RAYNE (Xiao Hong Song)
Rayne tossed her clothes into the carry-on since she had no intention of staying in California for long. She could hardly bring herself to heed her sister’s call and go, but after the bitter call the night before, she knew she had to go. The importance of closing the portal to the old Gods outweighed everything.
The calls to work, her friends, and her current sort-of-maybe girlfriend figured out who would watch her studio apartment while she went home at attend to her family emergency. The clearing out of her savings to get there hurt more than she wanted to examine, but she got a flight out and could be there that evening. She texted the circle to have one of the many members pick her up, saving cash not to have to find some ride-share to take her up into the mountain retreat. It was bad enough she had to waste all this money to get out of California and get to this part where the circle lived, the cult they appeared to be. Being a fully functional ancient magical society in the modern world didn’t look good. Instead, they came across cults like modern-day mystics. Rayne hated to admit anything of her past she left behind.
The long flight from New York to home brought back memories of her long dormant magic, sealed away for her peace of mind. There has been some comfort in her life before. The strict time, all the schedules, the freedom of using her magic, and the circle being her family after her parents were lost. Then, the trials, all the time in competition with her sister, for which one of them would be deemed the best, the great magician of the circle. The one who would lead the circle, and which of the twin flames would win?
Rayne had left instead of going through all the intensive training, all the fighting, sides being taken, she refused when it came to an end. She couldn’t resist her twin, her opposite side of the coin, even with Ming-Yue waiting for the duel. Instead, she disappeared into America.
The San Francisco International Airport was cold from the air conditioner and the local weather leaking through. Rayne glanced out the windows to the familiar fog-tinged bay. Making her way through the airport, she grabbed her luggage and saw the polite woman waiting for her with a sign with her name in Chinese, Xiao Hong Song. The woman wore the circle’s calming pale blue linen outfit, a modernized Asian-influenced suit bordering on casual. They always want to blend into the modern world without causing waves, and Rayne hated the flowing lines and everyone looking the same with different colors they were only allowed to wear depending on where they were in the circle. Rayne wore her cut-up jeans, chunky bright red sweater, and bob-cut hair with orange streaks through the pitch black to stand out.
“Welcome home,” the woman greeted her once Rayne approached, bags in hand.
Rayne returned the bow with a quick dip. “Yeah, yeah,” she replied in English. “We are heading to the large house to get to Ming-Yue?”
“The Mistress is waiting in the car,” the woman replied in formal Taiwanese Hokkien. She skipped over Chinese as they walked through the remaining airport towards the pickup area. “Please kindly remember your manners when speaking to the Mistress of the High Circle.”
“I’m not a member anymore, Ya-Ting. She’s my twin; I can talk to her how I please, given she summoned me back for this,” Rayne waved her hand, “mess.”
Ya-Ting stopped in her tracks to spin on Rayne. “I will not have you starting arguments with the Mistress the entire time you are within the manor. Things are urgent, desperate enough to summon everyone. Not only you, Xiao Hong. Everyone has been called home. Now behave.”
Rayne’s head dropped; her bangs covered her downcast eyes as she shrunk back into herself. Old mannerisms, long dormant returned with just a few words from her old mentor. “Yes, I will attempt to follow the currents.”
Ya-Ting gave a curt nod, leading them from the airport to the busy area where people were picked up. Several cars honked, people waved, and languages danced through the air in various greetings of people welcoming and greeting with hugs. Rayne felt the cold air of her sister waiting in the navy-toned town car waiting to slip through to take the freshly opened spot.
Rayne pushed back her shoulders, rolled her orange suitcase toward the fancy car, and awaited the crushing pressure to wash over her. She felt her sister’s power leaking through the closed door.
Ya - Ting handed the luggage to one of the ladies before opening the back door Their society of only women, with the few exceptions of gender neutral had lasted for generations. She waved Rayne inside. Rayne gulped before settling in beside her sister.
She took in her sister; they might be identical twins, but they worked hard to look different over time. Rayne’s short bob with orange streaks contrasted with the long, flowing pitch black of Ming-Yue glossy mane. Even their clothing. Ming-Yue in the traditional pale blue outfit of the circle and her comfortable clothing of the modern world. Her sister’s inscrutable dark eyes met similar ones.
“Xiao Hung,” Ming-Yue stated blandly with the magic rising between them. The opposing magic pulled toward one another, magnifying and swirling against each other. Their magics were opposite but needed one another to complete the circuit. Rayne felt the hair rise over her body.
“Sister,” Rayne replied in an attempt to match intensity. She failed, allowing her nerves to bleed into her voice. The failed attempt to be bland, she gave a weak smile. “How’s the weather?”
Ming-Yue gave a stern glare over her slim sunglasses. “You have been gone for years, and all you can ask is, how is the weather?” Her sister drawled sarcastically. The car finally began to roll out. Ya-Ting must have taken another car, abandoning her alone in the back with her twin. “Where have you been hiding, Xiao Hong?”
“Away from,” Rayne shook her hands, “all of this. You dragged me back here, and I am only here to help with this one issue. Once that is completed, I will disappear back into the ether. I’m not here to stay, to tell you my life story or where I’m hiding.”
“Ah, so nothing has changed. You still run away from everything.”
“Hey, I showed up when you rang those cursed bells to fight whatever escaped. That should count for something,” Rayne replied, sinking deeper into the plush back seat. She crossed her arms to stare through the window.
“One would think the demise of so many lives would bring some sort of responsibility to spark to life within you.”
“Oh, good, guilt trip time,” Rayne whispered.
“What was that?” Ming-Yue typically asked, knowing perfectly well what her twin spoke.
“Same old, same old. Has the portal been sealed, or are things following freely from the damnable floodgate to the world?”
“It cannot be completely sealed until all things are well and truly back where they belong, sister. It would help if you remembered this from our studies. I know you have been away for a long time, but one would think the fundamentals haven’t eroded completely,” Ming-Yue lectured as if Xiao Hong was a small child.
Rayne stared out the window, pressing her forehead against the glass. She had forgotten. She had pushed against all the teachings, long histories, droning lectures, and more. She kept the magic and the valuable skills but worked to ignore the rest. It is a simple rule, an early childhood rule. ‘All the creatures that escape must be returned to the portal if it shall be opened for it to be truly closed. If not, it shall always remain opened.’ She had been a fool, ignoring all rules, teachings, and simple logic.
“Fine, how many things are out?”
“Minimum of two, possibly three. That is what has been confirmed by the Witnesses. The ones that have survived anyway. We send in more, but only a few properly trained staff are left. They will all die out soon; hopefully, enough will survive to train others once the portal is closed. Now that you and the others have arrived for the war.”
“War, this is a war?” Rayne asked. “I’m not a warrior, Ming-Yue. Hell, I have only been practicing when I have to use magic.”
“Not practicing? What moronic thing have you done, little rainbow?” Ming-Yue started, grabbing her chin to yank her attention back to hers.
“Living a life outside of dangerous magic every damn day. This place is a nightmare. You were a nightmare, trying to kill me daily. No, practicing daily is impossible when I had to scrape to survive, earn money, and hide from whatever you sent to fetch me.”
“Like I would waste resources to fetch you. You would come home when necessary, or we could summon you, when necessary,” Ming-Yue explained, releasing her sister’s chin to turn away from her. “You were always going to return home. No one leaves for long. This is home.”
“Whatever you say,” Rayne replied, turning away to stare back out the window. “So, I am here, but I’m not staying. I’m not sure if I can really help.”
“You will help; our powers are opposites but are in unity with one another. I will lead us in the fight.”
“Great.”