Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I didn’t remember this place being so huge!" March commented, looking around in awe as they stepped briskly into the ruins of Scalegorge Waterscape. "It’s been a while since we were last here, hasn’t it?"

"Actually, I’ve come here fairly often," Dan Heng replied while walking at the front of the group.

"I'm basically living here at this point," chimed in Stelle, for whom the ruins had become a familiar landscape.

She wasn’t quite sure what Dan Heng had in mind. The night before, he’d simply told her to be ready at dawn and to inform March as well. Whatever it was, it was about how the Sedition happened. Something missing in the information they already had.

She had no idea what 'miracles' had to do with it, though.

March shot them a grumpy look.

"Well, at least you brought me along this time," she grumbled. "We’re supposed to be a team, but lately you two have been running off on your own all the time. I’m starting to get jealous of Dan Feng and Blade. They always seem to have your full attention. Even if one of them is technically dead."

Stelle scratched the back of her neck, embarrassed. March wasn’t entirely wrong. At least in her case, she’d had so much on her plate that she hadn’t had time for her, or for the things they usually did together. She couldn’t blame her for feeling left out.

"I’m sorry. It’s just been a roller-coaster of events lately," she apologized.

March sighed dramatically.

"I know, I know. I get that you’ve got stuff you need to do on your own and all that. Still, I’m glad you decided to include me this time. It’s nice to know you trust me. That is why I’m here, isn't it? Because you know that no matter what you’re dealing with, I’ll have your back, right?"

She clasped her hands in front of her, looking at them both hopefully. She looked like a puppy wagging her tail.

At least until Dan Heng threw a bucket of cold water on her enthusiasm.

"Or maybe you’re here because there’s a lot of work to do, and we need an extra pair of hands."

She stopped in her tracks, gasping in disbelief as the other two walked past her. Then her face flushed with annoyance, and she ran after them, falling in step beside Dan Heng.

"Why do you always have to be so mean? Is that the way you talk to a cute girl who's doing you a favor? I’m here, pouring all my goodwill into helping you, and that’s all the thanks I get? This is just like that time in Belobog! And that time at the Space Station! Not to mention that time before Stelle even joined..."

She kept going, listing all the many times Dan Heng had teased her. When it came to that, her memory was so sharp it could rival Fuli’s, making it hard to believe she suffered from amnesia.

Dan Heng let her rant until she had to pause for breath. Then, without saying a word, he gave her a pat on the head.

March pouted even more.

"Don’t treat me like a kid, Dan Heng! I’m not done with you! Just because you—"

"When we’re done here," he cut in before she could launch into another tirade, "I’ll buy you two packs of Tuskpir Wraps as a reward."

March fell silent, struck speechless. Then, after a moment of consideration, she tossed aside all dignity.

"I want three of them."

"Deal," Dan Heng agreed.

During their back-and-forth, neither of them noticed that Stelle had fallen a few steps behind, watching them quietly. That kind of interaction was normal for them. Familiar, even. She thought it belonged to them alone. And yet, a memory overlaid the figures of her friends.

The memory of a tall man with long black hair gently patting the head of his silver-haired student.

So similar to what she knew, and yet so different. A trace of times gone by.

Something she didn't want to linger on right now.

She broke the illusion and returned to her friends' side.

"So, where exactly are we going?" she asked, trying to bring her wandering thoughts back to the matter at hand.

"Deep into the ruins," Dan Heng replied. "Where the eggs are kept."

"Oh, the Vidyadhara 'nursery'!" March said cheerfully, though her smile quickly faded into confusion. "But why? What are we supposed to do there?"

"There’s something I want to confirm."

He didn't elaborate, and all they could do was follow, trusting that an explanation would come eventually.

They passed Dragonvista Rain Hall and took the coral-lined path that led into the Ancient Sea Palace Ruins.

March began glancing around nervously. Unlike Stelle, she had only been there once, just before the fight with Phantylia. She wasn’t accustomed to the place’s haunting beauty, nor the draconic shapes moving just beneath the water’s surface. To her eyes, it must have seemed like a cursed land. Perhaps that was why she jumped when Dan Heng suddenly stopped.

"We’re here," he said, sweeping his gaze over the surrounding landscape.

Though Stelle had seen the Vidyadhara 'nurseries' before, there was still something captivating about the scenery.

The eggs, similar in shape and color to pearls, were clustered in groups of three or four, each on a small 'island' along the path to the Ambrosial Arbor seal. Flower-like formations opened beneath them like cradles, giving the illusion they were some kind of strange marine plant.

Stelle wasn’t sure how many there were, but she could count at least a few dozen. Maybe even hundreds, hidden where her eyes couldn’t reach.

She had never really thought about it before, but those eggs were quite beautiful. And they were shiny. If she could take one and add it to her 'treasures'...

"No, Stelle, you can't kidnap an egg and bring it onto the Express," Dan Heng said all of a sudden.

Stelle jumped in surprise. How did he know?! Had he learned to read minds from Kafka?! Or was it part of his High Elder powers?

"I can’t read minds. You just had it written all over your face," he replied before she could even put her thoughts into words. "You were staring at that egg while rubbing your hands together."

He pointed to one of the smaller eggs in the nearest cluster.

...Wait, really? Was she actually doing that?

She quickly hid her hands behind her back. Apparently, her body was acting without her brain’s approval.

"That’s a shame, though," March said, stepping up to the egg and lightly touching its surface with her fingertip. "You could make a ton of pretty accessories with the shells once they hatch."

Dan Heng crossed his arms sternly.

"March, don’t you start too. Taking a Vidyadhara egg is equivalent to kidnapping a person, and many of these eggs will take centuries to hatch. Is it worth it for a few accessories? Besides, you wouldn’t even be able to lift one. They’re anchored with Cloudhymn magic."

"Really?" Stelle asked.

"Of course they are. Do you think they’d just leave them here, if anyone could take them away? The Pearlkeepers come here every few days to renew the magic and make sure the gestation is progressing properly."

March clicked her tongue in disappointment, saying goodbye to the necklaces and bracelets she had no doubt been planning to create. But in her typical fashion, she moved on quickly and clapped her hands, ready to get down to business.

"Alright, here we are! What do we do now?"

