Han Yan and I were always intrigued by immortality. It started innocently, from the wuxia and xianxia novels we had read. We were amazed and jealous of fictional beings who could fly through the skies with swords and extinguish evil. Strangely, even that interest evolved into real life readings.

"Look!" Han Yan pushed a tablet into my hands. I was at the hospital. At that time, I didn't know why I was there. I was annoyed and uncomfortable being in an unfamiliar place and having to spend my school holidays within the confines of the bed and having painful cuts beneath my bandages.

I looked down and saw the post on Qin Shi Huang and his imperial edict to find the pill of immortality or the famed peach of immortality. He left the task to Xu Fu, an explorer and alchemist. He set sail and never returned.

"Do you think Xu Fu found Xi Wangmu's garden?"

I raise a brow, "How can you be sure he went to find peaches instead of pills?"

She shrugged. Her smile dropped, "Xiao xiao, do you want to be immortal?"

"If I can have flying swords and superpowers that would be great." She punched me on the shoulders.

Years pass by after that, Han Yu and I went to universities, majoring in archaeology and architecture, graduated, found jobs. Well, I found a job unrelated to my studies with how things are. But I knew Han Yu had one that was related. She's a go-getter after all.

We hardly met then. At first I was upset at this change. We were always together. However, I got used to reading and replying her letters. She told me she was in an archaeological team but she never talked about her job. Just the local culture and cuisine. Sometimes she sent in fabrics and snacks with her mails. In turn, I would send her our local delights. It is quite unfortunate that I wasn't able to send her hairy crabs. They were her absolute favourites.

Then I got sick and went back to the hospital. In that blindingly unreal white room and a doctor donning a white lab coat. Whatever they've said, I could only hear the ringing in my ears. I don't remember what I wrote then. I don't know if I told her.

One day, Han Yu sent me a mail. In it sat an airplane ticket to Ruoqiang County accompanied with a slip of paper written hastily: Come quick.

---

It was dry.

It was very, very dry.

Sun beat down the exposed concrete and tar. A burning smell filled up my nose. A cruiser pulled up by the road.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Are you Yang Xiao Wen?" the man asked as the window rolled down. He gave me a looked down.

"Zang shu?"

He looked apprehensive. Then jab his thumb to the back.

"I don't get why Han Yu had you come. You don't look good for the job. As if having another girl is not a burden already."

Job? I kept quiet. The entire trip, I listened to Zang Shu drone about his life story and how girls should behave and stay at home. I tuned off his chatter quite early and watch the desert roll by. Before long, we reached the camp site. I saw Han Fu's figure as the car rolled to a stop. As soon as I opened the door and stepped out, Han Yu tackled me into a hug.

It had been years since we've met face to face.

She had slimmed down but her muscles were toned. Her big brown eyes still bright with clarity and vigor and her head full of hair that were tied in a ponytail.

Relief and happiness washed over me. She was okay. I pulled her away.

"What's all this about?"

"Immortality." she grinned.

I beckon her to continue.

"I found it. Xi Wangmu's peach garden."

At that time, I should have persuaded her to leave. I could have feint an illness attack and force her to come back to civilisation with me.

But that's not how it always is.

A lake of crystalline blue surrounded the small plateau. It was so blue and so clear that I could see the skeletal remains resting in its depths and Zang Shu at the bottom. Blue and bloated. Dead.

An old, decrepit tree was at the centre of the small piece of land in the lake. It's leaves still yellow as if it is frozen in an eternal autumn. Round, fat peaches drape down its branches.

Han Yu left me to lean by a rock and limped towards it whilst holding her bleeding arm.

With a pained cry, she let her injured arm fall as she jumped and plucked the fruit from its branches. Before I could realise what she had done, she bit the peach in hand.

"Han, Han Yu?"

"It works!" she said, "It works! I can feel it." Reverence and relief in her voice. She turned around to me. Extended the hand which held the prize. "Xiao xiao, what are you doing over there? Come over quick! We've found the cure! You won't be sick anymore!"

"Xiao xiao, what are doing? Come here!"

"Xiao xiao, I've been chasing this cure for your illness. We can be together always now."

"Xiao... xiao? Oh right, you can't walk."

Her eyes, pupils and eyeballs, were the deepest blue. Purer than the blue sky and the underground lake. Yet black tears poured down her flaking cheeks. I could see her skin dry and creak like a tree bark. A piece fell out, revealing flesh. She looked as if she were melting.

Hands tightened around the gun on my side. Plop, plop. she stepped on the puddled filled crater skin shards dropping into the pool. I- I can't shoot her. My head says to draw the gun but my hands stayed where they were. I couldn't decide. I need time to think. I need time-

"Is there an aftermath to immortality?" I blurted. Shocked that words tumbled out from my own mouth.

She stopped, looked at me, tilting her head and blinking. We stared at each other in stilled silence. My limbs have all failed to move, save for my heartbeat reverberating in the darkness.

And I realised, I could only hear my own heartbeat. A singular pulse from a singular source.

"What are you talking about? Immortality means we live for thousands of years. Maybe even more." she chirped. Golden lotus bloomed from her head.

In no time, she was right in front of me with the peach in hand. Veins wrapped her arms and legs. Clothes torn from the pull and stretching. From the gaps of her clothes, there were empty black sockets spotted around her body.

"Come on, eat up." she says.

Can a human who achieved immortality remain human? Immortality is a myth. In my eyes, it is rebirth. It ended humanity and gifted longevity to a newly born monster.