The rain outside the temple had quieted to a whisper, but Ren couldn't sleep. The bond pulsed faintly in his chest, echoing the rhythm of Li Wei's heart. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw flashes—golden scales, soft whispers, the sound of his own name spoken like a prayer.
When exhaustion finally pulled him under, the world around him shifted.
He stood barefoot in a vast temple of ivory stone. Moonlight spilled through tall columns, painting the floor with silver light. The air smelled of incense and old magic.
And there—on the altar—curled the great serpent.
Li Wei's divine form shimmered in moonlight, scales like liquid starlight, eyes both terrible and kind. Ren's heart ached at the sight. His body moved on its own, sinking to his knees before the creature he somehow both feared and loved.
"You came back," the serpent said, voice echoing like a hymn.
Ren's throat tightened. "I never left."
The serpent's head lowered, and for the first time, Ren wasn't afraid. He reached out, fingers trembling as they brushed warm scales that pulsed beneath his touch. "Even if heaven burns," he whispered, "I'll stay."
The temple trembled. The serpent coiled closer.
"Then you are mine," Li Wei's divine voice murmured, wrapping around him like silk and smoke.
Ren gasped and woke—heart racing, sweat clinging to his skin. Tears slipped down his cheeks before he realized he was crying. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of their shared bond.
Li Wei was there, sitting beside the bed. His golden eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, watching every tremor of Ren's chest.
"You saw it again, didn't you?" Li Wei's tone was gentle, edged with something raw.
Ren nodded, voice shaking. "I remembered what I said… I promised I'd stay, even if heaven burned." He gave a broken laugh, wiping his eyes. "It's the same now, isn't it? I keep choosing you, even when I shouldn't."
For a moment, Li Wei didn't answer. His expression was unreadable—then softened with something like sorrow.
"That promise," he said quietly, "was the reason the heavens cursed us."
Ren looked up sharply. "Then why didn't you let me go?"
Li Wei reached out, his fingers brushing a tear from Ren's cheek. "Because you are my heaven," he whispered. "Even if it burns."
Ren froze, unable to breathe. The air between them shimmered, heavy with emotion—love, guilt, yearning all tangled together.
Outside, thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, as if the world itself was listening.
And somewhere beyond that thunder, a cold wind stirred—a ripple in the air that did not belong to the storm.
A new presence had awakened.