Dan Heng approached a cluster of eggs and cautiously laid a hand on one of the pearlescent shells.

"If you get close to a Vidyadhara egg and pay attention, you can hear an echo of sorts. Did you know that?"

Stelle and March both shook their heads. So he continued.

"I’m not an expert on how it works, but I believe that, while the person inside is preparing to hatch, there’s a phase where their memories are suspended. As if they were floating in water, before..."

"Before being washed away," Stelle guessed.

He nodded.

"Yes. And during this phase, they can be perceived from the outside."

"So, you want us to listen to the memories inside the eggs?" March asked, scratching the side of her head. "Why?"

Dan Heng’s gaze drifted briefly toward the distant Ambrosial Arbor seal before returning to them.

"The records of what happened during the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae are very vague, and sometimes contradict one another. There’s no reliable official account, because it’s all been muddled by half-truths and political maneuvering."

"Well, we kind of know what happened thanks to the General, and he wouldn’t lie to us, right?" March said. "And Blade told Stelle his version. He was there, so he knows better than anyone."

Dan Heng nodded again.

"That’s true. But neither of them knows what happened before that. And by this, I mean before Dan Feng told Yingxing about his intentions. Only Dan Feng himself knew. But if the memories are inside me, I have no access to them."

"So the eggs are supposed to tell us?" March asked, even more confused.

"This isn’t the only place where eggs are kept. But most of the survivors of the Sedition who made it far enough to reincarnate were brought here. I’m sure some of them haven’t hatched yet," he said, gesturing to the eggs around them. "All I need is a clue. If I could know exactly what happened from someone who was there — someone less emotionally involved than Blade — maybe it will spark something within me. Maybe I will remember."

Stelle crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes to focus on his tense expression. The tightness in his shoulders. The way his fingers curled into fists.

For her, Dan Heng had been her first real experience with deciphering body language. When she first met him, she found him as hard to read as Blade, and almost as aloof. But she’d spent enough time studying him to understand how his gears turned.

He already had a theory. A very specific idea of what to look for.

"Okay. So we just have to listen to the eggs dating back to the Sedition," she summed up. "Let’s get to work, then."

"What do you mean, ‘let’s get to work’?" March exclaimed. "Have you seen how many eggs there are?! We’ll be here for hours!"

"Which is why we should start ASAP!" Stelle replied cheerfully.

She pulled out a permanent marker and a notepad — one small enough to fit into her pocket, with a red mecha on the cover.

"Where did you get that?" March asked, peering at it.

"In the garbage," she answered matter-of-factly.

March recoiled in disgust, and Stelle rolled her eyes.

"It was the paper bin, March! There was nothing gross in there! When did you get so squeamish?"

"I think being squeamish about trash is pretty normal," Dan Heng said, in a deadpan tone.

Stelle ignored them both. The notebook was perfectly clean, and the pages were almost empty. It was a waste to throw it away. In fact, it was likely that someone tossed it out by accident.

Either way, she’d found it, so now it was hers.

She opened it to a blank page and sketched a rough map of the egg clusters around them, dividing them into three roughly equal zones and marking each one with their initials.

"Here we go!" she declared triumphantly, showing off her masterpiece. "If we each take a zone, we should be able to cover a pretty wide area. What do you think?"

Dan Heng took a look at it, and appeared to be satisfied.

"I'm fine with it. Looks efficient enough. March?"

March didn’t look too thrilled, but finally shrugged in resignation.

"Okay, okay. Anything for my four packages of Tuskpir wraps!"

"It was three packages," Dan Heng corrected her.

"It’s four now!"

Before he could protest, she spun on her heels and dashed off toward her assigned area.

"Four it is, then," Dan Heng sighed, turning back to Stelle. "I don’t know if this will help solve the Blade situation. But the more we know, the better our chances. Or at least, I hope so."

"I know. Thanks, Dan Heng," she said, genuinely grateful.

She knew that, in large part, this mission was for himself. But she also knew that part of his motivation was to help her. That, as far as she was concerned, was more than enough.

He gave her a light, encouraging pat on the shoulder and headed off toward his clusters of eggs.

Once alone, Stelle shoved the notebook and marker back in her pocket and got to work.

…Or at least, she would try. Because, even though she had faith in Dan Heng’s idea, 'listening' to the eggs felt a bit strange. Was pressing her ear to the shell really going to be enough?

She cautiously approached the nearest egg. It was large enough to hold a curled-up human, light casting pink reflections on its scaly shell. It looked fragile and ethereal, but when she placed her hand on it, it felt as hard as thick glass.

She knelt down to press her ear against it, when something moved inside. Startled, Stelle pulled back, eyes wide as a blurry shadow appeared on the other side of the shell. Then, suddenly, something pressed against it.

The outline of a small hand, about the size of a child’s.

…A Vidyadhara child?

Stelle didn’t know if the figure was trying to communicate or if it had simply moved on instinct. Maybe the person on the inside wasn’t even aware of her presence. Even so, she gently placed her hand over theirs, and pressed her ear to the shell.

And she remembered.

She remembered being a Pearlkeeper, entrusted with the important task of taking care of the eggs. She remembered loving her job and tending to them like a mother to her children. She wasn’t skilled in Cloudhymn magic or with weapons, but she did her best — keeping the shells clean, removing algae and dust, treating every sign of trauma.

Then the monster covered in leaves suddenly appeared behind her, taking her by surprise as she was working. She remembered fumbling to defend herself, before the creature grabbed her and hurled her against the eggs she had vowed to protect. She remembered her blood mixing with her tears, amid shattered pearly fragments.

The memory cut off abruptly, and she was yanked back to reality. It was like dreaming of dying and waking up the moment before it happened.

Stelle flinched so hard she fell back onto the damp ground, heart pounding in her ears at the realization that she had just witnessed someone’s death. The shock was so strong she couldn’t even process it at first, just staring at the outline of the small hand until it slipped away, disappearing deep into the egg. Only then, once her emotions settled, did she grasp the magnitude of what she had experienced.

She had just lived through the most traumatic moment of another person’s life. It wasn't someone important — not a ruler, nor a general, or a hero. Just an ordinary Pearlkeeper, killed by a Mara-struck while doing her job. And yet, the memory had been so powerful it stole her breath away.

