"Even the smallest lotus blooms with courage, even amid ashes and ruin."
The temple had fallen into smoke and shadow, its white jade walls shattered, the red banners of the empire's soldiers smoldering in the mist. Yet among the ruin, a lone figure moved with purpose.
Lin Yue, the sister of Yue Lian's mother, stepped carefully over broken beams and charred silk. Her eyes, dark and steady, scanned the temple floor with urgency, each breath measured, each step deliberate. Though her robes were rich and her bearing noble, her attention was fixed entirely on the small form beneath the rubble.
Yue Lian lay curled beneath the collapsed altar, clutching the cracked porcelain lotus to her chest. Her face was streaked with soot, her tiny body trembling in the chill of the night air. She murmured faintly, as if chasing the echoes of a voice lost in the flames.
"Lian'er…" Lin Yue whispered, kneeling beside her. Her hands were gentle yet firm, brushing the soot from the child's hair. "It is I… your aunt. You are safe now. Come with me."
The child's eyes fluttered open, wide with fear and confusion. The temple's smoke swirled around them like restless spirits, yet in the calm certainty of her aunt's presence, Yue Lian felt a fragile thread of trust.
"Mother…" she whispered, her voice cracking.
Lin Yue's lips pressed together briefly, the weight of sorrow flickering across her expression. She took Yue Lian into her arms, holding her as though she were the most precious treasure in the world. "Shh… your mother is gone, Lian'er. But you will live. I will see to it. You are my blood, and no harm shall reach you while I draw breath."
With careful steps, Lin Yue carried her niece through the smoke, over fallen beams, and past the temple edge to move outside the temple. moon hung faintly above, blackened and quiet, yet it cast a pale silver light upon them, illuminating the path forward.
At the edge of the mist, a carriage waited ornated with showy display, but sturdy and concealed beneath crimson silks embroidered with lotus patterns. Two attendants stood nearby, their eyes alert, ready to follow the orders of Lin Yue without hesitation.
Gently, she lowered Yue Lian into the carriage, tucking the child into a soft blanket. The scent of sandalwood and jasmine mixed with the lingering smoke, a quiet comfort against the chaos of the night. Lin Yue's gaze lingered on the temple one last time, committing every detail to memory: the fallen altar, the burned tapestries, the place where her sister had given her life.
"You must sleep now," Lin Yue murmured, her voice steady but soft. "The world outside is not yet ready for you, Lian'er. Close your eyes, and rest."
Yue Lian's small hands clutched the blanket, her mind swirling with the remnants of smoke and flame. She felt the weight of grief, fear, and confusion pressing upon her, yet the presence of her aunt was a steady anchor amid the storm. Slowly, her eyes drifted closed.
The carriage moved through silent streets, past walls blackened by fire, past houses shuttered against the night. The wheels rumbled softly over stone roads, carrying the girl away from destruction and toward a hidden sanctuary known only to her family. Lin Yue's hands rested lightly on the blankets covering her niece, her mind calculating each turn, each hidden alley, to avoid any lingering patrols of the empire.
Dawn had not yet broken when they arrived at a their esteem villa nestled in the jade covered hills. Its walls were tall and quiet, adorned with the symbols of the Xuan clan subtle carvings of lotuses intertwined with moon blade a silent testament to the family's legacy. The air was thick with morning mist, carrying the scent of wet earth, pine, and incense.
Inside, Lin Yue carried Yue Lian through corridors lined with polished wood and soft mats, her movements measured and calm. The child's eyelids fluttered open once more, revealing wide eyes that took in the unfamiliar sanctuary. Light fell gently through lattice windows, painting golden patterns on the floor. Here, the world felt untouched by fire and blood, a place where the past had not yet reached.
"You are safe here, Lian'er," Lin Yue said, setting her down upon a bed. She smoothed the girl's hair back from her tear-streaked face. "This is your home now. You will be cared for, protected, and kept from harm. I swear it."
Yue Lian looked around in awe, her voice barely audible. "Where… am I?"
Lin Yue offered a faint smile, both tender and solemn. "You are with your family, your aunt. The world has been cruel, but here, you shall find peace… at least for now. Rest, and when you awaken, you will see another who awaits you."
The child nodded slowly, exhaustion pressing upon her small frame. Lin Yue left her in the quiet room, allowing her to cover herself with the blankets then she stepped back, her gaze lingering on the sleeping figure. She whispered a silent prayer, a promise to protect the last of her sister's line, before retreating to the hallways beyond.
Morning light crept softly through the misty windows. Outside, a shadow moved quietly along the garden paths. A boy, no older than ten, with dark eyes reflecting the first rays of dawn, approached the main hall. His small hands clutched the hem of his robe, and though he seemed calm, there was a tension in his posture, as if he were aware of something extraordinary.
Inside the room, Yue Lian stirred, her eyes blinking against the soft light. When she looked up, she met the gaze of the boy standing in the doorway For a heartbeat, he was not simply a boy: he wore dark, whispering robes that swallowed the light, a black veil drawn up to his eyes, and he moved with a silent, coiled stillness like a shadow ready to strike. The shape of him the quickness in his limbs, the way his gaze fixed on her made Yue Lian's breath catch. It was as if a small, silent warrior had slipped into the hall, poised and dangerous.
She flinched back under the sheets; fear rose up hot in her chest. Her small body shrank inward, every instinct telling her to hide. The boy's presence was sudden and sharp, like the point of a blade; she thought he might lunge, or call some frightening name. For a moment, the room held only the taut noise of her frightened heart.
Then, as if released from a play, the boy's shoulders loosened. A soft, unexpected laugh escaped him bright and boyish as he lowered the dark veil that had shadowed his face. His features were all mischief and curiosity, eyes sparkling with relief.
"You… you were scared just now, weren't you?" he asked, a teasing lilt in his voice.
Yue Lian's small lips pressed together, cheeks flushing. "I… I wasn't scared!" she protested, though her wide eyes betrayed her.
He laughed again, warm and gentle. "Huh. That must be the bravest 'not scared' I've ever seen."
Yue Lian frowned, but a tiny spark of amusement flickered in her gaze. "I really wasn't!"
"Alright, alright," he said, stepping a little closer, still smiling. "I believe you… for now."
Though the weight of the night still pressed upon her, in that moment beneath the quiet bells of the estate temple and the first light of dawn she felt a faint, fragile hope.
Lin Yue watched silently from the hallway, her heart both heavy and relieved. The two children regarded each other with a mixture of awe, curiosity, and an unspoken promise. For now, the world outside could wait. Here, in the quiet of the misted hills, the girl who had survived the fire had found the first thread of family
The first meeting was quiet, yet it held a weight that even time could not forget.