---
The battlefield had gone silent.
Shen Li lay back on the cracked stone, staring at the clouds above. His body was covered in cuts and dirt, and his robes were scorched from the power he had unleashed.
The silence was heavy, but not empty.
It was peaceful.
He had survived.
And the Void King… was gone.
Yue Qian sat beside him, holding a cloth to a gash on his arm. Her hands trembled, but her eyes never left his face.
"You really scared me, you know."
He chuckled weakly. "Yeah. I scared myself too."
---
🌿 Gentle Moments
For a while, no one said anything.
Yan Su built a small fire nearby. He was quiet now—no jokes, no teasing. Just watching the flames.
They all needed time to breathe.
Yue Qian finally broke the silence.
Her voice was soft.
"Why didn't you fall?"
Shen Li blinked. "Fall?"
"When the Void King attacked, and everything was collapsing… you didn't run. You didn't even flinch."
He turned his head to look at her.
"I saw you," he said simply.
Her cheeks turned pink. "…You idiot."
He grinned.
But beneath that smile, a question lingered.
---
🌀 Hidden Truths
Why did the Spark of Origin react to me?
He wasn't of divine blood. He wasn't a Celestial Descendant. So why did that ancient power obey his call?
And more than that—why did it feel... familiar?
Shen Li stared at his hand. For just a moment earlier, he had felt something awaken inside him. Something ancient. Something dangerous.
A memory—not his own.
> "Two stars... One path... Balance or destruction..."
That voice.
That echo.
Where had it come from?
Yue Qian noticed the distant look in his eyes. "You okay?"
He snapped back. "Yeah. Just... thinking."
---
💔 A Touch of Heart
Night fell slowly, casting the mountain in a deep blue glow. Yue Qian pulled her knees to her chest and looked at the stars.
"When I was a kid," she said softly, "I used to think the stars were souls of warriors watching over us."
Shen Li turned to her.
"Then they must've seen what you did today," he replied. "And they're probably standing up, clapping."
She laughed, then looked down.
"Would you…"
She hesitated.
"Would you still fight… if I wasn't by your side?"
Shen Li's eyes widened. "Why are you asking that?"
"Because I know what's coming," she said. "I felt it when I gave you the Spark. Something out there is watching us."
Her fingers tightened on her sleeve.
"They won't let you walk this path alone."
He didn't answer at first.
Then slowly, he reached out… and placed his hand over hers.
"I don't care who they are," he said firmly.
"As long as you're still here… I'll fight the entire heavens."
---
🌕 Unknown Eyes
Far away…
Beyond the sky, in a realm of stars and fog…
A single golden eye opened.
It had no body. No shape. Only presence. It watched the three humans resting on the broken peak.
> "So… The boy of balance has awakened."
A deep voice rumbled through the void.
> "The seals won't hold much longer. Prepare the Harbingers. It's time."
The eye closed.
And a thousand shadows stirred.