Chapter 2

I clung desperately to the windowsill, wanting to get a better view. However, my grip slipped, sending me tumbling down. I twisted my ankle as I fell.

I urged Lily to hurry back, but despite her assurances that she would, it took her a full hour to finally come out.

When she finally appeared, I was leaning against the wall, massaging my aching ankle.

"Laura, come help me," Lily said in between gasps. She was out of breath. It was as though she had just emerged from the depths of the water, and her body leaned heavily against mine.

As I helped her climb over the wall, my eyes inadvertently wandered up. I was startled to realize she was not wearing any undergarments.

I asked Lily what happened in the ancestral hall. Lily's cheeks flushed red, and she stammered for a moment before saying, "Look at that smile on your face. You'll find out soon enough."

Hmph! If she would not tell me, I would find out for myself.

Feigning a stomach ache to avoid returning with her, I stealthily made my way back to the ancestral hall.

However, I was shocked to find Grandma ordering a group of people hauling things out. Thick layers of oil paper were wrapped around long bundles. Each was carried by a pair of people, but even then, it was a struggle.

Suddenly, someone slipped, tumbling down the steps and tearing the oil paper.

Grandma rushed over, her eyes wide with concern. She ordered someone to wrap it up carefully with more layers of oil paper.

I pressed myself against the wall, covering my mouth, trembling.

What stuck out of the torn paper was a pale, lifeless human hand.

"Get this handled quickly. The new goods will arrive soon," Grandma said with calm authority, giving instructions to Aunt Ivy, the person leading the team.

The group moved away, pulling a cart up the mountain. I sank to the ground, feeling utterly dazed. I was struggling to process what I had just witnessed.

Back home, I was struck with a high fever and missed the days of the coming-of-age ceremony that followed.

Each night, Lily would slip over the wall to the ancestral hall. Without anyone to keep watch, she returned quickly. She would wear a satisfied smile on her face as she drifted off to sleep.

During this time, Grandma came to check on me. I opened my mouth to ask her if they had done something bad.

Before I could say anything, her rough hand brushed against the back of my hand, sending a jolt of pain through me.

After a few days apart, her already frail hands had become even rougher. Her skin was dry and peeling as though it were about to flake off.

I instinctively swallowed my words.

I decided to wander through the village, but I noticed that no one was missing. So, who were the people they had carried out of the ancestral hall?

After the coming-of-age ceremony, Grandma's health declined rapidly. She was once vibrant and full of life, but now, she needed a cane to move around.

The villagers said that Grandma was nearing her end, while several women vying for the position of clan leader sobbed at her bedside, pouring and serving her tea and water.

"Hmph! A bunch of clowns. Grandma had already said the clan leader's position is mine for the taking!" Lily remarked with a smirk while watching the others, already imagining how they would soon be showing reverence to her.

That night, I was deep in sleep when a commotion stirred me awake.

I saw Lily dolling up herself in the middle of the night. I thought she was heading to the ancestral hall again and wanted to share the strange things I had witnessed.

Before I could voice my thoughts, she covered my mouth and pushed me into the room. "Shh! Grandma is going to reveal the village's secret to me tonight. She said I can't let anyone else know. Just go to sleep and pretend nothing happened tonight."

Lily left happily.

Little did I know that the next day would bring back not my sister but her lifeless body.

When I rushed to the ancestral hall after hearing the news, my heart dropped at the sight of her body covered with a white cloth, lying in the courtyard.

"Oh, Lily was so foolish! How could she venture into the mountains at night? Not only did she lose her life, but she was also mangled by wild beasts."

"No, it can't be Lily."

I was trembling as I reached to lift the cloth for confirmation. However, Grandma's hand shot out to stop me. "Laura, your sister died a tragic death. It'd be better if you don't look."

I shot her a furious glare. Lily had gone to find her last night. How could she have died on the mountain?

I brushed aside Grandma's hand and yanked the white cloth away.

The next second, I found myself retching in the corner, my stomach heaving as the world spun around me.