It wasn’t just the experience itself that was overwhelming, but also what it implied. If such a 'simple' death had such an impact... what would it be like to witness the memory of someone who died during the Sedition?

She placed a hand on her chest, listening to her own heartbeat until it began to slow down, and a cold rationality replaced her momentary panic.

She couldn't back down now. Just like Dan Heng, Blade, and Jing Yuan, she was entangled in that centuries-old quagmire. Perhaps not as deeply as they were, but, if anything, that was an advantage. She was in the perfect position to judge things from a different perspective compared to the others, and those memories couldn't hurt her as much. Even if they were scary.

She had to do it.

She pulled herself to her feet like a warrior ready for battle and marched toward the next egg.

There was much work to be done and little time to do it. Whatever secrets they were hiding, she would uncover them.

Or at least, that was her intention. Turning it into action, however, soon proved far more complicated. Determined as she was, she had no way of 'interrogating' the eggs: all she could do was listen to what they had to offer. And she quickly realized that, in most cases, it wasn’t much.

She went through the memories of a Cloud Knight who, after working hard to become a troop instructor, had been accidentally wounded by one of his trainees, and died because of it.

She experiences the death of a passerby who, while peacefully walking down the street, was struck and injured by a malfunctioning cycrane.

She sensed the turmoil of a love-struck Vidyadhara, approaching his rebirth with both hope and anticipation at the thought of seeing his beloved once again.

She perceived the ambition of one egg’s occupant to become a painter, though it wasn’t clear whether it was a memory of a past life or a whisper of the one about to begin.

So many memories, so many deaths — some sudden and painful, others gentle and serene.

At times, though, she felt nothing at all. Many eggs were completely silent, lacking either the strength or will to share their thoughts. And throughout all of this, the only reference she found to the Sedition came from a star-struck musician who had died shortly after writing a song dedicated to Dan Feng.

After a while, she lost track of how many she had listened to, drifting from one to the next automatically, her hope of making progress thinning by the second.

Maybe it was a futile endeavor. Maybe they wouldn’t find anything of interest.

Even so, she wasn’t ready to give up, not until she had played every card in her hand. Or, in this case, inspected every single egg in her area of interest.

She moved from the group she’d just checked toward a new one, the closest egg perched atop a coral formation.

Careful not to damage the structure, Stelle climbed up and settled in a precarious balance beside the egg. She was about a meter and a half above the ground, legs dangling from the natural platform. From there, she could see March and Dan Heng moving from egg to egg in their respective areas.

She could only hope they were having better luck than she was.

With little expectation, she placed her ear against the pearlescent shell and waited.

At first, the egg seemed unwilling to 'speak' to her. The only sound she could hear was the gentle crashing of the waves around her. But after a while, the noise intensified until it began to resemble a roar.

It took Stelle a while to realize the sound wasn’t coming from around her, but from within the egg, and anxiety grew inside of her. The same anxiety she’d felt with every new memory she uncovered.

Was this finally it? Would this one be promising, or just another disappointment?

She closed her eyes and pressed her ear more firmly to the shell, letting herself sink into the sounds, as though she were being pulled into the memory itself.

A massive, powerful beast flew above Scalegorge Waterscape, its roars louder than thunder, making her bones rattle. It was so deafening that she and the other guards were knocked off their feet. Looking up, she could see its scaly coils and the long whiskers sprouting from its semi-draconic head, as the abomination thrashed in madness, destroying everything in its path.

She was going to die. She could feel it. The monster would tear her apart, just as it had done to anyone who stood in its way.

Then, suddenly, the beast let out an even louder cry—different from its previous rage-filled roars.

Pain. Fear.

The creature crashed to the ground, wounded, and she found herself staring into a pair of deep, mercury-colored eyes — wet and terrified.

Instinct told her to run, but even if she’d had the strength, there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.

The temperature dropped around her as a shadow passed by, leaving a freezing trail in its wake. Then, a woman appeared, standing atop the beast’s head.

Long hair the same color as snow. A strip of black silk covering her eyes. In her hands, a thick sword of pure white ice, gleaming like moonlight. It was too big for her slender, graceful figure, and yet she lifted it with ease, lowering its tip toward the ground.

The strip of cloth slipped from her eyes, revealing brilliant red irises, glowing with a feverish light. Her lips moved, her voice barely audible.

"I’m sorry."

And a moment later, the sword fell upon the abomination’s head, unleashing a wave of ice around her. The shards, sharp as knives, spread in every direction, freezing everything they touched.

Including her.

The sensation of ice on her skin and in her lungs tore her from the memory mere seconds before 'death'.

Stelle gasped, jerking away from the egg. She did it so abruptly, in fact, that she slipped off the coral formation. She felt the empty space beneath her, and before she could even cry in surprise, landed hard on her rear end.

She hadn’t fallen from high enough to be seriously hurt, but the jolt of pain shooting up from her backside snapped her out of the lingering terror.

With an annoyed groan, she got to her feet, rubbing her sore behind and glaring at the egg with something close to resentment. She knew the person inside wasn’t to blame, but still, it had given her quite the fright.

The memory belonged to a soldier, though she didn’t think it was a Cloud Knight. And what she’d seen had been the slaying of the draconic abomination. The images matched Blade’s account, and she recognized Jingliu. She still remembered their meeting on the beach, and the biting cold that seemed to radiate from her very presence.

She had finally found a firsthand account of what had happened back then.

"Stelle, are you okay?"

At March’s call, she turned and saw her friend hurrying over, Dan Heng following close behind.

They must have seen her ungraceful landing.

"I’m fine. My butt is quite resilient!" she replied, waving a hand dismissively, even though said 'resilient butt' was still tingling from the impact.

She’d wake up the next day with a couple of nasty bruises, but oh well! Compared to being skewered through the chest by Cocolia, this was nothing.

March came to a stop beside her, her worry fading into a cute pout.

"I was trying to listen to an egg, and I saw you fall like a sack of potatoes! It happened so fast I didn’t even have time to snap a picture."

