"Mendorne... Mendorne..."

The void whispered to Ah Dai, holding and caressing him with its touch.

"Mendorne... you have suffered too much with the mortals..."

Ah Dai remained silent and still, seemingly dead and cold. A yearning sigh could be heard in the background.

"Child... I should not have sealed your power, oh how I wish I had never done that mistake!"

A bright flash suddenly erupted within the void, as massive chains appeared wrapping around Ah Dai's body. They exuded a massive aura, but even so were shaking at the raw power they suppressed. A silhouette of a beautiful woman appeared above the chains, looking at him with love-filled eyes.

She tapped a single finger on the chains, instantly shattering them, breaking away into the cold void. A thunderous boom resounded, as a veil of darkness erupted from Ah Dai.

"Go... return and claim your destiny..."

Ah Dai disappeared, and the void closed with him.

-

 "Ah Dai! Ah Dai!"

"...Mmm...?"

"Wake up now! Uncle Li is going to get mad if we don't catch enough fish today!"

Ah Dai felt tired. Very, very tired indeed. His body did not hurt, rather there was a subtle phantom ache throughout his mind. Ah Dai felt an energy charge through him, rapidly energizing him, yet he did not wish to wake. However, something about the voice was familiar, too familiar - and hearing it made his mind jolt with old memories long forgotten.

Ah Dai forced his eyes open, then blinded by the sudden light, raised his arm to block it. He found himself in a lying position on an extremely hard bed, where there was no mattress under him. Ah Dai got up and looked right, then stared shocked at the girl beside the bed. She was thin, clad in barely enough clothing to cover her, while messy raven-black hair covered most of her face. The girl looked 9 or 10 at the oldest, but it was hard to tell through the dirt and messiness of her appearance.

"Ya...Tou? Is that you?"

Ya Tou smiled brightly, eyes twinkling in relief. She jerked his arm, pulling Ah Dai off the bed and onto the ground.

"Of course! Who do you think it is? Let's go now, it's nearly noon! Uncle Li will beat us if we don't get anything!"

Ah Dai looked blankly at Ya Tou in complete disbelief as she pulled him out of the house and onto the streets. Only now did he shockingly realize that everything seemed to be extremely tall - the people, houses, stalls all towered over both himself and Ya Tou.

'What happened!? Why are we back in Ninuo city? Why is Ya Tou here? Ya Tou... this cannot be real - She died years ago! And why are we so young?'

Ah Dai thought confusingly to himself, so shocked that his mind seemed to just not work anymore. Ninuo city was one of the places he loathed the most and where he spent most of his childhood at. It was a small city, situated at the very northern extreme of the continent. The weather was harsh and unforgiving, with short days and frigid nights. Most people worked here in the icy seas for a living, and the icebergs floating all year round produced a wealth of walrus and seal fur beloved by the aristocrats.

However, Ah Dai and Ya Tou lived here not as fishermen, but thieves. 'Catching fish' referred to stealing things, and they barely sustained themselves on the prettiest of thievery. Uncle Li headed the group of roughly ten children, each picked up from the streets as orphans. Ya Tou had originally lived with her grandmother, struggling but managing to pass through the harsh days. When Ya Tou's grandmother passed away from an illness, she had lost her means of survival and had to beg for a living. Uncle Li took her in because he was interested in the house her grandmother left her, because after all, in the frigid Ninuo city, what is better to keep out the ice and snow than a house?

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Ah Dai had been with Uncle Li since he could remember - everything before was hazy and clouded. He had always been a slow-witted child, his mind being quite naive and frequently forgetting things. Ah Dai, however, had a lot of determination, and through his time with Uncle Li, had practiced the move 'Pass Smoothly, and Lead Away the Goat' till perfection. Every day he would hone his hand to become faster and more nimble, and so had become so good at 'Catching fish' that everyday, purses could be said to almost walk to Ah Dai. He was Uncle Li's golden goose, and was the most 'doted' on child in the thieves den, and was always given one or two cold hard mantous1 everyday. Ah Dai's 'comrades' always felt envious, but as the kind person he was, always gave a portion to them even when they responded only with scorn.

