Chapter 33: Beneath the Lotus Temple
The next morning, the lotus at the center of the temple began to shimmer with unusual light.
Ying Yue stood before it, barefoot on the cool stone, her fingers brushing over the soft glowing petals. It hadn't reacted to her since the battle. But now, it pulsed faintly with every heartbeat—hers, or something else's, she could no longer tell.
Bai Jiu stood behind her, arms folded. His expression was unreadable, but she could feel the tension in him. Since the dream, neither of them had slept. Too much had shifted.
"This lotus," she murmured. "It's not just a seal, is it?"
"No," he said. "It's a door. A prison. And now, maybe... a mirror."
She turned to him. "Then I need to go inside."
Bai Jiu's eyes widened. "Absolutely not."
"I have to know what part of me is locked away. I need to see it—to face it."
He walked toward her slowly, eyes stormy. "You don't understand what's behind that seal. That lotus was created by the elder gods—not to protect you, but to contain something dangerous. They thought if they cut you in half, the universe would survive."
"But they didn't ask me," she said quietly. "They took something from me. They made me forget who I was."
He stopped in front of her, close now. "And maybe they were right."
Silence fell between them like a blade.
Then, more gently, he reached for her hand. "But if you're going… I'm going too."
---
The petals parted beneath their touch, light spiraling upward in a slow, silent storm. A hidden staircase revealed itself, descending into the heart of the earth. Cold air blew upward, scented with ash and something older—like forgotten prayers.
Together, they stepped into the darkness.
As they walked, the light from the lotus above faded behind them. The walls were etched with runes, half-erased by time. Murals lined the path—images of Ying Yue in a thousand forms: warrior, priestess, queen, child. And in each, her eyes were torn between sorrow and fury.
Finally, they reached a vast chamber. At its center stood a black pool of water, still as glass.
A whisper rippled across the surface.
"You came."
Ying Yue stepped forward, the sound pulling her.
"Show yourself," she said.
From the pool, a figure began to rise—formed not of flesh, but shadow and memory. It had her face, but none of her warmth. Her other half.
The twin stepped forward, barefoot on the water. "You were always the gentle one. The forgiving one. But they carved me out of you like rot."
Ying Yue stared. "You're the part they sealed."
"I am your rage. Your grief. Your hunger for justice. Everything they feared. And now... you're incomplete without me."
Bai Jiu drew his sword, but Ying Yue raised a hand. "No."
Her twin tilted her head. "He's afraid of you. They all are."
"That's not true," Ying Yue said. "He stood by me when I remembered nothing. He will stand by me even now."
Her twin smiled, sad and cold. "Then let him watch."
In a sudden burst, the shadow lunged—straight toward Ying Yue.
---
But instead of striking her, the shadow passed through her.
Pain flared in Ying Yue's chest. A thousand memories rushed in—lost lifetimes, torn promises, the burning temple, the shattered heavens. She remembered war, betrayal, the way the gods had bound her in chains of light and cursed her to forget. And above all… the scream she let out the moment they ripped her in two.
Her legs buckled. Bai Jiu caught her just in time.
"Yue!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks, not from fear—but from memory.
"I see it now," she whispered. "I was never whole. They made me this way."
The shadow-form hovered nearby, expression softer. "Then take me back. Make us one again."
Bai Jiu hesitated. "If you do this, there's no going back."
Ying Yue looked at him. "And if I don't… I'll never be strong enough to protect what I love."
She reached forward.
As her hand touched the shadow's, the chamber exploded with light.
---
When the light faded, the pool had vanished. So had the twin.
Ying Yue stood in the center of the chamber, her eyes glowing faintly with silver fire. Her presence had changed—still gentle, but undeniably powerful.
Bai Jiu stepped closer, awe in his gaze. "You… you're whole again."
She nodded. "I remember everything."
The temple above trembled. Cracks formed in the ancient stone.
"We need to leave," she said.
As they raced up the stairs, the lotus seal pulsed one last time before fading completely into petals. The prison was gone. The soul was no longer split.
---
Outside, the sky had changed.
Clouds churned overhead, golden lightning crackling across the horizon. In the far distance, a pillar of black mist rose from beyond the mountains.
Bai Jiu looked toward it. "Something woke up when you reclaimed yourself."
Ying Yue stood taller now. "Then we'll meet it. Whatever it is."
He turned to her, quietly proud. "The gods won't know what hit them."