The early morning mist made shapes around Wufei’s ankles. Every step he took, they clung to him, and yet their motion led his way. He did not know how far he ran or how far he walked after his legs grew too tired for that, but dawn light now touched the east unlike the midnight he ran into. Wufei just kept walking though. At this point, he didn’t know what else to do. Just walk and maybe he would live.

Wufei stumbled as the ground sloped unexpectedly. He found himself rushing forward with the slope as he caught sight of what lay beyond the dense underbrush—a valley. When he reached the edge of the forest though, what he saw surprised him even more. Here, the countryside turned lush with carefully minded gardens. After walking for an entire night in the Japanese wilderness, he couldn’t help but drag in a sharp breath at the sight. It was easy to forget the war in this land, easy to forget all that he’d seen. Biting his lip, he stumbled forward.

Beyond the gardens, a wooden temple sat. Water flowed over rocks and wooden pipes that he could hear somewhere in the darkness. A bell tinkled, perfectly preserved in this valley of innocence. Could this be real? Tears burned behind his dark eyes as worn boots parted the first foliage between this temple and the outside world. It appeared abandoned, or at least quiet now in the early dawn. Even if he just stopped for a minute, it would be enough. Wufei was more than aware of his status as enemy. Fighting back images of war and the long line of prisoners fighting to build equipment that would kill their brothers, he thought he actually had the hope he always pretended he did.

“I…it’s so beautiful.” The whisper died on his lips as the young soldier found the stream he heard before. Charging calf deep into it, he felt the shock of clean water for the first time in weeks. He felt a laugh rise up in him, though he never let it out. He’d been so strong hadn’t he? He fought to protect his family and country for months, but even that ended in more pain.

He never wanted to fight in the first place. Wufei preferred the quiet, the clean. Every gunshot shook him to the core where he protected the truest parts of himself. But still he fought because the Japanese invaded. They started this war and on his honor as a Chinese citizen, he fought back. Even if his troop got captured and he was forced into labor as a prisoner of war, he would not let himself break. Even if his fortitude shook.

Wufei pulled himself out of the water, drawn by something in the center of the temple’s gardens. His stumbling grew quicker until he dropped to his knees, eyes wide in awe. In front of him sat a pool surrounded by large lotus blooms. His fingers trembled against the silky petals as he squeezed his eyes shut for a second. Lairen. With hair softer than the clouds and warm eyes, they called her a miracle, born to parents already growing in age. And for that reason, Wufei took his sister under his wing and called her his little lotus blossom. Tears leaked at the corner of his eyes. Lairen! Without thinking, he snapped the flower’s stem in order to hold it closer. Even as he tried to shake himself into pieces, he clutched the flower tighter than his now frail body could manage. And in his mind, a single mantra formed. This, he prayed to the heavens.

I will find a way back home.