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I Remember
I remember a dream of an airplane, falling sharply through the sky. I remember carts barrelling down the aisles and the floor falling sharply beneath me. I remember the screaming. It was the night of 10 September 2001. The following night, I understood what the dream meant. I remember the phone call from a friend…
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TWO LIVES: Part 5 of 5
Two scenes in a row. That was intense. I wiped the sweat from my brow—and then I realized I was mimicking the upwards parry Akira had used. My heart thumped in my chest. Blood pumped to my fists and feet. I had to get a grip. That battle was long in the past. I had…
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TWO LIVES: Part 4 of 5
My heart thudded sharply in my chest. I hadn’t seen that coming. Cold crept through my chest. I breathed through it, focusing blanking out everything but the cycling of air through my lungs. A shard of grief embedded in my heart. Centuries removed from the event, I still felt the echo of the trauma; I…
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TWO LIVES: Part 3 of 5
I escorted the merchant home, glaring at everyone who dared to stand in my way. The commoners took one glance at my daisho and the blood on my clothes, and hurried to make way. No one wanted to be the next to die. The moment the client opened the door, I practically shoved him through.…
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TWO LIVES: Part 2 of 5
I sat by the river and stared at the water. It seemed still, but the leaves drifting across the surface betrayed a hidden current, illuminated in the amber hue of the setting sun. No luck finding work. My funds were running low, and I couldn’t remember the last time I ate anything more substantial than…
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TWO LIVES: Part 1 of 5
Summer in Hokkaido was unlike the summers I have known. In Singapore, so close to the equator, summers were hot and humid, the sun so fierce it glazed the world in subtle hues of orange. Here, the air was cold and crisp, so cool I had to keep my jacket on all the time. The…