The silver-haired woman's gaze grew more solemn as the last of the meal was cleared away. The quiet clinking of plates was replaced by a heavier silence.
"Mu'er, I need you to understand something clearly before you leave for Monster Capital," she said, folding her hands in front of her large breasts. "The world beyond these walls is no longer like the old tales we used to tell."
Su Mu looked up, sensing the weight behind her mother's voice.
"Everything grows. Everything dies. Everything comes back wrong."
Her heart skipped at those words.
It was a phrase Su Mu had heard in the memories buried deep in her soul. A warning passed through generations since the Blooming—the name given to the cataclysm nine hundred years ago when Spiritual Power first appeared… and nature began to twist.
"Outside the cities, outside the purified zones," her mother continued, "it's all decay and rebirth. The forests are alive, but not in the way you remember. Trees bloom with predatory instincts. Flowers sing. Roots bleed. Everything outside is beautiful, dangerous, and hungry."
She remembered now. The things Su Mu—the original Su Mu—had learned and feared. The history of Blue Star wasn't just about Spiritual Power. It was about survival. And why that power had been awakened in the first place.
Long ago, something bloomed across the world. Not flowers. Not forests. Something worse called EndlessBlooming Decay.
Su Mu's breath caught in her throat. The words "Endless Blooming Decay" echoed like a curse through her mind. Her mother's voice was steady, but the gravity of her words wrapped the air in tension.
"It's not just a normal world anymore," her mother said quietly. "It's a living storm of growth and rot. A world in endless bloom, but accelerated to a horrific extreme."
Su Mu's fingers tightened slightly on her lap. She imagined it now—forests stretching far beyond the horizon, not calm and green like Earth's, but vivid and shifting like a fever dream.
Vines pulsing, growing over ruins within moments. Leaves unfurling with wet snaps. Trees cracking open to spill glowing sap or writhing roots.
"Out there," her mother continued, "plants sprout, wither, and regrow in minutes. They adapt in real-time."
"They respond to movement, to sound, to heat. Everything is a potential host. Flesh, bone, even stone—nothing is spared."
"Corpses feed them instantly. Buildings crumble under the weight of roots and blossoms that weren't there just a heartbeat ago."
Su Mu's mouth went dry. Her mother was painting a nightmare in petals and tendrils.
"Outside the safety zones is completely filled with spores. They cling to you, slide into your lungs, your skin. If you don't have protection, you'll be blooming by the time you fall."
Su Mu swallowed hard. "Blooming…?"
"Your body," her mother said softly, "will become a garden. A final gift to the land. Roots will burst from your belly. Buds from your eyes. Flowers from your tongue. And when you're gone, what remains will become the next trap for someone else."
For a moment, Su Mu could barely breathe. She felt the weight of it—the horror, the awe. The beauty and the brutality of this world.
And somewhere inside, a deeper, quieter thought whispered: 'Fuck, is this is the world I'm meant to survive in now.'
Her mother's tone softened. "That's why you must master your Spiritual Power, Mu'er. Only the strong survive in the Bloom."
A quiet pause passed before her mother stood up, smoothing out the front of her gown.
Her mother further explained, "You'll leave for Monster Capital tomorrow morning. Make use of the time."
Su Mu listened quietly as her mother's voice softened, the tension from before easing into something more practical, more grounded.
"You'll be staying in Monster Capital for quite a while," her mother said, folding her hands neatly. "We've already arranged your accommodations. You'll be living with your uncle, Ye Fan."
Su Mu blinked, surprised by the name. "Uncle Ye Fan?"
Her mother gave a slight nod, noticing the flicker of doubt on her daughter's face. "Yes, your uncle. He's a professor at Monster College. It's thanks to his help and your father's request that we were able to an admission there."
Su Mu tried to pull something from her memories—an image, a voice—but it was all faint. She hadn't seen Ye Fan in over fifteen years. To be honest, he was almost a stranger.
She remembered visiting him once as a child. He had smelled like ink and old books, and had laughed loudly at her drawing. That was about it.
"I haven't seen him in so long…" Su Mu murmured, her brow furrowed.
"I know," her mother replied, gently. "But he's family, and he's done well for himself. He's respected at the Academy. It's good to have someone close in a new place. Someone who can look after you."
Su Mu gave a slow nod, chewing on her bottom lip in thought.
"When does the Academy start?" she asked after a pause, wanting something solid to hold onto.
"In a week," her mother said. "That should give you time to adjust and get to know your uncle's household."
Su Mu leaned back in her chair, the whirlwind of changes catching up with her. Her heart thudded a little harder than usual.
"A week," she echoed softly. "It all feels so sudden…"
Her mother reached out and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "I understand, Mu'er. It is sudden. But sometimes, that's how life moves. Fast. Unexpected."
She squeezed gently. "You'll be okay. Change can be scary, but it's also a chance to grow, to see new things… become someone even stronger."
Su Mu's chest tightened at those words, but she nodded. Slowly.
"Tomorrow morning, you'll leave for Monster City," her mother said, her tone returning to its usual composed calm. "Lingxi will stay behind, she has duties here."
Su Mu's eyes shifted to the floor, a quiet sense of loss blooming in her chest at the thought of parting from Lingxi. But she said nothing.
"You should use tonight to prepare," her mother continued. "Say your goodbyes, pack what you need, and rest. Monster City is not like Silver Moon."
She paused, then added gently, "Your uncle and his wife know you're coming. They've already made space for you. He's looking forward to seeing you again."
Su Mu's hands curled slightly in her lap, her thoughts now turning to the journey ahead.
Her mother stood and began listing the things Su Mu would need: travel robes, spiritual focus tools, an identity token for Monster City, and a charm bracelet to ward off minor spores during the trip.
But Su Mu wasn't listening to all the details anymore.
After their dinner, Su Mu and Lingxi retreated to their room.
Lingxi, overcome with emotion, murmured softly, with tears welled up in her eyes. "Am I not allowed to accompany you to..." she questioned; her disappointment evident.