"Don't cry," his voice softened, chiming like a gentle bell. "Come... I'll show you around the rest of my home."
Yue Yue sniffed, her little throat tight. She didn't care about looking at a silly cave anymore, but she had nowhere else to go. She slowly slithered after his glowing tail.
The spirit led her down another winding passage. He showed her a crystal-clear underground pool, then pointed out strange, glowing mushrooms clinging to the rock.
He showed her faded carvings etched into the walls and several stone ledges where he had painstakingly planted glowing medicinal herbs over the centuries.
Normally, Yue Yue would have been fascinated by all the magical plants and pretty lights. But now, she barely glanced at them. Her mind was consumed by a single, desperate plea: I want to go home.
After slithering for a while, the spirit suddenly halted in mid-air. Yue Yue almost bumped her snout right into his glowing tail.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
