Die nag het stilweg neergedaal, en elke lig in die stad het soos vloeiende lintjies gelyk, wat flikkerend tussen die hoë geboue draai. 'n Kouwe, stil briesie waai oor die rand van die hoogste terass van die stad, waar 'n fyn figuur stil staan. Qi Yao Yao dra 'n verslete denimba jacket, haar lang hare waai stilweg in die wind. Haar oë is gefokus op die kleurvolle stadsstraat onder, waar die neons in die verte flikker soos duisende stories wat wag omvertel te word. Maar hierbo hoor Qi Yao Yao net haar eie asemhaling en hartklop.
Haar hande tril effens terwyl sy die koue sement reling van die terass vasgryp, haar vingernaels benig. In die stilte agter haar begin die lug skielik bewe. In die diepte van die nag vorm 'n vleiende glans in die duisternis, wat stadig groei soos 'n antieke en misterieuse oproep wat stilweg van onder haar voete opstyg.
Vaagweg hoor Yao Yao 'n gedempte, verre gemompel, wat na 'n onbereikbare wêreld klink. Sy weerstaan die drang om om te kyk, maar die teenwoordigheid kom al nader. Skielik verskyn 'n enorme deursigtige skaduwee op die terass, soos rook en mis. Die skaduwee van 'n mitologiese wese duik op—soos 'n tier, maar ook soos 'n draak, met groot vlerke en 'n kille glans in sy oë. Yao Yao staar met gesperde oë, haar hart klop vinnig van skrik, maar sy onderdruk die vrees, en staan ferm, sonder om terug te beweeg.
“Waarom ek?” fluister sy, haar stem effens trilend, vol van twyfel en selfvragen.
Die onduidelike wese kyk stil na haar, sy oë diep soos twee sterre. “Qi Yao Yao.” Sy stem is laag, soos die klokgelui van duisend jaar, met elke woord wat die lug verstewig. “Slegs diegene met 'n volhardende hart kan my sien.”
Yao Yao snak vir haar asem, en kyk na die wese: “Was jy altyd daar?”
“Ek is in jou hart, in elke donker nag waar niemand weet nie.” Die wese verskyn stadiger, sy skubbe glinster in die maanlig, wat Yao Yao laat voel of sy die grens tussen mitologie en werklikheid oorsteek. “Jou hartseer, moed, wat jy laat gaan en wat jy dra, het ek as getuige gesien.”
Daar is 'n flits van onsekerheid in Yao Yao se oë, terwyl sy terugdink aan die eensame ervarings in hierdie stad, die gesinsveranderinge, die argumente en versoenings met vriende. Elke ervaring draai en meng in haar gedagtes. Op hierdie oomblik besef sy dat sy aan die rand van die stad staan, beide eensame en sterk. En die lig wat rondom die wese beweeg, weerspieël die broosheid en vasberadenheid in haar hart.
Onder die terass rijd 'n trein oor die verhoogde spoor, die ligte vloei soos die rivier van tyd. Yao Yao se gedagtes is soos refleksies, verlore in die kompleksiteit van die ligte. Sy kyk na die wese, en vra versigtig: “Wat wil jy eintlik van my hê?”
“Ek wil jou keuse.” Die wese kom stap vir stap nader, sy gewigige teenwoordigheid laat die lug verstewig. “Jy kan kies om te ontsnap, om die skadu's in niks te laat verdwyn, soos jy al talle kere in die lewe geïmmuniseer het; of jy kan kies om te verduur, om jou begeertes, vrees en eensame gevoelens te konfronteer, dit is jou toets.”
Facing the giant’s penetrating gaze, Yao Yao feels a storm of emotions inside her. She clenches her jaw, making a resolute statement: “I don’t know if I should believe you, but I want to know what I can really do.”
The moment her words are spoken, the mythical beast suddenly grows larger, its silver wings flap, creating a strong wind. The city lights seem like a flowing river, forming a brilliant carpet in the distance. The beast’s eyes lose their chill, gaining a hint of encouragement: “Close your eyes and look inward.”
