At first, it was pure darkness.

Next, Ying found herself zooming forward at the speed of light, traveling through a passage of multicolored stars, as if she was in the middle of the heavenly galaxy that her parents once spoke of when she was a tiny seven-year-old child. The Celestial Path, they called it, and only the Destined Ones were able to ride on the stars and witness the magnificent starry space anytime they wish. The Celestial Path was said to be bright and colorful during the day, and millions of twinkling stars filled the sky when night falls. Oftentimes, the Destined Ones discover special abilities or level up their existing magical powers with time spent in the celestial realm. 

Nobody knew where the Celestial Path started or ended, nor do they know how to get in. Most clanspeople, including her parents, considered the Celestial Path as a mere legend that served to inspire people to do good and cultivate spiritually for a chance to ascend to the heavenly realm upon their passing.

Somehow, Ying recognized the realm. For a second, Ying felt blessed that she was able to witness the legendary place that her people talked about but never had the chance to experience for themselves.

But wait...did that mean...she was a Destined One? Was she even dead or alive right now?

Ying had no time to figure out anyway as the unknown force continued to propel her forward. She couldn't tell how long she had been moving like this, time seemed to come to a standstill in this wondrous realm. It was as if time mattered and did not matter at all. How odd...

And suddenly, a split second of blinding light and Ying flew out onto the ground.

Wasting no more time, Ying quickly got up and observed her surroundings. Survival meant finding for a place to hide before determining the place she just landed was safe enough for roaming. She had suffered a number of sneak attacks back home, so experience taught her the importance of staying alert and vigilant wherever she go, be it familiar or foreign land.

But luck wasn't on her side - she was basically standing in the midst of an almost empty sandy expanse, painfully similar to the Desert of Despair - no trees, shrubs or big rocks that she could take cover. However, instead of black and silver clad soldiers fighting against one another, she was alone. Large buildings can be seen a few miles away, though she couldn't make out if there were people around. It was rather quiet save for the occasional breeze and some distant noises that seemed to come from where the large buildings were. On a bright note, it was a little over midday she presumed judging from the sun's position, which made it easier for her to navigate around rather than being lost in the dark without shelter.

[i]Good that the scroll is still here[/i], Ying noted as she patted the scroll that was still in her hand, then moved to pat her small dagger. It was a tiny reassurance to herself - at least she had the scroll to guide her to where she needed to be, and her dagger to defend or kill as necessary.

[i]Ooooo...OooooOoooo...[/i]something seemed to be flying in circles high above her. Startled, Ying drew her dagger and looked up, mentally preparing for the worse. It was a mistake though, since the sun's rays were unrelentingly bright that her vision suffered for a brief moment. And it was at that precise moment that flying something decided to swoop down, and Ying could feel it closing the distance towards her.

With a panicked cry, Ying slashed at the air furiously above her. She cared not for whatever that something turned out to be, creature or demon or anything, as long as that something stayed out of her path. Weirdly, the flying something seemed to hover just out of her slashing range, as though waiting for her to calm down to her senses. 

Curiosity got the better of her, so Ying took the liberty to study the flying something. It was...an owl? But how odd...it wasn't made of flesh and feathers like how owls should be. Sure, the flying something looked like an owl, but a real owl it was not. It looked like an intricate wooden mechanism, expertly crafted and pieced together to create the flying wooden owl that was almost lifelike. Ying thought it was a fascinating masterpiece and silently praised its creator. But boy, did it give her a good scare...

Then again, she wasn't sure if the wooden owl was friend or foe. She could ask but...could it even respond to her?

"Why are you here?" Ying spoke to the owl, her dagger still raised in front of her defensively. The wooden owl hovered for a few moments more, its wooden wings flapping continuously while its large shiny blue eyes stared at her. A few more flaps later, the wooden owl whistled before landing on her dagger, taking its own sweet time to groom its wing. Ying gave it a questioning look, before letting out a sigh. It seemed friendly despite appearing out of nowhere, though for whatever unknown reason, it seemed to want to stay with her.

"Alright, birdie, you and I, we're good as long as you don't try to kill me." The wooden owl looked up from its grooming and Ying could have sworn she just saw the bird rolled its eyes at her. Did it actually understand what she said then? So many questions, but no answers.

Birdie, she decided to call it, made its way to perch on her left shoulder. Ying sheathed her dagger, exhaustion slowly taking a toll on her. She needed food and a place to stay for the night that was approaching, yet the only thing she could do for now was to keep moving. She couldn't quite trust the large buildings - they looked cold and bleak. Her best course of action was to try look for plants or trees that she could scavenge or small creatures that she could hunt.

But Ying could walk no more. The barren sandy land, the scorching heat of the sun, the anxiety from her portal travel, the recent scare she had from Birdie...it was all too much for her at the moment. 

"If only you could help me find something to eat, Birdie..." Ying said casually with a tired smile, before dropping to the ground unconscious, her body finally giving in to the slumber she needed but could not afford.