Forgotten canvas - The One Left Behind

The morning mist had yet to fully fade.

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Yan Sha stood behind the heavy wooden gate, leaving only a thin crack open.

Her eyes stayed fixed through that narrow gap, locked onto the small figure in the distance.

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The child stood alone, right in the middle of an empty campsite.

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"Elder,"

Yan Sha lowered her voice. "She's still here."

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There was a brief silence behind the door.

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"…Impossible."

The elder's voice was low and firm.

"The rules of the night do not make mistakes."

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"All intruders should have been erased."

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Yan Sha did not back down.

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"Yes, Elder."

"I'm certain."

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"She wasn't taken."

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At the same time—

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Little Draft stood where she was, staring down at the pencil in her hand.

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It looked the same as always—simple lines, no decoration.

And yet, in a campsite that felt too empty, it seemed strangely real.

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Gone.

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Everyone was gone except her.

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The tents were still there.

The supplies were untouched.

The fire pit still held faint warmth.

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The ground was unnervingly clean.

No signs of struggle.

No blood.

No traces of a fight.

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As if last night had never happened.

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But Little Draft remembered.

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She remembered Xuanming stepping in front of her.

She remembered Mu Jiu's glance back before running into the dark.

She remembered the voices, the flashes of light, the fear she couldn't understand.

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They had existed.

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She lifted her head and looked toward the distant tribe.

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Yan Sha's warning came back to her—

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Don't answer the voices.

Don't look at the lake.

Don't make noise.

Don't—

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That unfinished sentence echoed again and again in her mind.

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If the people of the tribe were still here—

if they hadn't vanished—

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Then they had to know something.

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Little Draft started walking toward the massive gate that nearly blocked out the sky.

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Yan Sha saw her coming.

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She slowly closed the crack in the door and straightened up, as if she had been expecting this moment all along.

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She was waiting.

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"Knock. Knock."

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Little Draft raised her hand.

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"Hello… is anyone there?"

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This time, before she could knock again, the door slowly opened.

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Yan Sha stood there once more.

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She looked down at the small figure much shorter than herself, her expression complicated.

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"Hey, little one."

"How are you… still here?"

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They're still here.

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The thought flashed through Little Draft's mind.

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Why?

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Was it because they lived in the mountains?

Or because they had never been considered "intruders" in the first place?

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Little Draft opened her mouth to speak—

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"Let her in."

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The elder's voice came from inside.

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Yan Sha paused for a moment, then lowered her head.

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"Yes."

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The world beyond the gate was nothing like the outside.

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The moment Little Draft stepped in, she froze.

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From the outside, it looked like a secluded mountain tribe.

Inside, it was astonishingly vast.

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Firelight danced overhead.

The place was bright and alive.

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Stalls, crowds, people moving back and forth.

Voices, footsteps, laughter layered together.

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This was a place that lived.

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The contrast with last night's emptiness was almost painful.

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And suddenly, Little Draft realized—

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Maybe the ones who disappeared were never the people here.

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Maybe it was them—

the intruders chosen by the rules of night.

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Yan Sha led her through the crowd toward a massive bonfire.

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It faced the deepest part of the mountain, flames leaping high as if answering something unseen.

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"So, you're here."

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The elder stood beside the fire, his voice flickering with the light.

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He looked at Little Draft.

His gaze wasn't sharp—if anything, it was gentle.

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"The fact that you survived means the Mountain God didn't choose you."

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"You're different."

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He raised a hand and pointed deeper toward the mountain's core.

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There stood a small, separate cabin.

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"You'll live there from now on."

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"The tribe will make sure you're fed and sheltered."

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He paused, then looked at Yan Sha.

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"Yan Sha."

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"You'll be responsible for watching over her—and caring for her."

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Yan Sha answered quietly.

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"Yes."

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The elder then crouched down, bringing his eyes level with Little Draft's.

In the firelight, his eyes looked unusually deep.

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He murmured something in a language she couldn't understand.

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"May you… bring hope to our people."

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Little Draft didn't understand, but she nodded anyway.

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"Thank you, Elder."

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He smiled and gently patted her head.

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"Good child."

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Little Draft was settled into the cabin.

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It wasn't large, but it was clean and orderly.

The window faced the deepest part of the mountain, and the sound of wind drifted in faintly.

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As she wandered nearby, she caught fragments of quiet conversations.

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"Sacrifice…"

"Intruders…"

"The Mountain God's blessing…"

"As long as the night doesn't return…"

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The words were scattered, but impossible to ignore.

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A vague unease settled in her chest.

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At noon, Yan Sha brought her food.

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"Try to relax for now."

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Little Draft took the tray, hesitated, then asked softly,

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"What kind of ritual… are you holding?"

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Yan Sha paused.

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"It's nothing special," she said.

"Once every seven days.Just an offering to the Mountain God."

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"Oh…"

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"You can walk around nearby during the day," Yan Sha continued.

"Just remember one thing."

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Her tone turned serious.

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"At night—don't go outside."

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"Okay. Thank you."

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Yan Sha turned to leave, then stopped.

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"Oh, right."

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She looked back at Little Draft.

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"The one who knocked yesterday—the leader—do you know him?"

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"You mean Captain Mu Jiu?"

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Yan Sha froze for a second.

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"…So he's the captain."

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She murmured it under her breath, then quickly returned to her calm expression.

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"It's nothing."

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"Get some rest."

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---

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After Yan Sha left, she was immediately called into the meeting hall.

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The atmosphere inside was heavy.

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"That child isn't affected by the rules of night."

"She's a variable—one that could change everything."

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The elder's voice was low and grave.

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"If the mountain doesn't take her…"

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He paused.

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"Then we guide her toward the mountain."

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A seductive-looking woman chuckled softly.

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"The mountain will love such a gift~"

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Yan Sha stood by the door, her voice tight.

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"…Are you planning to sacrifice that child?"

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"Yan Sha."

The elder looked at her.

"You've known her for less than a day."

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"Don't let emotions cloud your judgment."

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"Sacrificing her might bring your parents back."

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"And it might also bring back…"

"…the leader from yesterday."

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Yan Sha fell silent.

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The woman spoke again, her voice gentle yet sharp.

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"You're not a child anymore."

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"You'll become an elder one day."

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"You should understand why we allow you to listen."

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"…Yes."

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Finally, the elder concluded,

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"For now, protect her."

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"This matter is yours to handle."

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Yan Sha nodded and turned away.

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The doors of the meeting hall slowly closed behind her.

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---

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At dusk, Little Draft wandered through the tribe.

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Near the bonfire, she noticed a massive piece of cloth covered in countless carved names.

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She stepped closer—

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"What are you looking at?"

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Yan Sha's hand rested lightly on her shoulder.

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Little Draft startled.

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"N-nothing."

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Yan Sha smiled and didn't press her.

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"Come on. I'll show you around."

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"There's lots of good food here."

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She pressed a few gemstones into Little Draft's hand.

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"These work like money."

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"You can use them to buy things."

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"Thank you."

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They walked side by side under the lights.

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For a moment, the tension eased.

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After a while, Yan Sha spoke again.

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"You and Mr. Mu Jiu…"

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"Have you known each other long?"

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Little Draft looked up at her.

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"…No."

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"We only met not long ago."

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Yan Sha gave a quiet hum.

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Her gaze, however, drifted toward the silent mountain in the distance.

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