𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐌. 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲𝐛𝐮𝐠

1

          The quiet rushing of the stream and the soft feeling of the green grass consoled Kim as he stared at the night sky, the brilliant stars peppered onto the violet darkness. He wondered if his friends were staring at the same sky, just in France. Sleep fleeted in and out of his mind, jetlag taunting the thoughts of slumber. As soon as they arrived to the cabin in Mount Huaguo, his parents retired to bed, their suitcases still unopened. Kim made sure that he didn't go too far from the cottage, just enough to make sure that he can walk to the cabin when he wished to rest for the night. He wasn't opposed to the idea of sleeping outside, though. The wind blew gently as the teen rolled to his side. Kim curled up into a ball, his eyes threatening to close. Suddenly, the nearby breaking of twigs snapped the young man out of his drowsiness. All thoughts of sleeping outside fleeted out of his mind as he bolted upright. Kim stood up, scanning around the area. He turned around to prepare to sprint towards the cottage. His left foot stood too close to the water, the mud smooth.

          And slippery.

          In less than a minute, gravity yanked at him, his thick clothes weighing him down. Although he was an experienced swimmer, he couldn't fight against the drag of his clothes. It also didn't help that his clothes prevented him from swimming properly. He kicked as fast as he could, his legs burning. The sound of the water invaded his ears, deafening him. He couldn't tell if it was so loud he couldn't hear anything else other than the water or if it was logged in his ears. Kim's body screamed for oxygen, his vision spotty. Water flooded his nose and mouth, coughing fits escaping his lungs.

          The stars pierced through the water's surface, reaching out for Kim's unconscious body.

          His whole body stuck to the cool rocky floor, too heavy to lift a finger. Even lifting his eyelids was a chore. Kim lifted himself up. His body ached, forcing himself into a sitting position. He heaved, taking in as much air he could into his oxygen deprived body. Kim scanned the dark cave, still disoriented. He spotted the entrance, the stars illuminating the sky. He wondered how much time had passed since he blacked out. Another thought occurred to him. Was he dead? Was this the afterlife?

           No. There was an inexplicable feeling that he's alive at that very moment.

          The waterfall rushing as if it the blood in his veins,

          The breeze kissing his skin,

          Even the moon herself whispers that he is alive and has so much of his life to still live.

          He knew that he had to get back to the cabin before his parents woke up and realized he was gone. Kim sighed, wondering where exactly he was anyway. He decided to look for where the cabin was in the morning. The night provided no light, except for the moon. Even then, it wasn't enough to guide him through the mountain. Kim settled on staying in the cave until there was enough sunlight to navigate around the mountains. He figured that it wouldn't hurt to explore more of the spacious, pitch-black cave.

          Kim got up to his feet, his sneakers still soggy and damp from the river. His sneakers squelched from every step he took, creating a trail of wet footprints in his wake. The rocky terrain abruptly transitioned into smooth solid ground beneath his feet. Kim tapped the floor, a hollow sound echoing back at him. He extended his arms, feeling two metal railings. From what he could tell, the thing he was standing on strongly resembled a bridge of some sort. Kim continued to cross the overpass, his curiosity overtaking him. The moon's glow became just within his arm's reach. At last, his sneakers made contact with the soft green grass beneath. In front of him was a towering peach tree, its pink petals littering the ground. A stone tablet was placed at the base of the tree with big square Chinese characters engraved into it. Kim looked up to the flowers, still too young to bear fruit. A small golden glint caught his eye on one of the branches. He couldn't guess what it was. Was it a trick of the light? Perhaps an animal that sought refuge in the wood? He decided that his curiosity could not go unsolved. Both of his hands met the dark rough bark of the thick branch that was the closest to him, pulling himself up onto the tree. Kim spotted the golden light again, this time closer and more prevalent. He grabbed onto the branch to his right, upheaving himself once more. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the source of the golden glare was some type of jewelry. It resembled something of a choker, but he couldn't quite tell. Kim stretched his arm, his fingertips barely grazing the cool metal of the gold ornament. He leaned in more, grasping the edge of the trinket. With a yank, the golden item finally let go of the branch. Kim let out a sigh of satisfaction, observing the golden article. It appeared to be a band, however in the middle, the metal split into two upward curls, reminding him of two monkey tails. Suddenly, he heard a sound akin to popping popcorn in the microwave beneath him. Before he realized exactly what he was hearing, the branch he was standing on gave away. Kim felt a pit of fear growing in his stomach as he plummeted to the ground below. He shut his eyes tightly, bracing for the impact below.

