An End and a Beginning — Meilin

My name is Mak Meilin.

I’m currently in my final year at Ching Lok Secondary School, a Band 3 school— one of the lowest ranked in the area. I’m not a delinquent; it’s just that my grades aren't good enough to get into any of the prestigious girls' schools nearby.

Honestly, if I had the chance, I’d love to attend one of those schools. The rose-red uniforms, shining gold badges, those girls looked like they enjoyed their time there.

They looked like they didn’t have boys chasing them just to throw eggs and trash at their heads. Like they didn’t have to deal with girls gossiping and judging them all the time.
I really do envy them.

“Meilin,” my best and only friend, Haokei, called out to me. “We’re going to the forest just down the hill to check out something. Wanna come?”

I shook my head. “We” meant Haokei and her group of friends, the ones who hated my guts. But I knew Haokei wouldn’t let me off so easily.

“Oh, come on. Just a short trip. Weiyin said there’s a mysterious creature living there, and we’re going to capture it.” Haokei grinned, her braces showing. “After we capture that creature, we’re going to be famous in this neighbourhood! Outshining those Ling Yu ‘role models’! Hmph!”

Ling Yu Girls’ College is one of the most prestigious schools in the area. Gates surround the school, and its red and white building resembles a castle.
Outshining them? What a ridiculous idea.

“Isn’t the forest area blocked off? There’s a sign saying not to trespass…”

I looked at Haokei with tired but concerned eyes. Usually, I would’ve gone with her no matter what; she was too hard to resist.
But today, I didn’t want to go. Not with her friends. I was afraid of being hurt by them again…especially after what had happened during recess.
Of course, I couldn’t tell Haokei that. Not that she’d care anyway.
Besides, I’ve passed by the forest road many times, and something about it always felt… off.
There were always horror stories. Just stories, of course. But still…

“Meilin… aren’t we besties? We do everything together! Just come on—”
She tugged on my sleeve. I pulled away.
Then she stared at me with cold eyes.
“What, Meilin? Are you scared?”

Indeed, I was.
Her gaze felt like daggers piercing through me.

“No— It’s just that… something feels off about the forest. It just feels wrong. I can’t go.”

Haokei shrugged. “Alright, alright. Urgh, you’re no fun. This is why our classmates hate you.
Goodbye, Mei. Oh, and… happy birthday.”

Today is my 18th birthday.

I almost forgot.
I bet my mother didn’t remember either; she’s been too occupied with being upset about the divorce.

I walked uphill to the gate of my home.
It feels a bit lonely since Dad left… but also more spacious.
I guess one thing cannot be all bad.

I greeted the guard and entered the lift. It stank, as usual. But today, it was especially bad.
Great. Another amazing thing on my amazing birthday.
I quickly pressed number 2 and held my breath.

“Mom. I’m home.”
I pushed open the door and walked in.

The house stank; it hadn’t been cleaned in ages.

Mom hasn’t been the same since the divorce, sleeping and crying most of the time.

Of course, she would be upset.

I am, too.

The man I looked up to all my life.

My own father.

He left with another woman.

He abandoned my mom and me to survive on our own. We were already in a tough spot, both emotionally and financially.

I wish I could help, but there’s not much I can do. I’m not great at comforting people.

I sighed and went into my room to finish my homework. I usually wait until the last minute — or just skip it entirely.

However, my mom is crazy about the university entrance exam, which is understandable.
If I can’t get into university, I won’t be able to get a high-paying job. Then, I’ll end up working at fast food shops and sleeping on the streets.

Right. The same old thing that all parents say to get their kids to study.

So here I am, finishing my homework a week early and studying history.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, staring at long paragraphs, a flurry of notifications attacked my phone, aggressively pinging.
I picked it up and scrolled through the messages:

“Did you hear what happened…?”
“How did Haokei fall to her death??”
“Can’t believe Haokei’s dead…”
“They found her body in the forest. Rest in peace, Wong Haokei.”

I dropped my phone.