She gave a little pat to the camera strapped to her belt, and Stelle wondered whether she was concerned for her, or just disappointed she hadn’t captured the moment. Which, in itself, was surprising: March was a camera demon. Somehow, she’d managed to take a few shots even during the fight against Phantylia. How she’d done that was still a mystery.

Dan Heng, for his part, was staring up at the egg perched atop the platform, his eyes narrowed. No need to be a mind reader to tell he’d already put two and two together.

"Did you find anything interesting?" he asked.

"Sort of," Stelle replied. "Are there soldiers among the Vidyadhara, Dan Heng? Outside of those who join the Cloud Knights, I mean."

"High Elders have their personal guards," he confirmed. "And the Preceptors do as well, though in smaller numbers."

"Then maybe our friend up there was one of them." Stelle pointed toward the egg in question. "I saw Jingliu kill the draconic abomination."

At the revelation, Dan Heng’s expression darkened. He wasn’t pleased by what he had heard. And, without meaning to, March was the first to give voice to what everyone else had noticed.

"So there were already other people there, when that woman arrived?"

"According to official reports, the Cloud Knights arrived after Jingliu. Or with Jingliu. The circumstances vary depending on the witness," Dan Heng said, scratching his chin as he put the facts together. "None of them should have been there before she arrived."

"Maybe Dan Feng brought some of his personal guards with him, to keep watch while he and Yingxing were inside," Stelle suggested.

"It’s a possibility," he conceded.

"Well, that means they’re the ones we should be looking for, right? They’re our witnesses, like in one of those detective movies," March said with a wide smile.

"Starting to enjoy yourself?" Stelle asked, noting how her earlier reluctance had faded.

March toyed with her hair, her cheeks flushing faintly.

"A little, even though I haven’t found anything interesting yet. The guy from the last egg I listened to was obsessed with cycranes. His memories were basically a lecture on them. I thought I’d fall asleep halfway through."

"Knowing you, I’m surprised you didn't," Dan Heng snarked.

She stuck out her tongue at him.

"What can I say? Five packages of Tuskpir Wraps are great motivators!" she declared, tossing her hair back like a diva and heading off toward the eggs again.

As he watched her go, Dan Heng allowed himself a half-smile.

"The numbers of Tuskpir Wraps keep going up. At this rate, I’ll have to buy her an entire candy shop."

"As long as she's willing to share, I’ve got no complaints!" Stelle smiled.

"Sure…"

He fell silent, his attention drifting back to the eggs. To get it back, Stelle had to wave a hand in front of his face.

"Hey, are you still with me?"

He blinked, coming back to his senses.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Care to elaborate?"

Dan Heng didn’t answer, and for the first time, Stelle noticed he looked a little paler than before. This immediately set off her internal alarms.

"Did you find something?"

He gave her a long, contemplative look.

"Maybe," he finally said, "but I still need more information. I don’t dare make any assumptions without having the full picture.”

Instead of reassuring her, that only made her worry more. If it was something he didn’t even dare speak about, it had to be serious.

"Should I keep looking through the eggs, then?"

"Yes, please."

At his confirmation, Stelle sighed. She understood the need for it, witnessing other people's deaths over and over again was tiring. It reminded her of the people dying in her latest memory.

How many deaths had she been responsible for in her past?

"Is something wrong?"

Noticing her sudden shift in mood, Dan Heng took a step closer.

Given his own past, perhaps he would understand how she felt. Still, she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to let him in on the darker parts of her life with the Hunters.

Someone like Blade wouldn’t judge her for her crimes, since he had committed plenty himself. But Dan Heng could. And this scared her.

"If I were responsible for the deaths of many people, what would you think of me?" she asked in a barely audible voice, not looking in his direction.

She felt his gaze as he assessed her. She didn’t dare to look at him and see his reaction, but she knew he was too smart not to realize what she meant.

"What’s done is done," he finally replied after a short silence, "but you can always be the best version of yourself now. That’s a right everyone has, and no one can take it from you. At least, this is what I need to believe."

His reasoning didn’t surprise her. Considering Dan Feng’s story, it was only natural he’d think that way. But could the same principle apply to her? She didn't reincarnate, after all. She was still the same person.

As if in response to her unspoken question, he posed one of his own.

"What do you want to be, Stelle?"

She couldn’t answer. She didn’t know. Her life, her future, was a blank slate. So far, she had followed the path set by Akivili, and she didn’t hate it. She loved her companions, and she loved their adventures. But she didn’t have the same devotion and dedication to the Path that someone like Himeko had. She was just being carried along by her fear of losing what she had, rather than a true purpose. And she knew it. That’s why learning Kafka had manipulated her meeting with Blade had hurt so much: it reminded her how powerless she truly was.

If someone somewhere had already decided what she would become, maybe a 'better version of herself' would never exist. She would fight against such a fate, but she had no guarantee she'd win.

Before she could voice her thoughts, March’s voice interrupted her.

"Guys! Come here, quick!"

There was no time to think about personal issues right now.

Stelle and Dan Heng exchanged a single glance before running toward her.

March was waiting next to a cluster of eggs, nervously fiddling with the hem of her sleeve. When they reached her, Stelle immediately noticed she had gone pale and was biting her lower lip repeatedly.

"Did you find something?" she asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I think so," March replied, looking at her uneasily.

"What is it?"

She shook her head, unable to explain. But she pointed to one of the eggs — the largest one in the cluster.

"You’d better see for yourselves."

Dan Heng didn’t need to be told twice. He stepped forward purposefully, as if drawn to the egg by a magnet.

Stelle hurried to follow, her curiosity flaring. Every detail of this case mattered to her now, and the idea of uncovering something new filled her with anticipation.

They both knelt before the egg. She glanced at him, gauging his reaction. His face no longer showed anxiety: only a deep, unquenchable need to know.

Then, as if by mutual agreement, they pressed their ears to the shell.

His heart was breaking, sorrow etching itself into every fiber of his being.

Since becoming the commander of the High Elder’s personal guards, he had remained constantly by his side. It had been an honor to protect the descendant of the Azure Dragon. He admired and respected his master, and had dreamed of one day telling a new generation of reborn Vidyadhara what it was like to serve him.

He had never imagined it would end like this. When his master told him and the other guards to watch the entrance of Dragonvista Rain Hall, he could not have predicted who would he have to face.

