Alina Blake sighs, a puff of white appearing in front of her face, as she stares directly upwards at the Twin Suns in the sky, sitting atop the Ring like a bright pair of jewels. The Dark Sun is devouring the Bright Sun, hiding some of its light from the world. Soon, winter will arrive and it will be months before the Bright Sun struggles its way out of its sibling’s maw.

Alina isn’t a fan of the winter. It means less food, and the food that you do eat is oftentimes ice-preserved or salt-preserved, almost never fresh. The only good thing about winter is that venison, one of her favorite foods, is more common. Well, that and the Frost Emperor’s Festival in the very middle of the winter, marking the start of a new year.

She looks southwards, to see the Ring ascending to the heavens, reaching up towards the Twin Suns. One of the nights is approaching fast, she only has about an hour or so left of daylight before the dark envelops the continent. Better finish doing this laundry, before the even more chilly night winds arrive.

“Linaaaaaa!” A young voice calls out to her. Sighing once again, she looks over her shoulder at her older sister, Ariana.

“What, Ari? I’m busy.” To prove her point, she pulls a wet tunic out of the submerged basket, cool water of the creek she’s using to wash clothes dripping down onto the muddy bank next to her.

“Your hair is black. Laundry got you in that bad of a mood?”

Alina grabs a pumice rubbing stone and tosses it at her sister, who expertly avoids the throw. She reaches for her hair, pulling a lock behind her ear free from her ponytail to confirm. Yep, black hair with a couple of red strands.

She doesn’t bother with a poker face, clearly showing her displeasure with a scowl. Everyone in the village knows you can tell her mood at a glance. Snow white hair with aqua blue highlights and matching blue eyes means Alina is in a happy mood. Void black hair with blood red highlights and red eyes means she’s sad or pissed off. Her default neutral state is black and white hair with no color, and eyes with gold and red heterochromia.

“Don’t point it out. You know I don’t like it. How’s dad?”

“Still in bed, still with a cough. But he’s fine, he got up earlier to use the restroom all by himself.”

Alina nods. That’s good at least. Ever since mom died last year…

“That’s not why I came down here, though. Haven’t you heard? A mage came to town!” Alina’s older adoptive sister squeals, bouncing up and down on her feet. Her short auburn locks bobbing with her, and the cat ears atop her head pointed straight up.

“...mage?” Alina asks with a quirked eyebrow. “What’s that?”

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“A cultivator! Apparently, at least. I heard from the Crone! He’s some kind of failed cultivator who couldn’t progress, so instead he uses qi formation scrolls and tattoos and such, and they call those types mages!”

“Oh Suns, Ari. Why are you excited about that? Cultivators are bad news and you know it. Failed or not, they view us ‘mortals’ as insects. He’s going to drain the village dry, making demands here and there until he gets bored enough to leave our backwater.”

“He seems like a nice enough sort, actually. I talked to him for a bit.”

“Why would you do that?!” Alina shoots up, though a bar of lye falling out of her lap and into the stream distracts her. “Damn!” She reaches in and grabs it before turning back to her adoptive sister. “Ari, he could have-”

“Lina. You should talk to him. Maybe he can teach you.”

Stunned silence follows. Then, Alina sputters. “What are you tal-”

“Lina.”

“No, Ari, I-”

“Lina.”

“It’s not s-”

“Lina.” Ariana forces with a frown. Rare to see her have any kind of unpleasant face on. “I know we don’t talk about it often, but we both know that your parents were Demons. You’re a Demon, too. A B rank species. And with your hair and eyes, you’re obviously Spirit-Blessed. It would be a waste for you to stay here, in a nowhere and nothing Beastkin village, hel-”

“My parents,” Alina growls, “are mom and dad.”

“Mom’s gone, Lina. Dad will be, too, pretty soon. I have Lyle, I’ll be fine. But I worry about you. I don’t want you to be alone, trapped here in this village, unhappy all the time. I love you and I know you. You’re meant for better things than this.”

“And I’m supposed to, what? Run off with some cultivator and be a servant? Leave you here alone, with all of your family gone?”

“Just talk to him, Lina.”

“And what about your wedding? Dad’s funeral? The birth of my niece or nephew?”

“Lina, I don’t even know for sure if I’m going to marry Lyle yet, you’re jumping way too far ahead there. As for dad’s funeral, well, maybe he’ll get better, we don’t actually know. Maybe you can make some good money as a cultivator and come back with some magic medicine. You never-”

“Ari, cut the shit.”

“Lina, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity! This is the first cultivator to come to the village in decades. Decades! Of course I don’t want my only sister to leave, but you’re probably the only one in the village with any talent, any actual chance he’ll take you up on the offer. And a chance like this will probably never come again. If you miss this, and regret it, what can you do? Go find some sect and beg at their doorstep? They’d sneer and smite you for being too daring of a mortal.”

Alina sighs, then. Again. “Let me think about it, Ari. This is too sudden, too big, and too much. I don’t know.”

“We don’t know how long he’ll be here. This is your only chance. You should-” Ariana stops, one of the catkin ears atop her head swiveling towards the village.

Then, Alina hears it too. Screams.