I had so many questions. How could I integrate another spirit into my spiritual sea? Wouldn’t I explode? Or will I explode? Is that why a black storm formed on my normally calm verdant sea? Where is Rose? Is she alright? Why did the brothers save me and who are they in the first place? I wasn’t in any condition to ask any questions but I got an answer to my last question anyway.

“We didn’t introduce ourselves yet. That big guy over there is my little brother. You can call him Jin. He is currently an acolyte at the Shaolin Temple School”, Jin smiled and bowed slightly, “my name is Yang and I’m from the Wudang, yes, like the guys who attacked you. I will explain to you the situation, briefly, I can’t go too much into detail. Just know you got involved in a game of sorts, a bet if you will.

“A game? what game?” I interrupted

He scratched his head unsure how to answer: “It's complicated but know this: Your involvement, or rather, the outcome of your involvement is entirely an accident. Jin and I would never want anyone to be hurt who didn’t deserve some punishment. The two dudes with the goatees, they were criminals. They were sentenced to fight for their freedom.”

“Sentenced? By whom?”

His brows twitched in annoyance. He ignored my interruption this time: “If they would have won against someone in the Eimei-Uniform then they would be free. Alas, they lost and their fate is sealed. When we recognized that you weren’t a criminal, like we were promised, it already was too late to be stopped. This is no kindness. This is a debt we owe you!” Yang stood straight like an arrow. He saluted solemnly, “and we continue to be in your debt.”

“No!” I struggled to get out and offered my hand instead.

He paused, smiled, and shook it harder than you’d imagine any tween could.

“Friends then? Haha, good! Friends then! No wonder Rose chose you!”

My grip softened. “Rose?” Jin hit his brother lightly as to signal him he had talked too much.

“Well, best you talk with her yourself. Better if you never talk with her again. She is a goddess of misfortune”, Yang let go of my hand, “here is my card. Contact me if you need anything. We will leave. Have a good rest!”

The card reads “Wudang Whizshop: Everything that we can’t fix isn’t worth mending”, including its address in Zhang San and contact info. I wanted to store it away. Then I remembered I wore essentially nothing. Sudden embarrassment swept over me. The doc saw me flinch and suggested I’d go to bed and rest a bit. I did exactly that.

For some reason, I couldn't activate my spirit. I tried for days but it was like it was shunning me. The storm inside my spiritual sea also was unchanged. Another problem for my unending to-do-list. Even without my spirit, I was able to be released in a matter of a few days, thanks to my newfound powers of regeneration. Tongue intact and with a shiny new arm. It still felt very weird to have a mechanical arm. The most noticeable difference was that it was cold to the touch. Uncanny how real it felt and that made me uneasy. But what’s done is done. A more radical change was my never-ending appetite which started to make an impact on my finances. I still had to find a part-time job.

At this moment I was back on my way to school and more concerned about the classes I missed. Those were merits I won’t be able to make up. My debts were hanging over me like a guillotine, ready to end my life. I sighed so hard that I slumped and nearly hit the ground.

“You okay there?” A girl, who looked like she was approximately 16 years old, with a brown pixie cut, was standing there, hands behind the back.

“Rose”, I filled my lungs with as much air as I could.

“Yes?”

“What, the actual fuck, do you want from me!?” I screamed at her.

Rose’s carefully constructed face fell apart, just for a moment. All her anxieties seem to surface. Did she seriously expect I’d act as nothing happened? As if she didn’t invite me to a sketchy arcade to fight two criminals in a deathmatch. As if I didn’t lose my arm because of it, no, because of her!

“Song, let me explain”, she began but I gave her no quarter to argue.

“No! Your weird enjoyment of conflicts, of suffering, was always just that! Weird! But you aren’t weird! You are creepy! Luring me into the hands of freaks and abandoning me… I bet you were pleased with the show! Leaving me to die… And I even worried about you… Fuck you, Rose! You demon of misfortune!”

I stormed off but she grabbed my remaining real wrist: “I’m. Not. A. Demon!”

“I don’t give a shit about what you are. Just fucking leave me alone!” I freed myself

She came extremely close to my face: “I’m not a demon, Meadow Song! You better never call me that again!”

“Or what? Do you call more of your demonic friends to beat me up?”

“Urgh! You be careful, Meadow Song! Your wish might come true! Watch your back!” With these last words, she vanished into the flood of students eager to enter the campus. My heart felt hollow.