In front of him, he saw the faces of some of his fellow Vidyadhara, the ones who had joined the Cloud Knight. People he once trusted, who had just turned into enemies. He saw the Preceptor he had respected, now turned traitor. He heard his words, but refused to believe them.

It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. His master would never commit the crime of rebellion. These had to be lies. Fabrications by jealous people seeking his downfall.

He heard his commands, urging him and his comrades to let them pass, to allow them to reach their master. In exchange, they’d be granted clemency.

None of the guards wavered. Swords were raised in defiance, and he voiced what all them felt.

"We will never betray Master Dan Feng!"

The old Preceptor leading the party scowled, his eyebrows trembling with anger and disappointment. The white-haired woman beside him spoke to him, her beautiful features worn by exhaustion and sorrow. She said it must have been a mistake. That their master — her friend — couldn’t possibly have done what he was accused of.

The Preceptor didn’t listen. He gave the order to use force. The Knights obeyed.

He and the other guards charged in return, ready to fight to the end. As blades clashed, he memorized each of their faces, determined to remember them all.

He had to live. He had to warn his master. He had to tell him the names of those who had betrayed him.

Then, suddenly, a roar erupted from the depths of Scalegorge Waterscape, and a monstrous creature rose above them, its cries shattering their ears.

The white-haired woman gasped, her red eyes widening in horror. Gripping her ink-black sword, she darted through the chaos toward the heart of the ruins.

Her retreating figure was the last thing he saw before an arrow pierced his chest, dragging him into darkness.

When the memory ended, Stelle and Dan Heng pulled away from the egg at the same time. Her mind still full of the scenes and sensations she had just relived, Stelle looked for her friend’s gaze and found a similar turmoil. But instead of confusion, his expression carried grim resignation.

March, who had stayed farther back, approached as soon as she saw they had 'returned.'

"It’s something important, isn’t it?"

Dan Heng stood up, his hand still resting on the top of the egg.

"Yes, it is. Thank you, March."

Stelle remained kneeling beside the egg, staring through the shell at the dark, blurred silhouette within. The Vidyadhara inside had been so determined to remember, so set on making sure his message reached someone, anyone. And now, one way or another, his wish had come true.

"The Cloud Knights arrived before Dan Feng and Yingxing completed their experiment," she said, trying to piece together what they had just seen with what they already knew. "I thought they showed up when the draconic abomination was released."

"That’s certainly what the official reports implied. I suppose it would’ve been hard to explain why they were there, before anything happened."

Dan Heng’s dry remark made her look up, meeting his eyes. They both knew what that meant.

"They knew. They knew what Dan Feng and Yingxing were planning from the start."

"I don’t think the Cloud Knights knew from the very beginning. If they did, they would have stopped him long before. But the person who warned them definitely did."

"The Preceptor with them, you mean? It can't be!” March cut in, shocked. "I mean, if he had known, he would’ve tried to stop Dan Feng before it got that far… right?"

Her voice faltered, as if she didn’t quite believe what she was saying — like she was trying to convince herself first and foremost.

Stelle understood the feeling. She wanted to believe it, too. The Sedition had been a catastrophe, claiming thousands of lives through death, injury, and disappearances. Anyone with a shred of empathy would want to believe that those in power had done everything they could to stop it, no matter how assholish they were.

And yet…

"I found an egg earlier. I think it belonged to a Preceptor of Glaciator Marum, on the Xianzhou Fanghu," Dan Heng replied, his hand clenching into a fist. "In his memory, he asked his High Elder to ‘punish those who orchestrated the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae.’ Glaciator Marum refused and exiled him to the Luofu. His memory confirms what we just saw."

So that’s what Dan Heng had been referring to earlier, and why he’d looked so troubled.

March’s mouth opened and closed as she searched for something to say. Anything to argue against what he was implying. And when she couldn’t find it, her face twisted into a grimace of grief and disgust.

"So it’s true?! They knew, and they let it happen?!"

"They didn’t just know. Glaciator Marum's Preceptor implied they orchestrated it. They wanted it to happen," Stelle added, something hot and painful stirring in her chest. The revelation was so surreal, it took her a moment to even realize what she was feeling.

Anger. She was furious and confused.

"But how? And why?!" March asked, voicing the very questions she shared as well. "Weren’t the Preceptors supposed to care about their people?! Weren’t they supposed to advise the High Elder when he was making a mistake? And why did Glaciator Marum exile his Preceptor if he was right?! None of this makes sense! Why—"

"I can think of several reasons, but I can’t say which is the right one," Dan Heng replied. "However, it’s no secret that many Preceptors disliked Dan Feng: he was too powerful, and the people loved him. Due to the High-Cloud Quintet, he was popular even outside of Vidyadhara circles. He had effectively stripped them of much of their authority, and they couldn’t remove him without risking a revolt. To get rid of him, they had to destroy his reputation completely."

"So that’s all it was?" March snapped, beginning to pace in anger. "They hurt all those people just because they didn’t like their High Elder?"

Dan Heng spread his hands in a helpless gesture.

"I don’t know if they expected things to go that wrong. What I do know is that research into saving the Vidyadhara from extinction has always existed. Maybe they wanted to kill two birds with one stone: test a new kind of ‘cure’ and, at the same time, catch Dan Feng red-handed breaking one of the Alliance’s taboos. And as for Glaciator Marum…" He paused briefly. "I don’t know her reasons, but Vidyadhara politics are complicated. If it came out that the Preceptors were involved, it’s hard to say how the Alliance would’ve reacted—or what the fallout would’ve been."

His reasoning made sense. And when combined with what they had just witnessed, the Preceptors’ involvement in the Sedition seemed increasingly undeniable.

Stelle stood up, studying Dan Heng’s composed expression, mulling over his words.

Carefully measured. Free of confusion or emotional outbursts, as if the issue didn’t concern him personally. That could only mean one thing.

"How long have you suspected this?" she asked.

"I have always known they tried to use the Sedition and its consequences as a political tool, so I'm not surprised by their involvement," he replied. "But I only started considering it, after meeting the General. And after talking to you yesterday."

His fist clenched, and his gaze dropped.