Yao Yao takes a deep breath and nervously closes her eyes. The clamor of the city fades away, and she feels as if she’s floating in another space. There are no towering buildings or lights, only her walking alone, with one memory after another appearing beside her: her mother toiling in the kitchen, friends laughing and pushing her to the vending machine for a drink, report cards on the desk, crumpled letters in her backpack. These fragments flash by quickly, carrying sweetness and pain.
In the flow of these memories, Yao Yao sees her past self, once crying, once angry, and also pleading softly for help. She can’t help but want to comfort that bewildered and helpless version of herself. In a moment, her hands reach out in the void, finally touching something soft yet familiar. She embraces her past self, whispering softly: “It’s okay, I’m here with you.”
A warm stream rises in her heart, and Yao Yao suddenly realizes that no one has truly left. Even the pain of the past has transformed into the strength to persist in the present.
When she opens her eyes again, the night has deepened, and the city lights are still flourishing. The mythical beast has settled down, resting its head before her, its gentle gaze reflecting her face. “Qi Yao Yao, you have passed the first trial.”
“Are there more trials?” Yao Yao suppresses her tremors, yet the corners of her mouth curve into a determined smile.
“Life is a long road made up of trials.” The beast lightly brushes its wings over her shoulder. The touch is as soft as cotton. For the first time, Yao Yao realizes that she no longer fears the future. “The fear you face today will become your courage tomorrow.”
In the distance, the colorful screens of building advertisements light up, and a huge pink star twinkles in the night sky. Yao Yao hugs her arms and softly asks, “Should I continue to dig deeper for the courage within me?”
The beast chuckles lightly, its voice flowing like a gentle stream: “Your courage is being ignited and will ignite the hearts of others. You must carry your answers, walk down this terrace, and embrace the dawn.”
Yao Yao remains silent for a long time, allowing the wind to fill her sleeves. She turns to look at the city, discovering that the lights that once confused her now look like little lighthouses lighting up the night. She rests her head on the cold railing, quietly locking eyes with the beast.
Suddenly, the door to the terrace is flung open, and a familiar voice rushes in anxiously: “Yao Yao! Are you here?”
A gentle moonlight spills across the center of the terrace. Yao Yao turns to see her friend Xia Cheng You running over, her face flushed with concern, still holding her phone tightly. Yao Yao smiles, almost with a sense of mission accomplished. “Cheng You, I’m here.”
“You gave me a fright! I’ve been looking for you forever, suddenly remembering that you love the night view from the terrace…” Cheng You gasps for breath, her eyes filled with worry and unspoken reproach, “You’re not thinking about weird things again, are you? You’re not chatting with some mythical monster…”
Yao Yao glances back, and the mythical beast has already become a faint shadow painted by the moonlight, with only a light blue mist lingering behind her. “I just had a dream, a long and marvelous dream.”
Xia Cheng You can’t see the beast but feels Yao Yao’s transformed expression. He asks with half disbelief, “What dream?”
Yao Yao takes her time answering, gazing at the largest star in the night sky. “In the dream, I saw a giant beast. It reclaimed the courage and love I lost.”
The two stand shoulder to shoulder at the railing, with the night wind tousling their hair. Xia Cheng You quietly says, “You’ve always been braver than I am.” His tone intertwines wisdom and innocence.
“It’s not that everyone is afraid,” Yao Yao replies softly, yet her gaze shines. “But nobody’s courage comes from nowhere; it comes from getting lost, encountering beasts, and reclaiming hope.”
They embrace and laugh. The lights from deep within the city stretch out, gradually filling the beautiful terrace. Yao Yao looks up at the vast starry sky, feeling that the mythical beast hidden in the night still silently guards her, transforming into the warmth and determination within her.
This night, Qi Yao Yao finally understands that every time the night deepens and the beast appears, it is the sincerest invitation to grow. On the terrace, she is no longer alone, for she has learned to coexist with her beast, bravely facing the dawn of tomorrow.