Monkey Depot

In the Garden of the Lost Academy, known simply as the “Garden,” there grew a peculiar twin-flowered plant called Yue and Xuan—one black and one white—symbolizing light and darkness. They blossomed together on a single stem, inseparable yet perpetually opposed, bound to each other as much as they resisted one another.

Yue shone as brightly as the morning sun, her smile as gentle as a spring breeze, awakening the dormant earth and reviving life anew. Xuan, on the other hand, was as serene as the midnight sky, her whispers like soft murmurs that soothed chaos, bringing calm to all. Though they shared the same root, their natures were utterly distinct. I loved to bask in the sunlight, spreading her radiant glow to every corner of the garden. You preferred the solace of shadows, listening to the whispers of the wind and embracing the quiet of the night.

Yet the bond of fate could not dissolve the conflicts born of their differences. I could not understand why You always hid within the darkness, finding the silent night lonely and desolate. Conversely, Xuan could not accept Li’s relentless attempts to flood everything with light, seeing her brilliance as searing and oppressive. Their arguments were endless, yet they could not part ways, as their lives were intertwined on the same stem, their roots deeply entangled.

One day, their conflict reached its peak. Yue unleashed her dazzling radiance in an attempt to banish You’s darkness, while Xuan summoned her deep shadows to engulf Yue’s brilliance. These two opposing forces clashed fiercely in the depths of the Garden, giving rise to an unprecedented storm.

The storm ravaged the entire Garden, leaving desolation in its wake. Flowers withered, trees shriveled, and even the most resilient vines succumbed to the destructive energy. Gradually, Yue and Xuan realized their strife not only harmed each other but also endangered all life around them.

“If we continue like this, everything will be destroyed,” You murmured at the eye of the storm. Her voice, though faint, pierced through the chaos and reached Yue. Yue halted her radiance and gazed at her sister. In that moment, for the first time, she saw peace and tranquility within the darkness, rather than mere coldness.

“You’re right,” Yue said quietly. “Light and darkness should not oppose each other but coexist. Without night, dawn would never emerge; without light, darkness would be boundless.”

Hand in hand, the sisters quelled the storm’s fury. Li’s light and Yo’s shadow intertwined, creating a gentle glow unlike anything seen before—both warm and serene. The Garden began to heal, and life returned, flourishing once more in the harmonious balance of light and shadow.

From that day onward, Yue and Xuan ceased their conflict. They no longer tried to change one another but learned to cherish each other’s uniqueness. Morning light and evening darkness alternated in the Garden, and their forms would meet only briefly in the fleeting moments when the stars faded, and the first rays of dawn appeared. That short embrace, though transient, was as warm as eternity.

It is said that this marked the beginning of creation when light and darkness were finally separated, and order was born. Deep within the Garden of the Lost Academy, the twin-flowered plant still grows in quiet vigilance, guarding the balance of light and shadow, an eternal symbol of harmony.