The nights in winter were times I hated most. Despite the serene sight of the first snow, I knew that it was a period of time where it was the hardest to go out and continue my journey. Days were short and the nights would drag on and on, endlessly, as if I were walking towards the vast emptiness of a forest. The most dreadful thing was the cold which I could not bear, despite wearing the thick cape mother owned before she left the world, and the leather shoes I traded before setting out on my journey.

Now, there was nothing to look forward to. I had left home three months ago, and as I wander through the vast earth, no good news has ever befallen upon me. Nobody knows what I was looking for, yet I knew it wasn't a point where I could give up just yet. The creature was still to be here somewhere, the monk had said it came from the East. To seek revenge over the death of my mother through the curse it had put upon her, I had to keep going, even if it meant dying by the hands of the creature itself.

But I will not die. It was a vow I made to my mother.

The rustling of one's movements stopped me in my tracks. My hand reached down to the blade I kept on my belt, instinctively. The forest was dark, but I was blessed with the eyesight of a panther. Mother had said it was the animal that I was fated to be reborn as, and that the Gods had blessed me with a good animal to have as a spirit companion. It was thanks to that I could sense the movements behind the bush, stealthily approaching it without a single crunch of snow, holding my breath as I ensured that not a single trace of my presence could be noticed.

I was caught off guard when a strong force pulled me down, and while trying to fight back, I felt the weight of a person on top of me. 

It was then when I noticed her eyes. Those crimson eyes. Flaming with fury like the fire from our local temple. Red like the maple trees we harvested from every year. Beautiful, so beautiful; that nothing could ever compare to the way her eyes shifted in colour with each gaze. 

They are coming for me. Please, let us wait until they're gone. 

Before I knew it, they were gone—those eyes—hidden under the hood that she had pulled over her head, concealing her sight. She dived down right next to me, digging into the bushes and I followed, thorns prickling into my skin as I grimaced.

I saw the faint light of fire pass by. Noises, as if a crowd of people were walking through the night. Has a war started? I thought. It couldn't be a war against this petite woman. 

So I waited. We waited. Waited until the shouts died down, until the anger of the group of marching people had vanished. Sooner, we realized that we were holding each other's hands tightly, her cold ones that reached out for mine first, and even after she was yet to let go. Sometimes, I felt her cold palms tremble, to which I responded by gripping them tight. How strange, I had thought at that time. Such a thing I had done to a stranger I had completely no knowledge about except for the crimson eyes that I still remember to this day. 

It is safe now. I told her as I gestured for her to stand up, making sure that the crowd was gone. The moon had now appeared, as full as it can be, and I could see her with a better sense of vision. I noticed that the cape she wore was torn to shreds, and that her garments were also damaged. How could such a girl survive in this cold, and what was she doing outside?

Come with me. I say as I take her hand once again. I have shelter.

I refuse; I must go now. 

Why? They are gone.

They will find me sooner if I do not leave now.

They will find you sooner if you happen to run into them in the middle of the night. Come with me. I will protect you, for the time being.

Perhaps at that time it was only a bait for her so that I could take a look at those crimson eyes again. My only instinct was to help her, despite the consequences. She might be a witch. She might be an assassin. But the curiosity that came over me had overpowered any other thoughts that went through my head, and I was convinced that the weary eyes of hers were no lie.

Let's keep going. I take her hand by instinct, leading the way. The snow will cover our footprints. 

The cave that was my shelter was a little secluded from the world, and it was a perfect spot to wait for the season to pass by. She takes a seat in front of the fire I lit up. I still could not see her face as she did not remove the cape.

Would you like to take the cape off? 

No, thank you.

I had prepared some porridge in the evening. She ate bit by bit, a little hesitant at the meal, supposedly aware of my sudden kindness. 

Perhaps, could you tell me why you were running away?

Had I not asked the question, she probably would have finished the meal. I hoped it was enough for her to warm her body from the freezing cold. 

I shall tell you in the morning. Whatever you do, you must not look at me or my face, or I shall resort to murder.

I did not ask why, and I let the night pass by as I stared at the small back of the woman who was sleeping, a thousand questions running through my head. I guessed that it was a rare opportunity for me to be able to look at her eyes. Perhaps she was uncomfortable at how bizarre they looked in other people's eyes.

In the morning, I found her grooming her hair. Long and silky, similar to the colour of an oak tree. She had her back against me, and I found myself intrigued to approach her from behind. I knew it would put myself in a distant position, though.

Are you leaving? I ask, sitting up.

She seemed surprised at my voice and grabbed the coat once again to conceal her face. I must go now. They will find me.

But you are yet to tell me where you are from, and what is chasing after you. 

Hush!

What?

Be quiet!

So I did. I could not hear anything. She slowly gets up from her position, stealthily approaching the small entrance of the cave. 

Do you hear them? The sound of the ringing brass bells. Those are the sounds of the spirit foxes. They are after me. She unleashes a blade from the inside of her coat, ready for an encounter. I only watched as she held out her weapon, waiting and waiting for the foxes to appear. I never expected them to appear, thinking it was only her imagination, when in a blink of an eye she was pushed to the ground by a strong force. It was the wind taking the shape of a fox, and it had pounced immediately onto her leg. 

I ran over and recited a mantra that was told to burn spirits away, swinging my sword, the fox had turned into ashes and disappeared with the wind. I carried her inside, laying her down on the coat I had laid out for me to sleep on. Her ankle was turning dark. Probably from the bite of the spirit fox. I did not know where it had originated from, but it clearly had something to do with why she was running away. I searched for something in my sack, the container I had stored with water specifically for me to use when injured.

