# **Chapter 13: Fractured Echoes**

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Snow fell softly, blanketing the Moon Bridge in white, the world silent beneath its cold embrace. Mei stood at the edge, her translucent form untouched by the chill, her eyes fixed on the river below. Shadows moved beneath the surface, swirling slowly, their shapes shifting, watching.

She shivered, her body light as air, the petals swirling around her, dancing through the snow. No matter how many days passed, the blossoms never stopped falling. They drifted through her, weightless and cold, whispering softly as they scattered across the bridge.

*"A promise kept… a spirit bound… a memory erased…"*

Mei's heart ached, her chest tight with sorrow. She had saved him. She had kept her promise. But she was the one who had been left behind, the one who was forgotten.

She watched the village below, its lights flickering warmly through the snow, smoke curling from chimneys, voices echoing faintly. They were celebrating the Winter Festival, just as they did every year. She remembered laughing, dancing, singing beneath the lanterns… with him by her side.

Her fingers tightened around the cold stone railing, her eyes burning. *Jun…*

He was down there, somewhere in the crowd, his smile bright, his laughter echoing through the night. He was alive. He was happy.

But he no longer remembered her.

Mei's chest tightened, her body trembling. It wasn't fair. She had given everything to save him. She had sacrificed her life, her memories, her place in the world. Why did she have to be the one who was forgotten?

The wind howled, swirling snow and petals around her, the air cold and sharp. The shadows beneath the river moved faster, rising to the surface, their shapes shifting, merging, forming… a figure.

Mei's breath caught, her body tense. Dark eyes, pale skin, a cruel smile curving its lips—the spirit that had stolen her life.

It stood on the water, its form flickering like smoke, its eyes gleaming with ancient knowledge. *"Why do you still linger, little ghost?"*

Mei's body trembled, her anger rising, her fingers curling into fists. "You took everything from me… my life… my brother… my memories… and left me to be forgotten." Her voice cracked, her tears falling, her body cold and hollow. "Why? Why did you do this to me?"

The spirit's smile widened, its head tilting, its eyes gleaming. *"I did nothing, little ghost. You chose this fate."*

Mei's heart stopped, her eyes widening. "I… chose this?" Her voice was faint, confused. "I… I didn't want to die… I didn't want to be forgotten…"

The spirit's form flickered, its eyes darkening. *"You chose to save him. You chose to take his place. You chose to give your life to the river."* It moved closer, its breath icy, its voice low. *"You are bound to this bridge because of your own promise."*

Mei's chest tightened, her mind spinning. *I chose this…?* She remembered the cold water, the petals swirling around her, her brother's lifeless body beneath the surface. She had promised to protect him, no matter the cost. She had given her life to bring him back.

She had taken his place.

Her body trembled, her tears falling, her heart breaking. "But… I never meant to be forgotten…" Her voice wavered, her chest aching. "I just wanted him to live…"

The spirit's eyes softened, its smile fading. *"The river takes what it is given… and you gave it everything."* Its voice was soft, almost gentle. *"You are bound to this bridge, to this river, to the petals that never stop falling. This is the price of your promise."*

Mei's chest tightened, her body cold and hollow. She was a spirit—a memory bound to the bridge, to the blossoms that danced through the snow, to the whispers that haunted her every day.

She would never leave this place. She would never be remembered.

The spirit turned away, its form shimmering, its body fading into shadows. But before it disappeared, it paused, its head tilting, its eyes gleaming. *"Unless…"*

Mei's breath caught, her heart pounding. "Unless… what?"

The spirit's smile returned, cold and knowing. *"Unless you break the bond."* It stepped back, its figure flickering, its voice echoing softly. *"The river keeps what it takes… but it can be undone. If you break the bond… you will be free."*

Mei's eyes widened, her heart racing. *Break the bond…* There was a way to escape this curse? To be free of the bridge, of the river, of the petals that never stopped falling?

Her body trembled, hope surging through her. "How…? How do I break the bond?"

The spirit's smile widened, its eyes dark and cold. *"You took his place. To break the bond… he must take yours."*

Mei's blood ran cold, her body rigid. "No… no, I can't do that…" Her voice wavered, her chest aching. "I gave my life to save him… I can't take it back…"

The spirit's form flickered, its voice echoing softly. *"Then you will remain here… forgotten… until the end of time."*

Its figure dissolved, the shadows sinking back into the water, the petals swirling above. The river grew calm, its surface smooth, the snow drifting down, covering the bridge.

Mei stood alone, her body trembling, her heart breaking. There was a way to be free… but it would cost him his life.

She looked down at her hands, pale and faintly glowing, her fingers fading at the edges. She was a ghost, a shadow lingering on the bridge, a memory lost to time.

She had saved him. But she was the one who had been left behind.

The snow continued to fall, the petals swirling faster, their whispers haunting and cold.

*"A promise kept… a spirit bound… a memory erased… a bond to break…"*

Mei closed her eyes, her tears falling, her body cold and weightless. She was the Moon Bridge's ghost, and the only way to be free… was to take back what she had given.