People say every disaster starts small.
Mine started with tea.
I carried the teacup into the Sect Master's office, walking as carefully as if the floor were made of glass. Steam rose in thin white curls that disappeared into the quiet air.
Shen Qianhe, the Sect Master of Cloudrest Peak, sat behind a wide desk. He was writing with a brush, the tip moving in perfect, even strokes. He didn't look up when I entered. He almost never did.
I placed the cup exactly where he liked it — three finger-widths from the corner of his desk. I only knew that because I'd measured. Several times.
"Thank you," he said, eyes still on his papers.
"You're welcome, Sect Master," I said, trying to sound calm. My hands were shaking just a little.
Outside, the morning bell rang. Below the window, disciples in white robes were already practicing sword swings. Sunlight flashed along their blades like fish scales in a pond. Cloudrest Peak looked peaceful. It always did before something went wrong.
I'm Lin Xue, the Sect Master's assistant. My job is to keep things running — deliver tea, copy scrolls, fix typos, and make sure everyone else looks like they know what they're doing. People think that's boring. It's not. It's survival.
"Are you staying to check the reports?" Shen Qianhe asked.
"I finished them yesterday," I said quickly. "And fixed Elder Mei's spelling again."
He paused. For half a second, I thought he might actually smile. Then he went back to writing.
That half second made my whole morning.
When I left his office, the air outside smelled of pine and mist. The stone path sparkled from dew. Everything was calm — until a silver flash streaked across the sky.
A metal-feathered bird swooped down and landed on the railing in front of me. Its eyes glowed bright blue. A letter hung from its claws, sealed with gray wax and a faint golden shine.
Then, in a blink, the bird vanished, leaving behind a smell like rain and lightning.
I froze. I knew that kind of letter.
It came from Heaven — not the clouds, but the Heavenly Bureau, a powerful group that ruled the world from above. They made the rules. They also made problems disappear.
And sometimes, they sent problems to me.
I slipped the envelope into my sleeve and hurried back to my small office.
When I broke the seal, golden letters appeared across the page, glowing for a moment before settling into words.
ASSIGNMENT #47
Recover unauthorized relic.
Correct all anomalies.
Report to Heaven upon completion.
That was it. No greeting. No goodbye. Heaven never wasted words.
I sighed. "So they finally found it."
I poured myself another cup of tea. The surface rippled as thunder rolled somewhere far away.
The "relic" they wanted was hidden somewhere in Cloudrest Peak. A magical object that Heaven said mortals weren't supposed to have.
Unfortunately, I already knew who was guarding it.
The Sect Master himself.
Perfect.
I burned the letter. Gold dust curled into the air and vanished.
Outside, the bells began to ring again — sharp, fast, warning.
I took one last sip of tea and said to no one, "Here we go."