Do not worry. I am from the Land of Emerald. We have a pond known for its water that has purifying qualities. The pain will go away soon. I poured some over her ankle, and just like putting out a fire, she had whimpered in pain over the hissing sound of the smoke that emitted from getting rid of the bite. It left a burn mark on her, however, taking the shape of a fox, carving itself onto the red of her skin.

You are not able to leave. The bite will hurt from time to time, and I must pour this water over it for your ankle to properly heal.

Please do not worry, I can bear with a little bit of pain.

It is not merely pain! They are spirit foxes! They can kill you!

She flinched, but I didn't mean to scare her. The creature that killed my mother was a strong spirit. I do not want the same to happen to you.

Do you happen to have any motives to be so nice to me?

I do not want you to die. I tell her, firmly. I cannot lose another life, even if it were someone I do not know. If I vividly remember, I was sure the silence that followed suit was because of the silent tears she shed, hidden from me. But I sensed her misery, and how touched she seemed to be.

The day passed by quickly, where we were yet to speak a word with each other. I had returned from finding food, and I found that she had washed some of my garments for me from the nearby stream. It must have been immensely cold to wash with the water from the stream. 

She merely nods at the sight of me. For the first time I listened to her gentle voice, which was different from the tone she used when she was still wary of me. I nodded and sat down to roast the fish that I had caught.

I am yet to know your name. She sat down opposite of me.

My name is Junhui. My heart skipped when she repeated my name, and it sounded beautiful when she called for me. Junhui.

I am Qiuyue. My mother said that I remind her of the changing leaves in autumn. 

Is it because of your eyes?

Yes. They are out to kill me because of my eyes.

My eyes widened. She was yet to take off the hood that hovered over her face, specifically her eyes. Why were they killing her for her eyes? I thought to myself. They were the prettiest pair of eyes I had ever seen on a human, much like a magical being's. Will you tell me why? 

It is a long story.

Don't worry. The night is long, and the stars will keep us from sleeping.

So she told me where she was from. The village amidst the oak trees that believed in divine spirits. They were known to carry out human sacrifice. Had mother known, she would be trembling in fear to see me talking to a person from an unethical origin. Human sacrifices were an immoral act of belief and the monk from my village was strongly against it. 

Unlike me, I found that not everyone admired her eyes. Instead, they looked at her with jealousy and hatred. Those crimson eyes that resembled the colour of maple trees were said to be cursed and despised. People said that the Gods granted her such eyes as she was a child of Hell, resembling the fire of the Afterlife. But the way I saw it, the people of her village were the ones who deserved to be burnt to ashes.

If anything, Qiuyue did not deserve to be wrongly accused just because of her eyes. 

A rumor spread that any man who made eye contact with me was to fall in love with me. So the wives of the village had complained and the temple monk had me wear a hood to cover my head at all times whenever I went out into town. But it did not stop there.

I was accused of having an affair with my childhood friend. He was the only one supporting me throughout my entire life of being  isolated by the people. It was no surprise that his wife believed in the rumors people have said, and grew jealous of the friendship between me and him.

She spread that I had slept with her husband, and the temple had punished me with a year's worth of isolation in the prayer chamber. Throughout the time I had been locked up in there, there was a monk who was in charge of me. He was one of the highest monks in the hierarchy, and he treated me with kindness despite what people have said. It was no mystery that I happened to fall in love with him because of how kind he was.

Perhaps I was cursed after all. Cursed to have everyone whom I treasure to turn their backs on me. The day I was released and sent home, the monk had assaulted me as soon as he closed the door. My sister happened to find out what was happening, and thankfully she was able to make him flee. But by the time he was gone a crowd had gathered in front of my home and witnessed the whole thing.

The day before the full moon was known to be the day we commit a sacrifice to the Gods who would come down for the offerings. They barged into my home and tied me up, carrying me to the temple. I felt humiliated. I felt the gazes of people who hated me, their lips curling into a smile at the thought of me going back to where I belonged; Hell. 

I was purified in front of the entire village; washed with water infused with carnelians and a drop of my mother's blood. They never stopped cheering for my death.

But I wanted to live, Junhui. I wanted to live. I heard her choke up, hands reaching into the hood to wipe her tears away. I wanted to find a land where they would think I resembled the maple tree, I wanted to fall in love just like any other maiden, and I wanted to experience the world to its fullest. There was a reason why I was granted a life, and I was not down to die in the wrong.

I took off the garments they put on me that night. They made me look like a bride even for death. They will not be able to trace me without garments with a spell on. Hence why I was wearing these thin clothes when I escaped.

I remember how her story left me speechless. I did not know what to say to her. The things that she had been through were too overwhelming for me to express in words. 

I'm sorry, I say.

No. I am very grateful that you helped me.

Will you show me your eyes again?

Qiuyue did not respond. I felt sorry that I had asked such an uncomfortable question despite what she told me. If anything, I wanted to let her know that her eyes were very beautiful, and that I was different from the people of her village who venged to kill her.

It is alright. I am sorry for asking you for such a favou-

No. I will let you look.

The moment she had taken her hood off, I was left breathless. I wondered if she was a beautiful forest spirit instead of a human, because no human could be as beautiful as she was. That was the very first time I had a proper look at her features. She had the mark of a maple tree on the side of her neck, the spirit companion that she was born with. I remembered how her lips had curled up into a faint smile when she tried to hide her embarrassment.

You have been staring for too long.

That's because you are beautiful, Qiuyue.