Pure Sands of Heaven

The grand palace was filled with moving figures. From behind layers of gauzy curtains came cries of pain. "Ahhh, it hurts! It hurts so much! The baby... my baby!" Broken words, the precious one she could never forget. The groans gradually faded. "Keep going, Your Highness! The baby is almost here! The little prince will be born any moment!" The maid assisting with the birth wiped her tears and pleaded through her sobs. "Your Highness! This is the child you risked your life to give birth to! Please, you can't give up!" "The baby..." A faint murmur rang out once more. "Waaah! Waaah!" A baby's cry pierced the sky. "Ming'er, the underworld is both the realm of the dead and a hell. In this gloomy, forested prison, I hope you can be like a ray of sunlight, warming yourself and those around you. Don't let the darkness swallow you." Her voice was soft, her tone gentle. Every word sank into the infant in her arms, into his flesh and blood, and etched itself into his bones. It was a prophecy, a portrait of what was to come, the starting point of his life, and the direction of his path.