Chapter 31: The Afterlight
The battle was over, but its echo lingered in the earth.
In the forest near the ruined temple, life had begun to return. The trees swayed gently, as if breathing for the first time in centuries. Birds dared to sing again. Light filtered through the branches like a blessing.
Ying Yue sat barefoot in the grass, a soft breeze playing with her long hair. She wore a robe of simple silk, pale blue like the morning sky, and her eyes—once troubled by visions—now held peace.
Bai Jiu approached quietly, his wounds now fading scars. He carried a small woven basket filled with wild peaches.
"You're early," she said without turning.
"I missed you," he replied, sitting beside her. "Even if I was only a few steps away."
She smiled and leaned into his shoulder. "Everything feels… new."
"It is," he murmured. "You're not Fu Sheng anymore. And I'm no longer just Xie Changye. We're something else now. Something free."
They sat in silence, letting the warmth of the sun soak into their bones.
After a while, she asked softly, "What happens next?"
"We live," he answered simply. "No more pretending. No more running."
Her fingers found his, intertwining naturally. "And if the seal ever breaks again?"
He looked at her, eyes deep and calm. "Then we'll be ready. Together."
She nodded. "Together."
The wind carried petals through the air—pink, white, silver. They danced around the two of them like blessings from the heavens. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of children laughing could be heard from a nearby village.
It was peace. Earned, fragile, real.
The past had burned. The present had healed. And the future…
…was theirs to write.