          "Kim? Kim?" He opened his eyes again, only to be met by blue ones. His teacher, Ms. Bustier stared at him from the front of the class. "It's your turn to share."

          Right, he thought. Kim eyed the assignment next to him, a paper with the words, 'What is something fun you did this summer?' inscripted on the top. He sighed, stepping down the steps to where the blackboard was. Kim glanced around the classroom and then back at his blank worksheet.

          "Well, mostly, I went to swim practice. I went to China with my parents, that was cool. Other than that, I didn't really do much..." Kim admitted.

          "What did you do in China?" Alix asked. Kim shifted in his place. He wasn't quite sure how he would answer. The only thing that could come to his mind was almost drowning in a river. The rest of the trip was mostly just a sightseeing blur.

          "Did you visit Shanghai?" Adrien spoke.

          "We just stayed in the mountains, mostly. They were really pretty."

          "Thank you, Kim." Miss Bustier dismissed. The bell went off as Kim walked back to his desk. "Alright everyone, see you tomorrow!" She chirped. Kim slung his backpack over his back and grabbed his duffel bag containing his swim stuff. Stepping down the stairs of the school, he strolled down the sidewalk. He often enjoyed walking home from school. Bumping into friends and stopping by his favorite stores made it all worthwhile. Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting a villain. The smell of croissants eluded him as he passed the Dupain-Cheng's bakery. Kim would usually go in and chat with Tom and Sabine and sometimes buy a pastry, but today, he decided not to. He didn't want to bother Marinette while she was working with her parents. She would probably burn her products in the oven as she was chatting with him.

          "Paris's crime fighting heroes have once again saved the day from Hawk Moth! How does Ladybug do it every time? Who are the holders of the miraculous? Are there more? Find out on today's special with Alya Cesaire!" The TV blared from a shop window. Ever since Ladybug and Chat Noir appeared, he had fantasized receiving a Miraculous and stopping Hawk Moth. Kim has always wanted to become a superhero. It was such a far-fetched concept before the Miraculous holders first showed up. He knew it was a very slim possibility, but perhaps there were still more dormant Miraculouses?

          "Bô, minh ở nhà!" He yelled. Kim was met with silence. He realized that his dad went to work today. Kicking his bright red converses off, he stepped into his room and flung his bags into the corner. It's been a summer since he had swim practice and school on the same day. The nap in Ms. Bustier's class was hardly enough. He was just about to pass out on his bed when a familiar glint of gold caught his eye. On his desk sat the golden band. He still didn't know what exactly it was supposed to be, but thought it definitely wasn't worth risking his own life. Kim picked it up, wondering if it was supposed to be a choker of some sort. If he could force it over his head, it could most easily fit on his neck. He placed the ornament on his head and attempted to drag it downwards. Suddenly, the material of the band shifted from solid to soft fabric. Kim patted the stretchy cloth that had appeared on his forehead. Before he could react, a blinding gold ray of light cascaded around his room. His walls tinted a light yellow as the golden orb of light shone brighter than the sun. He shielded his eyes as it started to dim as quickly as it showed up. Blue spots plagued his vision as Kim tried to reorient himself.

          "I'm free! I'm free!" He heard before the mystery voice bubbled with joyous laughter. Kim blinked a few times, the blue fading into a faint purple. He rubbed his eyes as he attempted to adjust them.

          "No! You've got to be joking!" He heard the mystery voice growl with anger. When he removed his hands from his eyes, he was met with a tiny floating monkey glaring at him. Its head was disproportionate from its tiny body. It kind of reminded him of one of those overpriced bobbleheads he sees on display every time he goes to a bookstore. They wore ancient gold armor along with a blood red cape that flowed down his back. The two both stared at each other until the monkey spoke.

          "So you're the one who freed me?" The monkey raised a brow. Kim stared in awe at the tiny animal before taking a long, calm inhale.

          "What the fuck?!"