"What the hell is happening?!"
Mo Yan stared in panic as the sky above erupted into a blinding tempest of light.
Yue Tianlang's expression hardened.
"This is bad… not now! Hurry, get back inside!" he shouted.
But it was already too late.
A wave of dizziness struck Mo Yan like a hammer. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground, struggling to stay upright as his consciousness rapidly slipped away.
"Hang on! Stay with me—I'll heal you right now!"
Tianlang rushed over and pressed his hand to Mo Yan's chest, channeling light directly into his body.
But the light in the sky continued to converge into the clouds above, surging like a tide. And the more it gathered, the worse Mo Yan's condition became.
"Damn it!" Tianlang gritted his teeth, eyes burning with fury as he looked to the heavens.
"I don't care who you are or what you want—but as the lord of this land, I will not allow you to run rampant!"
He rose to his feet, a massive seven-foot scythe materializing in his hand. Staring at the swirling star-river overhead, he raised the weapon and swung, unleashing a brilliant arc of lunar energy.
The silvery crescent cut through the sky, shattering the converging starlight and scattering the lightstorm. The immediate threat passed.
Mo Yan collapsed, panting heavily. Though the worst had passed, he was clearly shaken, his limbs trembling, still numb from the ordeal.
"You okay?" Tianlang asked, putting away his scythe and rushing to Mo Yan's side. "I'm sorry. I knew full well that nighttime was when Lightloss is most active, yet I still selfishly asked you to stay and chat."
"It's fine," Mo Yan smiled weakly. "I chose to stay. But wait—if that was Lightloss just now… Oh no—Kaelin and the others!"
Panic surged through him. Ignoring his still-weak body, he jumped to his feet and sprinted back toward the library. Along the corridors, shattered vases lay scattered, signs that even the castle attendants had fallen prey to the syndrome.
"It's already gotten this bad?" Tianlang followed, heart sinking with guilt.
"Kaelin! Are you guys okay?!" Mo Yan kicked open the library doors and called out.
The room was a mess. Kaelin had collapsed beside a bookshelf, likely hit while returning a book. Zixuan and Zhao Heng had also fallen—one sprawled on the ground, the other slumped over a sofa.
"Ugh, my head… What the hell just happened? Felt like the world flipped upside down," Kaelin groaned, clutching her forehead as she sat up.
"It was Lightloss!" Mo Yan replied immediately.
"What?! That's Lightloss?" Kaelin's eyes widened in shock.
Mo Yan nodded grimly. "Yeah. I felt the same thing outside. If Tianlang hadn't been there…"
"Forgive me, everyone," Tianlang said, entering behind him with a bitter expression. "I never thought the situation had already worsened to this point. If Lightloss can manifest indoors now… And yet, as the guardian of this land, I still have no way to stop it. I've failed you all."
"It's not your fault," Mo Yan said gently.
Zhao Heng nodded. "No one could've predicted this."
Tianlang forced a smile. "Thank you for your kindness. But still… maybe it's time I reconsidered what Princess Fengling said. If handing over the Emblem can save more lives…"
"What?! Are you serious?!" Kaelin's face turned pale. "Didn't you just say they couldn't be trusted?"
"She's right," Zixuan added, her tone serious. "You said their goal is to gather the Guardians' Emblems and challenge the Holy One—to seize control of the world. And that the Emblems were divine gifts from the Holy One. You can't give it up."
"I remember all that," Tianlang murmured, eyes trembling. "But I'm scared. I'm scared that my stubbornness will doom Xuan Yue Town. I'm even more afraid… of being abandoned by the Holy One. He's my savior, my idol. But… I don't know what else to do. Just like she said—if the Moon Festival fails three days from now, I'll live the rest of my life in regret."
Tears streamed down his face, and the room fell silent, the mood darkening with his despair.
"So… you're willing to gamble the lives of everyone in this town?"
Suddenly, Zhao Heng's voice rang out—sharp and angry.
"You're being reckless! Don't forget—you yourself said this was a problem even you as a Guardian couldn't solve. What makes you think they, mere mortals, could possibly have the answer?"
That snapped Tianlang out of it. Of course. It was so simple—how could he have forgotten?
Realization dawned, and with a deep breath, he bowed his head.
"You're right. I was too desperate… and forgot the most obvious truth. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. We'll figure something out together," Mo Yan said with a reassuring smile.
"Right. You were just outside, weren't you?" Zixuan turned to Mo Yan. "Can you describe exactly what you saw?"
Mo Yan nodded. "Same as before—the sky's pitch black. Heavy clouds, no stars, no moon."
"And the Moon Festival depends on moonlight," Zhao Heng noted calmly, arms crossed.
"Which means… we're stuck in a loop," Zixuan murmured. "No moonlight, no ritual. No ritual, no salvation."
"So what do we do now?" Kaelin asked anxiously. "There's gotta be some way!"
Tianlang gave a weary smile. "You've all already done more than enough. This isn't your problem to begin with. It seems… no matter what, I won't escape my failure in three days' time."
He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, cursing his own powerlessness.
Watching him, Kaelin stomped her foot in frustration.
"Ugh! If only I had wings! I'd fly straight up into the sky, do the damn Moon Festival on the moon myself, and be done with it!"
The room went silent. Everyone turned to stare at her.
"…Wait," Zhao Heng murmured, deep in thought. "That might actually work."
"Uh—huh? I was joking!" Kaelin blinked. "You can't seriously mean—"
"No, hear him out," Tianlang said with a chuckle, intrigued. "Zhao Heng, are you suggesting…?"
"I'm dead serious. Think back—who first invented the airplane on our world?"
"The Wright brothers… Wait a second…"
Zixuan's eyes lit up with realization.
"Exactly. If we can gather the right materials, we could build a basic, old-school glider plane. Then we can break through the clouds and perform the ritual above them—bathed in the actual moonlight."
His words were like thunderclaps of clarity. Everyone suddenly saw a way forward.
Mo Yan nodded. "Yeah… That could actually solve everything."
Zhao Heng smiled faintly and turned to Kaelin.
"And it's all thanks to you. Without that offhand comment, I wouldn't have thought of it."
Kaelin scratched her cheek, bashful.
"Hehe… Don't give me too much credit—I was just venting. Still, I am surprised. You barely talk, but turns out you're pretty clever when it counts."
She gave him a warm smile, but once again Zhao Heng fell silent, arms crossed as usual.
"…Ugh, why do I even try," she muttered, half-joking, half-annoyed. "I swear one day I'm gonna kick this guy."
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