WebNovels

Chapter 8 - Chapter 8 – Echoes Beneath the Moon

The night had fallen softly upon the Heavenly Blade Academy, its rooftops glimmering beneath the silver breath of the twin moons. Beyond the inner training grounds, the Whispering River wound through the mountains like a mirror of flowing glass, reflecting starlight and the faint aura of spirit energy that drifted through the air.

Zeref Ying stood at its edge, shirt discarded beside him, the water lapping softly against his hands as he cupped it to his face. He had come here seeking silence — away from the endless chatter of disciples, away from the praises and murmurs that had followed him after the trials.

His reflection stared back — calm, composed, unreadable. Yet behind those dark eyes, a storm brewed.

The mark on his chest pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat made of light — a sigil of swirling patterns that almost looked celestial. He didn't understand it, not yet. He only knew it reacted when he drew upon his inner spirit energy, as though it were alive.

He touched it lightly. The mark shimmered — just once — and the ripples it created in the river made the entire surface quiver as if responding to him.

Unbeknownst to him, someone watched.

From a distance, half-shrouded in the shadows of bamboo, Instructor Lin Zhiyao stood in silence. The hem of her robe swayed lightly with the mountain breeze. Her eyes, clear as the night sky, watched the strange glow that emerged across Zeref's chest.

Her heartbeat faltered for a moment.

"That mark…" she whispered under her breath, her mind flashing with fragments of forgotten history — tales buried deep within the archives of the Imperium Astrae. A symbol long thought lost — one that belonged only to the Heir of Aetherion.

Could it be coincidence?

She stepped closer, her aura carefully restrained. But even without releasing it, her presence made the air shift slightly, sending ripples through the water.

Zeref's senses, ever sharp, stirred instantly.

"Who's there?" His voice was calm, but his eyes darted toward the shadows.

"It's me," a voice replied softly.

From behind the veil of bamboo, Lin Zhiyao emerged — her white robe faintly glowing under the moonlight, her long hair cascading like silk.

Zeref blinked, quickly pulling his upper robe back on. "Instructor Lin?"

Her expression remained unreadable as she stepped closer, her eyes flicking once more toward the faint glow beneath the fabric.

"You shouldn't be here this late," she said quietly. "The river beyond the training bounds is restricted for disciples after sunset."

Zeref bowed slightly. "My apologies. I needed to… clear my mind."

Her gaze softened for a moment, though her mind was far from calm. That aura around him — it wasn't normal. It resonated with something ancient. Something she had felt only once before… in the archives that spoke of Aetherion.

"Show me your hand," she said suddenly.

Zeref hesitated, confused.

"Now," she added — not harshly, but with a tone that allowed no argument.

He lifted his hand, and as her fingers brushed his wrist, the faint glow on his chest pulsed again, this time resonating with her own spiritual energy. The air shimmered faintly between them, threads of silver and gold intertwining like strands of living light.

Zeref's eyes widened slightly. "What… was that?"

Lin Zhiyao withdrew her hand slowly, her calm composure hiding the turmoil within. "Aetherion Resonance," she thought to herself. "There's no mistake. He carries its echo."

But aloud, she only said, "You have a rare affinity with the elemental balance of spirit energy. Few can attune to water and air this effortlessly."

Zeref tilted his head. "You mean… control them together?"

"Not control," she corrected, stepping closer to the riverbank. "Harmony. The essence of Aetherion isn't domination — it's coexistence."

She raised her right hand, and instantly, the river stirred. The water rose in elegant streams, coiling around her fingers like living silk. Her spiritual energy glowed faintly blue, pulsing with rhythm.

"This," she said, "is the Flowing Resonance Technique — one of the foundational forms of balance cultivation. Watch carefully."

She flicked her wrist. The water twisted into a sphere, then into thin ribbons, then back again, moving without resistance — alive, yet perfectly obedient.

Zeref's eyes narrowed, studying every movement, every breath.

Then, as she let the water fall back into the river, she stepped aside. "Now you."

Zeref took a slow breath, centering his energy. He had observed her flow, the subtle way she merged her spiritual pulse with the rhythm of nature.

When he extended his hands, the air trembled slightly — a soft hum echoing around him. The water responded almost immediately, rising in smooth spirals.

Zhiyao's eyes widened. His execution wasn't perfect — but his understanding, his instinct — it was uncanny.

He wasn't following her form; he was feeling it. Adapting it.

The water began to take shape — not a sphere, but something else. It formed a symbol, one that shimmered faintly before dissolving — the same mark she had seen glowing beneath his robe.

For a heartbeat, she forgot to breathe.

He turned toward her. "Did I… get it wrong?"

Lin Zhiyao's voice was calm, but her mind raced. "No. You did something I didn't teach you."

He frowned slightly. "It just felt… natural."

The wind picked up, carrying the faint scent of river mist and pine. For a long moment, they stood in silence — the world around them still, as though even the night waited to see what she would do next.

Finally, Lin Zhiyao spoke, her tone softer now. "You learn quickly. Too quickly. But remember — mastery without wisdom is a double-edged sword."

Zeref nodded slowly, though his gaze remained distant, thoughtful.

As she turned to leave, she paused for a moment, glancing back over her shoulder. The moonlight framed her face, casting a pale glow over her calm, unreadable expression.

"Tell me, Zeref Ying," she said quietly. "When you draw upon your spirit, do you ever feel… as though something ancient is watching you?"

He froze.

"…Sometimes," he admitted. "But I don't understand what it is."

Her eyes softened with a strange mixture of pity and awe. "Then perhaps, one day, you will."

She walked away, her silhouette fading into the bamboo forest, her robes trailing like whispers of moonlight.

But Zeref remained where he stood, staring down at his reflection in the river. The mark on his chest glowed faintly beneath his clothes once more — a silent reminder of a truth that was beginning to stir.

Unseen, in the rippling reflection of the water, the glow of the mark flickered — and for an instant, another image appeared beside his own.

A colossal monolithic statue, the same one from the ancient trial, appeared in the reflection — eyes faintly open, as if awakening.

Then it vanished, the river going still once more.

And in the distance, Lin Zhiyao paused mid-step, her hand resting over her heart as a strange chill passed through her.

"The heir of Aetherion…" she whispered to herself. "Could it truly be…?"

The river whispered in response, carrying the secret into the night.

---

To be continued...

More Chapters