The blooming festival was getting close, everyone from the central village was getting ready. Because the blooming festival was actually a ritual to bring abundance to the land, many villagers had to go to the Liaoning regions so that the ritual could be done correctly. To do that they had to practice beforehand, this was the first time the whole chiefs’ family, except Camaxtli, was participating, so they had more than enough power. The rehearsals were going smoothly the chiefs tried to make Chu the head of the ritual since she will be the one leading it one day.

Chu had no problem being the leader of the ritual, everyone followed her kind words, on the other hand Somé was her number two sometime wanting to outshine her but, how can you outshine a rainbow? Ronin and Curu were naturals, even with the small roles that were given to them to not tire them so much, they were doing a good job. Mictlan was just in the back trying not to use her powers at all, even though she’s the reincarnation of death if she used her power with the right intentions she was stronger than any of her siblings. Some even say that the reason her relationship with her father got bad was because she was stronger than he.

The sun was setting and the villagers stopped practicing the ritual, using that amount of magic leaves the body and spirit tired. The chiefs’ children were heading back home, Mictlan noticed that Curu and Ronin were on the ground tired, she got closer “Tired already?” she asked smiling. “You’re not tired because you don’t even use your powers” Roning said, drying her sweat with the back of her hand “What do you mean? Don’t you see my runes glowing? I’m using my powers” Mictlan continued laughing and showing her arm runes, the kids just scoffed in disbelief, they knew that amount of magic was nothing for their sister “ok, ok well then I will carry my two strong younger siblings because they use A LOT of magic” she added getting into position to give them a piggyback ride. “Yeeah!” they both exclaimed excitedly getting up.

“Ronin!” one young girl exclaimed as she was running their way with other two boys, they hugged her and, and she just smiled. Until they realized Mictlan was there, and they backed up “Sorry… we didn’t know you were with her” one boy said a little scared “It’s fine, she was just leaving” Ronin said making a hand movement “Hey!” Curu was annoyed with Ronin’s attitude but Mictlan stopped him by patting his head, and she said “Yeah I was leaving, sorry”. She stood up and started walking away, Curu followed her with his eyes but before running after his older sister she stuck out his tongue to Ronin.

Curu caught up to Mictlan and held her hand as he said “She’s becoming just like Somé” she gasped exaggerating “Such a big insult” she said making Curu laugh as she laughed too. They reached the Ahuehuete tree the old lady that scolded Mictlan before was already there waiting to give them some food. Mictlan declined and just went up to her room, Curu wanted to follow her, but the old lady wouldn’t let him go without eating. As Mictlan went inside her room she reached the window, it was just an open hole in the wall of the tree, nothing was covering it, so she could step outside without a problem. There was a huge branch right there where she spent most of her time, other than the unreachable jungle that she visited almost every night. She sat down in the branch grabbing her legs with her arms in hug, up there she could see the whole village it wasn’t big to begin with. 

From that height it looked even smaller, but she never concentrated on the village but of what was beyond all of it, all the jungle that surrounded it that she had never explored. Other than the trip she took from where she was found to central village she had only left Tlali once. 

It was actually a year after she came to live in that house, it was the blooming festival in their closest neighboring region, Bellicost. She was excited in the trip, and she met a lot of people from other regions, she even became good friends with the two sons of the Wyrd queen. 

But in one of the escapes with the two boys they were at the woods, the oldest prince of the Liaoning family, who was their same age followed them to scold them. They wouldn’t imagine that a beast from Mirk was going to be there and ready to attack them, at such a young age the boys were already good warriors and could escape. They saw a group of miners just getting out of their work and they asked for their help, the miners immediately called for the military reinforcements, but the beast followed them from close behind and started attacking the miners. 

The boys were all protecting Mictlan who they knew just became part of the chiefs’ family a year ago, so she had no training. In just a few minutes the half of the miners were dead, the boys were getting ready to fight but Mictlan was just getting more scared and she screamed. It rumbled the land and woods, even the beast backed up from the pitch, what Mictlan understood that day was that her scream wasn’t only strong, but it did something else, it woke up the dead. The fallen miners started —coming back— but not as living breathing creatures but as monsters that followed her commands. She stood up as something took over her body and spirit, her runes and eyes were glowing, with move of her hand the monster miners started attacking the Mirk beast. 

The military together with every regions’ head, including the parents of the kids came running to the scene, only to find a little girl controlling an army of undead. As the Mirk beast was getting pinned down she started walking towards it, her father tried to stop her, but she just sent him flying, she got close enough to the beast and placed her hand in its body, which made the creature start to liberate a black smoke, and it just disappeared.