Chapter 6: Fractures in the Mirror ✦
Days passed, and the village grew restless. A traveling seer arrived—an old woman with clouded eyes—claiming she could see past lives. Against Bai Jiu's silent protest, Fu Sheng visited her.
The old woman looked deep into her soul and whispered:
— "You are not who you believe you are. Fire once danced at your fingertips. You wore a crown not made by mortals."
Fu Sheng trembled. Visions flickered in her mind: a sky of flames, a temple shattering in golden light, and her own voice calling out a name—
"Xie Changye…"
That night, Bai Jiu stood on a rooftop, gazing at the stars.
— "She remembers… pieces," he murmured. "It's beginning."
From the shadows, a stranger appeared. Cloaked in black, his eyes glowed like dying embers.
— "If she awakens completely, you know the seal will break. And your enemies will return."
Bai Jiu's jaw clenched.
— "Let them."