Ya Tou's mind is the complete opposite of Ah Dai, learning fast and efficiently, and had learned all the skills Uncle Li taught her in a month. Yet despite this, she is the only kid in the thieves den who hasn't caught a single fish up to date. It was not because Ya Tou was lacking in skill, no, rather it was because her heart would never allow such a feat. Quick-witted she was, Ya Tou's heart was the same as Ah Dai's - too kind for their own good. Because of this, Ah Dai and Ya Tou became friends almost immediately, himself shielding her from the beatings that Uncle Li intended for Ya Tou with his own back. They were also the only yellow-skinned kids in the thieves den as well - their skin to pale to be from the United Tribes, yet too shaded to be of the northerners who are pale skin was as white as snow. A combination of these made them unshakable friends.

As the duo made their way deep into the city, they arrived at a bend connecting a few minor streets to the major one. Here, Ah Dai had made this his prime fishing spot. The minor streets were just sparsely populated that he wouldn't be suspicious, and just large enough so that targets were obvious and hard to miss. The major street was perfect for Ah Dai to steal, as the crowds made it so that even if they noticed their purses missing, they would not notice an honest-looking child far away and hidden. Coming here was second nature to Ah Dai - almost always would he leave with a fat purse and a merchant none the wiser.

Ah Dai pulled both himself and Ya Tou into a corner. his mind still racing with confusion like never before. His brain was certainly unlike that of his younger self - years of training and honing both martial and magical abilities tuned his mind to quite a fast pace. Yet Ah Dai would always have the naivety and slight dumbness that never left him. Ya Tou turned at him, then gave a shocked look at him that sent his heart racing.

"Ah Dai, is there something wrong? You've seemed odd since you waked up. And you seem... sadder."

Ah Dai quickly shook his head, quickly splurting out a response.

"I-It's nothing. I think I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well last night."

"What are you talking about? You got such a fever yesterday! You slept almost the whole day!"

Ah Dai panicked. His eyes darted around, then spotted his escape - a well-dressed, fat merchant whos side was almost bursting with the massive purse. He put his hand over her mouth and hushed her.

"N-never mind, we have fish to catch. The merchant there looks good."

Ya Tou immediately quietened. She didn't have the heart to steal anything, so it would be up to Ah Dai to do it. However kind he is, Ah Dai was too dumb at this point to understand much of right from wrong. He slowly followed the merchant, staying away around 6 meters while he was still on the minor street. As soon as they both crossed the major street, Ah Dai immediately crossed the distance to barely 1 meter. With the merchant preoccupied in his oblivious daydream, Ah Dai quickly took out a small knife and crashed himself against the merchant. As the merchant stumbled, he sliced the purse's string connecting to the merchant's belt and slid away the fat purse and knife tucked away into his clothes.

As the merchant recovered himself, he merely sneered furiously against the poor-looking child. Ah Dai apologized over and over about the accident, and when the merchant saw the honest eyes of Ah Dai, decided that he couldn't be bothered with a beggar. He did not think twice about it, turning around then leaving with a pompous look. 

Ah Dai hurried back to Ya Tou, and as soon as he ran back into the corner that she was in, learned of the wall to catch his breath. Ya Tou looked conflicted in the thievery, clearly uncomfortable with something that would cause someone else such distress. Ah Dai gave her a smile, and quickly whispered out:

"Ya Tou! Let's go now!"

Ya Tou snapped out of her conflicts and followed Ah Dai back towards the thieves den.

Ah Dai was still confused, his old ways felt unnatural after being abandoned for so long, and the whole situation simply was ridiculous. But it felt so real. The stone walls, the icy breeze, and the clinking of the coins screamed reality. It was familiar, yet not. But if so, then what happened? What happened on that day where he lost everything? Why was he back to the beginning?

Something told him that forces were at play far greater than he thought.

-

Far away from Ah Dai, far, far away in the middle of the continent, lay a holy palace. And deep in the palace, lay a chamber in white, windows stained blue and without a single sound within. The songbirds sang outside and greeted the warm morning with vigor and happiness that their chicks too responded. The bed in the white chamber stirred.

"Where... am... I?"

-

1Mantou - A plain, steamed bun and is absolutely delicious. Is Ah Dai's favorite food and has a special place in his heart.