-hour of painstaking effort, she completed her task and, with caution, she looked at her legs. Her legs were in bad shape but with a lot of blood, it wasn't looking too bad.

Her next challenge begins. She started to crawl toward a nearby water stream to wash away the blood covering her legs, arms, and face. The cleansing process began, but as she finished washing her legs, exhaustion took over, and she fell unconscious.

*****

Early the next morning, Mei Lin woke up. Finding herself in the same dismal state as the previous day. Unfortunately, Li Wei's injuries had not worsened, but Mei's condition had deteriorated significantly. Lacking the regenerative abilities of a demon, she was after all a fragile mortal, sick and weak.

Her left hand had swollen to the size of a balloon, adorned with a vibrant palette of colors green, blue, red, and others. The swelling extended to her legs, rendering her immobile. A fever raged within her, and her right hand and legs, bitten repeatedly by wolves, seemed to be swelling by infection. The challenges ahead are larger than ever.

In that moment, Mei Lin witnessed a miracle. A green star hovered above her, and lying on her back, she noticed it instantly. Its beauty overwhelmed her, and tears streamed down her face. "What did I see? Is it a hallucination?" Her words echoed through the forest as a desperate laughter erupted, echoing through the trees. The laughter seemed to go on endlessly.

After a while, Mei Lin pinched her hand, and at that moment, pain shot through both arms, dispelling any doubts about the reality of the green star. "No, it wasn't a dream. It was real."

Before she could voice her thoughts, a loud bang echoed from the direction where the green star seemed to fall. The sound instantly infused her with a renewed sense of life, and she began crawling towards their scattered luggage. It was a beacon of hope. "We are saved," she exclaimed, frantically gathering their belongings into a large herb basket.

The process was agonizingly slow, every item stained with blood from the recent struggle. Each tool they had wielded in the fight was slippery, and with Mei Lin's broken hands, every movement was a source of intense pain. Grotesque screams, emanating from the young girl with nearly destroyed hands, echoed through the forest, casting a dark aura over the surroundings. The agony was palpable for anyone within earshot.

In the aftermath of such a catastrophic event, any ordinary human being would undoubtedly succumb. Yet, the ten-year-old, sickly girl on the brink of death with every passing moment, and the twelve-year-old demon child, defied the odds.

Having packed all the remaining clothes and both small and large knives, Mei Lin placed them inside the basket and covered it with a damaged wok. Everything was ready. The only challenge remained. Figuring out how to transport herself and Li Wei to chase after the green fallen star. Mei Lin lacked the strength to carry Li Wei, especially with her existing injuries.

After much contemplation, Mei Lin quickly dismissed the idea of navigating the water stream downstream. The risk of attempting such a perilous journey was evident. They would likely face certain death if they tried to sail down the water stream.

In the end, Mei Lin began crawling back toward the forest to gather wood for the fire. She prepared to rest near a fire, as her fever continued to weaken her. Her extensive injuries ensured a grim fate, and it seemed inevitable that she would die along the way. Mei Lin resolved to wait for Li Wei to wake up. Miraculously, he was recovering much faster than her. Some of his minor wounds were nearly healed after just one day, an unimaginable speed of recovery. In contrast, Mei Lin's wounds showed no signs of improvement. If anything, they only worsened.

It took her approximately three hours to collect enough wood and manage to start a fire. Despite knowing how to make a fire, the challenge lay in her uncooperative, insanely painful, and dull hands. Nearly an hour passed before she could produce a fire with her tools. She placed a wok over the fire and boiled water. Mei Lin prepared rice and brewed herbal tea using the last bit of herbs.

After eating some rice, she immediately felt nauseous and drank the tea. Mei Lin managed to shift Li Wei near the fire, arranging a tent blanket above them. She lay close to him, covering both of them with sleeping blankets, and eventually drifted into a deep sleep.

Sheltered against the wind and nestled within a small pit specially crafted for better cover, they found a comfortable spot to sleep. The autumn nights were growing increasingly cold, particularly in the mountains. The protective pit provided them with a refuge from the chill as they slept.

At noon, she woke up to an intense, burning pain enveloping her entire body. A high fever had taken hold, and the fire was nearly extinguished. Mei Lin drank the remaining tea and prepared some more. Ate some rice, and then began a slow and cautious journey toward the water source.

Once there, she removed the bandages and was confronted with the grim sight of raw, dark-red flesh on her legs. This time, she had a needle and thread from clean gauze ready. After washing her leg, she attempted to stitch the gaping wounds. Pus covered the exposed flesh, making it challenging to stitch properly. Mei Lin tried to scrape away the pus, but her efforts were somewhat futile. Thread in hand, she counted the needle, her attempts to mend her injuries seeming increasingly hopeless. "FUCK! FUCK!! FUCK!!!

With a clear mind, she returned to the fire. Picking up more wood along the way. After replenishing the fire, Mei Lin made more tea and proceeded to check Li Wei's wounds. To her surprise, his injuries showed marked improvements. Small wounds were already healed, and the larger ones were steadily getting better. She went back to Li Wei, covered both of them and began watching the fire.

The wood in the fire crackled gently, casting a warm glow on their faces. Tears welled up in Mei Lin's eyes as she began to mumble about their adventure and pondered their next steps. "Should we return to the village or continue chasing the green falling star? When will you wake up?"

Before long, she slipped back into a deep sleep.