Chapter 82 – Shadows Beneath the Heart
The night was still, almost unnaturally so.
The moon hung low above the Liu Clan estate, veiled in thin mist, its pale glow seeping through the wooden lattice windows of Lin Xuan's room. A faint incense burned beside his bed—calming, fragrant, familiar.
He sat cross-legged, eyes closed, his mind attuned to the quiet rhythm of his breath. The Celestial Unity Crest pulsed faintly across his back, light ebbing in soft waves like a heartbeat. But even as he sank into meditation, an uneasy heaviness began to stir deep within his consciousness.
The air trembled.
Without realizing it, Lin Xuan drifted into sleep—a deep, consuming slumber.
At first, the dream was shapeless. Shadows swirled in endless darkness, and whispers drifted through the void. Then the whispers sharpened—voices like knives scraping glass.
A chain coiled around his wrist.
He looked down—only to find his arms bound by dark tendrils of molten metal, glowing with searing heat. Phantom blades sliced into his back, the pain too real to dismiss as illusion. His breath caught, his mind roaring to wake—but he couldn't. Something kept him there.
And then he heard it.
A voice.
Soft at first, then sharp as thunder.
"Big Brother."
The sound froze him. The tone was neither mocking nor gentle—it was familiar, like a forgotten echo buried beneath lifetimes. The voice deepened, trembling with both hate and sorrow.
"You left me… in the dark. You should have stayed."
The figure emerged from the fog—a silhouette wrapped in chains, face hidden behind shadow. Yet its presence radiated power so immense that the dream itself began to fracture.
Lin Xuan struggled to move, his body trembling under the invisible weight. The chains tightened, burning through flesh and bone. Still, he didn't scream. His jaw clenched, his eyes burning with defiance.
The shadow laughed softly, almost fondly. "You still endure. You always did."
Then the world shattered.
---
Lin Xuan jerked awake, gasping.
His chest heaved, sweat pouring down his temples. The Celestial Unity Crest on his back glowed faintly, its light flickering erratically. The bedding was tangled, the scent of singed cloth lingering in the air.
For a heartbeat, he didn't recognize the room—the edges of reality blurred, half-dream still clinging to his senses.
Then the door burst open.
"Xuan'er!" Luo Shuang's voice cracked with worry as she rushed in, robe half-tied, silver hair unkempt. Behind her came Liu Yue, wide-eyed, clutching her night robe, and Liu Yang gripping his glaive as though expecting an intruder. Anika followed last, calm but tense, her raven hair loose and glimmering in the candlelight.
Lin Xuan looked at them, the echoes of the dream still clawing at his chest.
"It's nothing," he muttered hoarsely. "Just… a nightmare."
Luo Shuang knelt beside him, pressing a cool hand to his arm. "You were screaming, Xuan'er. The whole house heard you."
He tried to smile but failed. "I'll be fine, Mother."
Anika stepped forward, her gaze searching his face. She could see it—the tremor beneath his calm, the flicker of confusion in his eyes.
"Husband," she said quietly, "check your System inventory. There's an item that may help."
He frowned but obeyed, focusing inward.
A translucent blue screen materialized before him, humming softly. Rows of items scrolled past—pills, scrolls, artifacts, minor relics—and then one caught his eye.
"Sleeping Chamber," he read aloud.
At his mental command, the item shimmered into existence beside the bed. A sleek, translucent capsule unfolded from thin air, its surface glowing with soft white light and the faint hum of spiritual energy.
Liu Yang stepped closer, eyes wide. "That's… beautiful."
Anika smiled faintly. "It will stabilize his mental state while he sleeps. It's meant for those haunted by soul strain."
She gestured gently. "Go back to rest, all of you. I'll stay."
Luo Shuang hesitated but nodded, giving Lin Xuan's hand a reassuring squeeze before leaving with the others. Liu Yue glanced back once, biting her lip, before disappearing through the door.
When the room quieted, Anika sat beside him. The lamplight reflected off her dark eyes—calm, unreadable.
"You've endured far worse in silence," she murmured. "But dreams leave deeper wounds than battles."
Lin Xuan gave a tired smile. "You make it sound poetic."
"Truth usually is," she replied softly.
He lay down in the chamber. As it closed around him, the faint hum of runes filled the air, and the world slipped into tranquil quiet. Anika watched as his breathing steadied, her hand resting lightly on the capsule's surface. The glow reflected in her eyes, faint sorrow hidden beneath serenity.
"Big Brother, hm?" she whispered to herself, voice barely audible. "Even fate can't let go of you."
Morning came gently.
The first rays of light filtered through the window, casting golden warmth across the room. The Sleeping Chamber dissolved into thin air with a soft sigh, leaving only the faint scent of melted wax and lingering spiritual essence.
Lin Xuan stirred awake, feeling lighter, though the dream still haunted the edges of his mind—the chains, the laughter, the name.
He rose, washing his face in silence before joining the family at the breakfast nook.
The table was set simply—steamed buns, rice porridge, and jasmine tea. Sunlight painted everything in soft hues. Liu Yue and Liu Yang spoke quietly, Luo Shuang smiled faintly, and Anika poured tea with unshaken grace.
But Lin Xuan couldn't shake the question gnawing at him.
"Anika," he said suddenly, breaking the silence.
She looked up, brows raised. "Yes?"
His gaze lingered on her hand—the way it trembled, ever so slightly, as she poured. "That dream… it wasn't just a nightmare. The figure—he called me Big Brother."
Anika's hand froze. A drop of tea spilled, sizzling faintly against the wooden surface.
"Big Brother?" she repeated softly.
He nodded slowly. "Do you know who he is?"
Her expression shifted—surprise, sorrow, a shadow of something unspoken. Then she shook her head, her voice quiet. "Dreams often echo fragments of past lives. But some echoes are not meant to be understood yet."
He frowned. "So you do know something."
She met his eyes, the weight of countless lifetimes flickering in her gaze. "Lin Xuan… when you look too hard into what's hidden, it looks back. Don't chase the shadows before you're ready."
For a moment, neither spoke. The wind rustled the bamboo outside, carrying the faint scent of morning dew.
Luo Shuang smiled gently, trying to ease the tension. "Come now, eat before the food cools."
Lin Xuan nodded but his thoughts lingered far away.
Later that day, in the garden pavilion, the air carried the fragrance of jasmine and wet grass. Lin Xuan stood before Liu Yang, who held his glaive with both hands, posture rigid but determined.
"From today," Lin Xuan said, his tone calm but firm, "you'll call me Master, not Brother."
Liu Yang's eyes widened. "M-Master?"
"You've trained long enough as family," Lin Xuan continued. "It's time to refine your path as a warrior. I'll teach you the way of weapons—not just strength, but will. Every strike should echo purpose."
The boy nodded deeply, excitement and nervousness mingling in his eyes. "Yes, Master!"
From the side, Anika and Luo Shuang watched. Liu Yue clapped lightly, beaming.
Anika's smile was faint but proud. "He's becoming more like you every day."
Lin Xuan exhaled, gazing at his younger brother's determined face. "Let's hope he becomes better."
That evening, Lin Xuan sat alone in the meditation chamber, the room dim except for the soft pulse of the Celestial Unity Crest. The nightmare's memory flickered once more—chains, laughter, the voice whispering Big Brother.
He didn't know if it was warning, memory, or prophecy.
But one thing was certain—whatever that voice belonged to, it wasn't gone. It was waiting.
Lin Xuan closed his eyes, resolve hardening like steel.
"I'll be ready… next time."
The candle beside him burned quietly, its flame steady and unwavering—like the man himself.