"From how everyone talks about the Quintet and their bond, I doubt Dan Feng would have involved his best friend in such a dangerous situation unless he thought he would succeed. My theory is that someone — likely one of the Preceptors — told him about using the Transmutation Arcanum to create a new life. And later on, he followed that lead, without revealing how he’d come to know it."

It was surely a possibility. Blade told her they hadn’t spoken to anyone what they were doing, and she believed him. Jing Yuan hadn’t been there, and in the guard’s memory, Jingliu had appeared confused about what was happening. She had only followed the Knights once they were alerted that something was wrong. But that didn’t rule out someone knowing in advance. And again, according to Blade’s story, the two had worked together for years before Baiheng’s death pushed them to put their plan into practice. Without a starting point—likely the product of centuries of research—they never would have found how to proceed on their own.

The only reason why she hesitated was that, judging by his actions, Dan Feng didn’t like the Preceptors any more than they liked him. It was hard to believe he’d have considered them trustworthy.

…On the other hand, Blade told her Dan Feng had grown more and more desperate about their species’ fate as the war went on. It was plausible that, given the circumstances, he had chosen to listen to them. After all, as much as they hated him, saving the Vidyadhara from extinction was also in their interest. He'd have no reason to believe they weren't in good faith on that specific point

"I think you’re right," she said, though she’d have greatly preferred not to. That kind of conspiracy went far beyond what she had believed them capable of — and she had believed them capable of quite a lot. "So, what do we do now?"

March, who hadn’t stopped pacing back and forth, suddenly halted, red with frustration.

"We tell Jing Yuan, that’s what! We can’t let those people get away with it! They took advantage of Dan Feng, used the pain of the Quintet members against them, and let a bunch of people die! And because of that, Dan Heng went through actual hell. The only place they belong is in jail! And anyway," she added, slapping her palm with a clenched fist, "Jing Yuan is already investigating them. After what we’ve seen, he can toss them in the slammer in no time!"

Dan Heng, unfortunately, stepped in to dampen her enthusiasm.

"I wish it were that simple, but unfortunately, egg visions aren’t considered reliable evidence."

Both March and Stelle gaped.

"Why not?" they exclaimed in unison.

Weren’t they the genuine memories of people who’d witnessed the events? How could they not be reliable?

"Because memories can be influenced by emotion, and sometimes they show only what the person believed they saw. If Jing Yuan accused the Preceptors based on that, they could challenge the validity of the evidence and stall the trial indefinitely. And in the meantime, erase any other proof that might implicate them."

March stomped her foot.

"Then what can we do? Don’t tell me we just uncovered a huge conspiracy and can’t do anything about it!"

Stelle raised her hand like a student asking to speak in class.

"We can still tell Jing Yuan, right? I mean, even if he can’t use it as evidence, knowing it could still be of help. Considering he’s already investigating the Preceptors, he might even suspect it already. It’s better than nothing."

Her suggestion fell into a dissatisfied silence. March didn’t like the idea of doing so little, while Dan Heng was lost in thought, thinking so intensely that Stelle half-expected smoke to start coming out of his ears.

"Maybe we can do a bit more," he finally said.

Stelle and March looked at him hopefully.

"What?" March asked, her eyes lighting up.

"I recognized the elder Preceptor who appeared in the guard’s memory."

"Seriously?! How?" Stelle asked.

Dan Heng grimaced, clearly reluctant to recall it. However, he set aside his hesitation to answer.

"I have memories of him. Dan Feng's memories. They are vague, but they're there. The one we saw was Elder Taoran."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. He was already old at the time of the Sedition, and I still haven't met him in this life—but I’m positive it was him. Trust me, I paid attention."

Something in how he said it—a faint trace of pride—made her think that maybe this was what he’d been after from the beginning. Maybe the 'details he wanted to confirm' had always been the precise identities of the 'conspirators.'

Stelle’s heart pounded with excitement. Sometimes she teased Dan Heng about him being a smartass, but she was glad he was that sharp.

"Then we’ve got it!" March cheered. "If we tell Jing Yuan, even if he can’t arrest him right away, he’ll know who to investigate! We have to go to him immediately!"

Dan Heng nodded in approval, though there was still something restless, something tense in his posture. Something that betrayed that he wasn’t as calm as he wanted to be.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked him.

He nodded again, without hesitation.

"Thank you, Stelle, but I’m fine. It’s my choice, and my way of atoning for the past."

March crossed her arms and huffed.

"If you ask me, you don’t need to atone for anything. You didn’t cause the Sedition."

He gave a small smile.

"Then see it as a son trying to right the wrongs of his father. Besides, doing something about it will make me feel better about myself."

At that logic, March didn’t argue. If that’s what he wanted, no one had the right to stop him.

Nor did Stelle say anything, though for entirely different reasons. Her thoughts had shifted in another direction, and even if she’d wanted to, she couldn’t bring them back.

Besides Jing Yuan, there was another person who would want to know what they had just discovered. Someone who was set to leave the Luofu that very day.

She didn’t realize how long she’d been lost in thought until Dan Heng brought her back.

"Stelle."

She snapped out of it, perplexed to find the others staring at her. Judging by their faces, they must have figured out what she was thinking.

"You want to go to him, don’t you?" Dan Heng asked.

She lowered her gaze, a gesture that was, in itself, an admission of guilt. She must be a terrible person if, in the face of such important revelations for her friend, the first thing that came to her mind was how Blade would react to them.

"I was just thinking that he, too, was hurt by this conspiracy," she replied. "And that if he hates Dan Feng, then it’s automatic that..."

She stopped, as if struck by lightning.

If he hated Dan Feng, he’d hate the ones who had manipulated him even more.

She stood frozen, a tingling mix of anxiety rushing through her limbs, as if she were ready to run, but her sluggish brain couldn’t give the order. She realized her mouth was open only when she was about to start drooling.

Dan Heng watched her thoughts race across her expression with his usual patience, until she snapped out of her stupor, as fidgety as if sitting on needles.

"Do you think we can make a 'miracle' happen?" he asked, his expression softening slightly at her sudden enthusiasm.

"I don’t know. Probably not," she replied. "But there’s something I want to try."