It hit the floor with a bang.
The screen shattered.

“Haokei…”

My best friend.
My only friend.
The only one who sat through painfully long classes with me, helped me hide from bullies, listened when no one else would.

She’s dead.

Then I remembered— she had gone to the forest.

I have to see her— just one last time.

I grabbed my shattered phone and reached for my schoolbag. But right outside my bedroom door was… my mother.
She stood there, arms crossed, towering over me.

“Mom… I—”

I felt a sharp pain on my cheek.
I stood frozen, blinking. It took a few seconds to realise what had just happened.
I was too stunned to speak.

“Mak Meilin…”
Her voice sounded distant. Almost unrecognisable.
“You failed. Again.”
She held up my crumpled maths papers.

“How many times do I have to tell you…? This society is cruel.
You think a man will go out of his way to save you?
Wake up, Meilin. You cannot rely on a man to pay for your meals, your bills, anything at all.

They will always, always leave you when they get tired of you.
Just like your father…”

She muttered the last sentence under her breath, hatred flaring in her eyes.

Then, her voice softened.
“I love you, Meilin, but I can’t help you, nor can a man.
I want you to have a life that a man doesn’t ruin.”

Then she raised her voice again,
“So you have to do it yourself. Get a job. Work tiring hours.
Earn your paycheck yourself, not from a man.
And to do that, you need to get into a university…”

She edged closer.
Her presence made me feel trapped, as if I were locked in a room with no escape.

“How will you ever get into university when you can’t even pass your maths test?”

She tore the paper into pieces right in front of me.
Then grabbed the collar of my shirt and screamed into my face:

“HUH? ANSWER ME, MEILIN. TELL ME, HOW?”

Tears were streaming down her face.

She was hurt.

And I was afraid.

I didn’t know what to do.

It was the first time my mother had ever lashed out at me like this.
Sure, teachers had screamed at me. Classmates had punched me all the time.
But my mother… right now, she felt like a stranger.

Then— like a switch was flicked— I thought of Haokei.

I pushed my mother away.

She stumbled backward.

And I ran.

“MAK MEILIN!”
She screamed, chasing after me.

I ran down the stairs, clutching my phone close to my chest.

It’ll be alright.
I told myself.
But the truth is— it won’t be.

I wish everything had gone differently.
I wish Dad were still here.
I wish Mom were okay.
I wish I’d gone with Haokei, maybe I could’ve warned her.

I wish I’d never existed.
Then none of this would’ve happened.
None of this pain would’ve been felt.

If only wishes came true.

I ran and ran, out of the building, into the streets.

A car honked.
I turned.
My mom screamed—

Guess it’s too late.

Everything went quiet.

I woke up in a strange white room.
There was no ceiling, no floor — just light, shining from every corner.

“Is this… heaven?” I asked aloud.

“Not quite, darling,” a mysterious voice replied.

“Then where am I?”

“The Intermundium. A quiet, peaceful space between everything.”

The voice chuckled. It seemed to be coming from one place… but echoed from all around.

“Now, honey, to the important stuff. I’d like to make this easy for both of us, so I’ll keep it short.
Your soul has left planet Earth.

Now, lucky you — you have a chance to return to Earth. Or you can do it the normal way: go to a different place. A different world.”

Wow. I finally left that place, huh.
No more studying.
No more mom meltdowns.
No more classmates who hate me.

“Take me to a different place,” I said firmly. “Just… not back to Earth.”

“What an interesting being you are,” the voice said, surprised. "Most people choose to return."

“Alright. Rest your tired eyes, darling. I see you’ve been struggling with Planet Earth. I must agree — not my favourite place either.

Now, you shall be brought to another world: Elysium.
A place of harmony. A place of controlled magic — which is quite nice, compared to worlds where magic runs wild.”

The voice sighed softly.
“Alright. Let the delay last no longer. Rest, my dear. A wonderful adventure awaits you.”

This… feels nice.
My body feels light.

Maybe… This is the feeling of peace.