Full Circle
Hao Xuan had watched everything unfold from the beginning to the end but he still couldn't believe it. His identity token still showed Salome's mangled corpse with that same confused expression on his face. He never understood what was happening to him till the end but not once did he blame it on Hao Xuan, even when Tian Zheng specifically told him it was because of him, which wasn't entirely false.
Hao Xuan's vision blurred from the tears that were collecting in his eyes. He didn't know what to say, what to do. And just like that, as if by the intervention of some great unforeseen force, the scene changed right in front of his eyes.
It was another flashback and this time the lead was Salome.
He was standing at the doorstep of the village elder's home watching as the old man gathered his things one by one.
"Now Salome, I have a very important mission for you. You have to stay here and protect the village while we are away, understand?"