My eyes flutter open, no longer surrounded by water. I thought I just evolved into a larger-sized whale. What happened? This feels very strange, I'm not in the Ocean Realm anymore. An opulent ceiling overhead—not corals—and maids are fussing over me. I must be back in the Celestial Realm.
"Get your paws off me."
The maids jump and scuttle back.
There's a knock on the door.
One of the maids panics and pleads.
"Lady Ling Yue, please, we need to dress you. His Highness is waiting outside."
I glance down, surprised to find a new form.
What am I even looking at? It's not a whale's body. I recognize the soft azure skin that my human guise used to have. I have a neck that can stretch. This reminds me of when I was a three-year-old kid, back when my evolution first went haywire. Something must have gone wrong with the evolution... The last thing I remember was the calling of a chorus of humpback whales.
I press my fingers against my face. I don't have a button nose anymore, but a sharp nose. My hair is still silver-blue. And I've got fingers. They're longer and slender. I kick my feet. It feels sturdier now. This has to be stronger than the three-year-old body. Oh, I can't wait to try out all the weapons.
As I admire my new human guise, the door swings open and the maid gasps, trying to block the view between the door and me.
A robe flies over them and lands on me, covering me from neck to toe.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but she's not ready," says the maid.
"Oh, you were taking a while. I thought there was a problem," says the Crown Prince.
I look down at the silk robe. This belongs to my master. Of course it would be his. No one else has better aim or mastery of wind than him.
"Ling Yue, let the maids dress you," says Long Fei.
"Sorry, I forgot. Modesty is the norm in the Celestial Realm."
"Your Highness, let's give them a little longer. We can wait for her outside. She'll find us when she's ready."
The door closes, and the maids swiftly approach me again, trying to dress me.
The maid slips my arms through the sleeves, wraps a flowing robe around me, ties a belt at my waist, puts socks and shoes on my feet, and ties half of my hair up. Getting dressed takes a while. How do people have the patience to do this every day?
I'm finally allowed out of the room to meet my master and the Crown Prince.
They are standing under the cherry blossoms in the courtyard.
His Highness turns and looks at me, eyes widen.
"Ling Yue, you're no longer a munchkin. You look like a taller munchkin."
Long Fei glances at his royal friend, then shakes his head.
"Master, I'm ready for weapon training."
"Wouldn't you like to eat first? I've asked the chef to prepare a meal to welcome you back."
"Is there any air-cooked krill?"
"I don't think that belongs on anyone's menu."
The Crown Prince scrunches his face as he looks at his friend.
"Is that the only thing you feed her?"
Long Fei rubs his temples, covering his face.
"In that case, Your Highness, I'll pass, thank you very much. I'm happy to go straight to training."
"Ling Yue, you're a guest here. We must enjoy the food our gracious host has prepared for us. We'll eat first."
The two friends guide me to a round table filled with delicacies under a pagoda overlooking the Royal Lake.
I watch them both take a seat and copy their actions.
I've been a whale so long, I barely remember how to be human.
I reach out to grab food, using my fingers.
Then a pair of chopsticks grabs my fingers.
"Ling Yue, you're old enough to use chopsticks now."
"Master, that's not fair. How old am I, anyway?"
"You've grown into a teenager now. It's time you learn how to eat and drink properly."
I wonder if being a teenager makes you think differently. I feel the need to rebel all of a sudden. I'm curious about how far I can push the boundaries. A devilish grin spreads on my face.
"Long Fei, look at her, she has a smile that puts demons to shame. It wasn't this bad when she was three. Now it's downright terrifying."
"It's probably wise that you refrain from using that smile from now on, especially where we are now."
I really don't like the Celestial Realm. Having fun is against the rules or something.
"Ugh. Enough with these rules already. Is the Celestial Realm's rules the reason you never smile?"
The Crown Prince cracks up laughing, while Long Fei simply sighs, his lips barely twitching.
"We haven't even started talking about the rules yet. This is just a common courtesy. My friend, I think you need this."
The Crown Prince hands the bottle of wine to Long Fei.
I grab it before he can. Sniff it. Then gulp all its contents down.
They both stare at me, wide-eyed.
The liquid warms my belly up and I feel brave, brave enough to take on the world.
It also makes me ravenous, so I devour all the food on the nearest plate, gobbling it down.
My master uses his chopsticks to catch my fingers. I swiftly move to another dish. So it looks like we're playing a game of cat and mouse across the table.
Pretty soon, there's no food on the table. I let out a resounding burp.
The Crown Prince claps his hand, shaking his head wide-eyed.
"That was quite a show. Please don't do that again."
Long Fei covers his face, his ears reddening. He swiftly stands, then leaves, shaking his head.
"Wait, you're leaving her with me, all alone?"
"Don't worry, Your Highness. I'm quite full now so I won't bite."
A sudden surge of energy courses through my veins. This wine is fantastic!
"Your Highness, do you have any more of that wine?"
He shakes his head, then quickly gets up and follows his friend.
I run after them, this body is quicker than my previous form. I pick up my pace and they no longer walk but bolt away.
"Hey! What about my training, though? Don't you want me out of this form as soon as possible?"