(Postdated for cooldown)

Lunar New Year had been an odd thing to prompt another visit to this alien world. She had never celebrated the occasion before, at least not beyond the occasional trip to see the parades with her family and her understanding of the customs was superficial at best. This year, however, something sparked her curiosity more than usual. It was odd for her to put much thought into honoring ancestors. Her genetic ancestors were a mystery and as far as she was concerned they always would be. It felt strange to claim her parents’ ancestors as her own, as deeply as she knew she was as much a part of the family as they are. But all of that was irrelevant for now.

Maybe it was the recency of her awakening that drew her mind to the past, maybe it was the …sensations that accompanied her first visit to Tempesti. It didn’t feel quite right to call them memories, more like fleeting impressions of sound and smell, light and pain. A fierce pain bloomed between her eyebrows whenever she dwelled on it for more than a few minutes. She couldn’t be certain if that pulsing ache was a direct effect of the magic or the result of the simmering fear that she could lose herself entirely to Tempesti if she let these memories be anything more than short-term guests in her mind. Still, that anxiety hadn’t stopped her from returning to her homeworld. After all, she suspected that these memories would be more manageable once she had a broader perspective.

That was the hope, anyway.

The feel of the sand beneath Rowan’s feet filled her with less anxiety than it had the first time, it seemed that her mind might be getting used to the idea that this place was a part of her even as she felt like her connection was …shaky. The scene wasn’t quite as dark as it was on her previous visit. The sky was clearer, casting anemic sunlight over the quiet beach. She bent forward, long red hair spilling over her shoulder as she ran her fingers lightly across the sand. The dense fog that obscured her view before was absent and a faint mist hung over the water.

The Tower had a clear view to the shore today and Rowan could just barely make out a strange metal (?) form at its crown. Maybe it had been a lighthouse once, and the pinnacle housed the lantern. The architectural details eluded her at this distance, with only the barest contours willing to make themselves known. The fact that it seemed almost averse to her gaze suited its dour mien. Maybe it knew she wasn’t quite ready to pay it a visit. Not that it would be an easy task if she was. She had no idea how to get herself to that island beyond training hard to swim the distance across the harbor. People swam the English Channel so she could probably manage this. But not today.

Giving the straps of her uncomfortably large rucksack a light pull, she looked up the hill toward the city and began the gentle ascent. Tempesti-Rowan-Rowan-Tempesti tried her best not to focus on the sensations that subtly tugged at the edges of her consciousness. Somehow she knew that today wasn’t for them. That didn’t stop them from lapping at her heels as the sand gave way to slabs of pale golden stone, the pale green of new life pushing determinedly through the cracks. She wondered how long they had been there. She hadn’t made it into the city proper on her last visit so there was no way to know.

Tempestrowan passed tentatively under the enormous masonry blocks of the gate feeling a surge of relief as she made it through without the stone collapsing on top of her. She had no idea what to expect upon entering the city, but the silent stillness felt profoundly unnatural. It might have been her home once, not her last home, but maybe her first. With a soft sigh Tempesti briefly closed her eyes, listening to the city’s whispers as they drew her onward. She couldn’t be certain how long she had walked before she reached the dilapidated walls of a house. Its footprint was small and could never have encompassed more than a few rooms. Any wood that might once have hung in the doorframe had long since decayed, leaving no obstacle as she stepped across the threshold.
She didn’t notice when it began, had no idea how long the tears had been streaming down her cheeks by the time she registered the dampness on her skin. She sank to the ground, ignoring the centuries of grime that lingered as she drew her knees up to her chest, freeing herself from the weight of her rucksack as she wrapped her arms around herself.

It had been home. Once. Hers and not hers.

Hers before Tempesti took it from her.

Before Tempesti did and didn’t take it from her.

She reached inward, grasping at the comfort that eluded her. She’d basked in the heat from the hearth that sat crumbling across the small room. Laughed with the nameless faceless forms that danced on the edges of her consciousness. For a moment she thought she caught the scent of some unknown meal, wafting across the ages to once more warm the cold stones of its home before vanishing back into the imposing nothing that hung over this world. She felt arms wrapped around her, her frame smaller than it was now and longed to lean into the embrace. If she could only linger for a few minutes longer. The frightened child might be able to hide from the terrible reality that rose within her if she could only just stay here.

But she couldn’t, the storm that erupted within her could not be contained and this place was lost to her.

Even exposed to the elements as this place was, Rowan felt reluctant to leave. There was no roof to collapse on her and despite the chill, she suspected that she might still claim some warmth here.