Lotus of Rebirth

Prologue

        𝚂𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚁𝙰𝙻 𝙲𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 𝙰𝙶𝙾...

        The night air was filled with a tense silence as if it was a string just ready to be snapped.

        The only sound that could be heard was the distant chirping of crickets playing their midnight orchestra, yet it did nothing to disrupt the heavy quietude blanketing the vast entirety of the forest. The area was rich with plant life of various kinds, splashes of dewdrops glinting in the rays of moonlight that barely shone through the dense treetops overhead. Yet despite its vivid environment, there was no sign of any critters save for the crickets' chorus. Not even the occasional bird's chirping was anywhere to be heard.

        It wasn't long before the already-fragile tranquility was instantly shattered when frantic footsteps echoed around the thick forestry, followed by the sound of somebody breathing as they broke through the nearest bushes, disrupting the crickets' serenade in a desperate attempt to sprint through any obstacles in their way. The darkness initially made it difficult to discern the person's features, but it wasn't until they briefly passed through a clearing where the moonlight covered the most ground that it revealed a few major characteristics of their appearance. 

        It was none other than a young woman with rosy locks that reached her knees, yet despite their vivid color, they were rather unkempt with stray leaves and small flower petals caught in them. She appeared to wear a pair of pink boots with lavender outlines and some sort of matching hanfu on her person, but it was difficult to completely confirm its exact appearance with how dirtied the once-impeccable fabric was. Judging from its ragged condition, it was either from her rough journey through the forest or some sort of struggle she experienced prior to her arrival. She was gripping onto her arm as if in pain, sweat rolling down her skin as she panted for breath. 

        As the frantic woman dashed through the thick woodland, a cry of alarm escaped her lips when she suddenly felt her foot caught on something. She was abruptly sent tumbling onto the uneven ground, grunting in pain at the impact as she felt a stinging soreness on her face and arms from where she landed. Struggling to push herself up with the best of her ability, she peered over at her feet to see whatever it was she tripped on, only for her breath to hitch in her throat at what she saw.

        Vines had sprouted forth from the earth to entangle themselves around her ankle, tightening their thorny embrace as they snaked their way up her leg like a vengeful creature. The woman felt something prick at her palms, prompting her to tear her gaze away from her foot to see that the same was happening to her hands. As they slightly sunk into the dirt below, smaller vines began gradually emerging from the ground, slowly wrapping around her wrists and inching themselves up her arms. 

        "...no, no, no, not now...!" The woman whispered fervently to herself, mustering up as much strength in her battered body as possible to tear herself free from her confines. She paid little to no mind to the way the thorns pierced her skin as she all but ripped herself out of them. As soon as she managed to pull both her arms free, she craned her head back towards the vines progressing up her leg to reach out towards them. 

        As her hand hovered above the creeping plants, they instantly retracted themselves back into the earth like wary animals slinking back into the safety of their dens. Once they vanished out of sight and freed her leg, the woman dared not waste another second and shakily got back up to her feet. She gave a soft hiss as her hand flew back to her potentially-injured arm, which was quick to escalate into a cry when she suddenly squeezed her eyes shut and recoiled at the pain that shot through her head without warning.