March, who had been watching their exchange with a puzzled face, put her hands on her hips, impatient.

"I have no idea what you two are talking about," she declared, clearly annoyed at being left out, "but if you want to tell Blade..."

She hesitated, her face contorting as she wrestled with herself and everything she believed in. Finally, with the most disgusted expression in her repertoire, she concluded:

"...well, then I guess you should do it."

Stelle’s jaw dropped again, and Dan Heng raised an eyebrow, both surprised at what they had just heard.

March turned her head away, a weak attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"Oh, come on, don’t look at me like that! You really think I’m that heartless?! I mean, I don’t like the guy. At all," she emphasized. "But in the end, he’s a victim of those massive...!"

"March, language!" Dan Heng interrupted before she could compare the Preceptors to the product of their lower intestines.

"…jerks," she backpedaled regretfully, before she continued. "What I'm trying to say is, he deserves to know too. And if he decides to go after them instead, and leave Dan Heng alone... well, I won’t be crying over the Preceptors."

"I didn’t take you for the bloodthirsty type," Dan Heng noted. "I assure you that it's better to avoid Blade going on a rampage, no matter who are the designated victims."

"I know!" she snapped. "But better them than you. What can I say? I’ve got my priorities straight."

Stelle agreed with both. As selfish as it was, she preferred someone else — especially people who were certified 'bad guys' — to be the victims of a vengeful rampage. However, she agreed on the necessity to keep the rampage itself from happening. With a bit of luck, maybe she could pull it off.

There was just one last thing worrying her.

"What are we going to do about reporting this to Jing Yuan?"

"March and I will take care of it," Dan Heng replied, while March nodded beside him. "You do what you think is right. And be careful."

Stelle gave them a grateful smile, their approval bringing her a bit of relief.

She had made up her mind, but the task ahead wouldn’t be easy, and a wrong outcome could be disastrous. Still, it was worth the risk.

For now, all she had to do was find Blade, hoping he hadn’t already left.

At the Seat of Divine Foresight, they had certainly not expected to see two Nameless burst in as if they were being chased by an angry mob, especially considering that one of them had been there just the day before.

Dan Heng was fairly certain that Qingzu was beginning to hate them, given how they interfered whenever she tried to get her boss to honor his commitments. The poor woman had finally managed to get him to meet the ambassadors he had done his best to avoid, and their arrival was now threatening her plans. From the way she looked at them, Dan Heng was convinced that if she could, she would have killed them using nothing but the sheer strength of her irritation.

Luckily, just as they were trying to persuade her that it was a matter of the utmost importance, the meeting with the ambassadors came to an end, and Jing Yuan appeared in the antechamber—accompanied by his esteemed guests, of course.

He noticed their presence immediately, as well as their obvious impatience. So, once the ambassadors left and a few instructions had been given to Qingzu, he motioned for them to step forward.

He led them to the back of the main hall, where the raised platform that served as his 'office' was. The Cloud Knights who made up his guard were not allowed to come any closer unless summoned, effectively creating a semi-private space.

As Jing Yuan took his seat behind his desk, fingers interlaced as was his habit, Dan Heng noticed he was in a bad mood. Or rather, in a bad mood by his standards. His demeanor was as relaxed as ever, his polite smile still in place, and as far as he could tell, he was pleased to see them. But there were faint dark shadows under his eyes, and he looked more drained than usual.

"Forgive me for not giving you the proper welcome you deserve, but I don’t have much time to spare today. I have two more delegations to receive in less than half an hour, and if I delay again, they might take it as a sign of disrespect. Not to mention that Qingzu would never forgive me."

From his tone, it seemed the wrath of his Chief Councelor worried him more than the ambassadors. At the same time, though, his hand moved to massage the side of his neck, as if trying to ease the tension there. Another sign that something was wrong. And despite the urgency of what he wanted to report, Dan Heng’s concern for him took precedence.

"Is everything alright, General?"

Jing Yuan waved a hand dismissively.

"Oh, it's only the usual. Tedious formal meetings and bureaucracy, some reports about Mara-struck issues in the outer areas of the ship, and the higher-ups kindly informing me they’re considering relieving me from duty…"

He said it as if it were the most normal thing in the world, to the point where Dan Heng almost didn’t register it.

Then the meaning of it all hit him.

"What?" he exclaimed, incredulous.

Even March, who had been momentarily distracted by the large lion-shaped crest atop the platform, snapped back to the present.

"They want to kick you out? Why?" she asked, possibly even more stunned than him.

"Let’s just say that recent events — from the Ambrosial Arbor crisis, to the Disciples’ meddling in Belobog, to Qin Jian’s whole deal —have reached Marshal Hua, and she’s considering conducting an inquiry into me," Jing Yuan explained, and for the first time, a hint of weariness cracked his voice.

"That’s ridiculous," Dan Heng said firmly.

He refused to believe it. Relieving him from duty was absurd. Especially now, after everything that had happened, when the Luofu needed stable leadership more than ever!

"The Marshal is just following protocol: reports of infractions were made, and she’s required to investigate," the General replied. "As much as I appreciate your faith in me, you have to admit that even you would not be impressed if you heard about the recent events from someone who wasn't there."

"But none of what happened was your fault!" March argued.

"That depends on the perspective, I suppose. As the Arbiter General of the Luofu, I'm expected to prevent a crisis from happening. On that front, it's not incorrect to claim I failed multiple times."

Jing Yuan was doing his best to appear unfazed, and for the most part, he was succeeding. Still, Dan Heng couldn’t imagine he was pleased to see centuries of impeccable service being put into question. Even if he had wanted to retire, he was certain the General would have preferred to do so on his own terms.

"Is there anything we can do?" he asked.

Jing Yuan shook his head.

"I appreciate your concern, but not at the moment. As of now, the inquiry is only a proposal, and Alliance bureaucracy is slow during peacetime. I don’t expect any news for a while, and it might be rejected." He smiled, a cunning glint in his eyes. "But if an investigation is launched, and you happen to be around, I won’t hesitate to call you in as witnesses!"

Then, before they could argue, he quickly changed the subject.

"Now then, what brings you two here?"

March gave Dan Heng a meaningful look, silently entrusting him with the task of explaining the situation.

