Blades Beneath the Same Moon
The attack came before dawn.
Xiao Xing sensed it before he saw it — the subtle shift in the air, the way the city seemed to hold its breath.
Steel rang out.
A blade skimmed past his cheek.
He turned just in time to see five figures drop from the rooftops, their movements coordinated, practiced. These were not common thugs. Their footwork bore the mark of trained killers.
"Li Dynasty mercenaries," Xiao Xing muttered.
No insignia. No warning.
Only intent.
Fighting Alone — Then Not
Xiao Xing drew his sword.
The first man lunged. Xiao Xing sidestepped, struck, disarmed — but another blade came from behind.
It never reached him.
A shadow cut through the space between them.
The attacker fell without a sound.
Xiao Xing turned.
Giyeok stood beside him, twin daggers drawn, her presence steady as stone.
"I told you Haemun wasn't safe," she said calmly.
"And I told you I don't run," he replied.
Her lips curved faintly.
"Good."
They moved together without another word.
A Perfect Synchrony
The mercenaries attacked in waves.
Xiao Xing broke their formation, forcing them inward. Giyeok exploited every opening he created — precise, lethal, unhesitating.
They didn't shout warnings.
They didn't signal.
They simply knew.
A strike. A turn. A fall.
It was as if they had trained together for years.
The final mercenary hesitated — fear overtaking discipline.
"Who sent you?" Xiao Xing demanded.
The man laughed nervously.
"Doesn't matter," he spat. "You're already marked."
Giyeok stepped forward.
He didn't even finish screaming.
After the Storm
The street lay silent.
Dawn crept over the rooftops, pale and uncertain.
Xiao Xing wiped his blade and looked at her.
"You didn't have to come back," he said.
"I don't abandon battles I start," Giyeok replied.
"You didn't start this one."
She met his gaze.
"…I did when I saved you."
He chuckled softly.
"Then I owe you my life twice."
She sheathed her daggers.
"I don't keep score."
Quiet Words, Loud Truths
They sat on the temple steps as the city slowly woke.
"You fight like someone raised for war," Giyeok said.
Xiao Xing stared ahead.
"I was raised to survive."
She studied him.
"And your name — IN. That's not the one you were born with."
"No," he admitted.
"Will you tell me?"
He paused.
"Not yet."
She nodded.
"That's fair."
A beat.
"Then I'll tell you something instead," she said.
He turned to her.
"I've never failed a mission," she said quietly.
He smiled.
"I believe you."
Her eyes flickered — not with pride, but something else.
"Be careful," she added. "People like me don't choose who we're sent after."
The words lingered.
Neither of them spoke what they were thinking.
Elsewhere — A Summons Unspoken
Far away, in Cheng Dynasty, incense burned low.
Nae Yi stood before Heaven's altar.
"The board is nearly set," she whispered.
A name rested on her lips.
But she did not speak it yet.
Not until the time was right.
Closing Omen
That night, under the same moon, Xiao Xing and Giyeok walked the city walls.
Their shoulders brushed — briefly.
Neither moved away.
Above them, clouds shifted, revealing a streak of crimson light that vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Heaven watched.
It always did