He tried to do so as succinctly as possible, not omitting any important detail, but also without digressing, and kept his voice low enough not to catch anyone's attention. As he described the memories they had witnessed, and laid out his theories, he carefully studied Jing Yuan’s reaction. The General didn’t ask questions, but Dan Heng could see him growing more somber as the conversation went on, turning the most serious he had seen him in some time.

"Suggesting that the Preceptors were involved in the Sedition is a serious accusation," he finally said, once Dan Heng had finished talking. "Aside from the visions, do you have any other proof?"

"We don't, General," Dan Heng replied. "That’s why I can’t ask you to take direct action against them. But it’s important that you’re aware of what we found out."

Jing Yuan thoughtfully rested his chin on his fist.

"After the Sedition, none of the testimonies described the scenes you saw," he said. "Still, many of the witnesses were either dead or unable to talk. Several wounded Vidyadhara barely managed to go through hatching rebirth before succumbing to their injuries. It's only natural that many details never came to light. I can't dismiss any new lead."

"Can you reopen the investigation?" Dan Heng asked, clinging to a thread of hope.

But it was swiftly dashed by the General’s refusal.

"As important as the case may be, bringing it back after seven hundred years would require far more evidence. The visions coming from the eggs are not one-hundred percent reliable. Even if they were accepted as proof, the Preceptors — assuming they’re guilty, that is — could easily dismiss them, or fabricate counter-evidence."

"But you do believe us, don’t you?" March asked, pulling out her best puppy-dog eyes.

Jing Yuan nodded, tapping his finger on the desk while he pondered on the matter.

"Yes, I believe you. But I need something more reliable, or accusing the Preceptors won’t get us very far. We don't even know which ones among them were involved, and accusing them all could damage our relations with the Vidyadhara."

"I can give you a name," Dan Heng chimed in. "Elder Taoran was the one leading the Cloud Knights to the site before the Seal was broken."

He had expected a reaction, be it surprise, or confusion. What he hadn’t expected to see was disappointment.

"That’s unfortunate," Jing Yuan said.

"Why?" March asked. "I mean, sure, maybe you can’t throw him in jail just yet, but it’s still a clue, right? And both Stelle and I saw it! We can identify him if you need us to!"

"That’s not the problem," he sighed, massaging his temples. "Having his name would have been helpful, under different circumstances."

"Different circumstances?" March repeated, tilting her head in confusion, while Dan Heng was struck by a dreadful realization.

It couldn’t be. They couldn’t be this unlucky. Not when he had finally decided to face his past head-on, to do something about it!

But all his hopes were crushed by the General’s next words.

"Elder Taoran has undergone hatching rebirth. Under Vidyadhara law, he is legally considered a different person. And aside from a few exceptions," he added with a meaningful glance at Dan Heng, "they all lose their memories during the process."

There was no need for further explanation. From what he could tell from Dan Feng's memories and the visions he just saw, Taoran was already old seven hundred years before. Considering the average Vidyadhara lifespan, it was obvious he would have reincarnated by now.

Legally, whoever Taoran had become could not be prosecuted; morally, he could not be held accountable. Even Dan Heng had been released from the Shakling Prison under that assumption. The whole reason why he was kept there in the first place was an exception caused by political infighting and issues with the High Elder succession. And as far as he was concerned, he couldn’t apply a different standard to Taoran. It would be hypocritical, considering that he didn't want to be seen as an extention of Dan Feng.

Considering all of this, their strongest lead had just become useless.

…Then again, if Taoran was legally dead, why was his name still included in Jing Yuan's list? Was it just a reminder of who the Preceptors were back then? Or was there another reason?

"So it was all for nothing?!" March exclaimed in frustration.

She had raised her voice just a bit too much, and Jing Yuan gestured for her to lower it.

"I wouldn’t put it that way. I’ll keep your information in mind, and have the eggs reexamined in case we missed any details. Your investigation will not go to waste, I promise."

With that, he shot Dan Heng another meaningful look.

‘Be patient,’ it seemed to say. ‘And trust me.’

March, clearly dissatisfied with such a vague result, opened her mouth to protest, but Dan Heng placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

He understood and shared her disappointment, but there was no use in pushing further. They had done what they could, and Jing Yuan had his way of handling things. For now, it was best to let it go.

She pouted in frustration, but ultimately relented, her shoulders drooping in defeat.

Just then, Qingzu appeared at the foot of the platform, bringing a message for her boss.

"General, the Yaoqing ambassadors have arrived," she said with the kind of professional politeness that left no room for argument.

Jing Yuan tiredly pinched the bridge of his nose, but quickly composed himself, ready to return to his role.

"Show them in. I’ll receive them immediately."

Qingzu nodded and turned back toward the entrance of the building. March watched her go, curious.

"Why are all these ambassadors showing up? Is there something going on?"

The change of topic brought some relief to the General, and the smile he gave her was decidedly more genuine than the ones before.

"The Luofu will be hosting the Luminary Wardance Ceremony this year. It’s a very important event, so we’ve been coordinating with the other ships well in advance for all the necessary preparations."

Oh, so that explained all the hustle and bustle! Now that he knew, it made perfect sense.

"What’s the Luminary Wardance Ceremony?" March asked, having never heard of it before.

"Simply put, it’s a festival dedicated to the Reignbow Arbiter, and to all the Cloud Knights who have fought to protect the Alliance from the Abominations of Abundance," Jing Yuan explained. "There will be many events, including starskiff exhibitions and martial arts tournaments."

Upon hearing that, March, who had recently taken an interest in the martial traditions of the Alliance, lit up like a lantern.

"That sounds awesome!"

She looked ready to invite herself to the event, but Jing Yuan beat her to it.

"I'm guessing none of you have ever attended a similar event."

"We’ve never had the pleasure," Dan Heng replied.

Chances were that, at the time of the last Wardance, March had still been frozen in ice, while Stelle remembered almost nothing of her life. And he… well, it was hard to attend festivals when you’ve been exiled.

"Then I’ll make sure you receive an invitation. If you’d like to attend, that is."

The General’s offer didn’t fall on ungrateful ears. March clapped her hands in delight, clearly thrilled.

"Thank you so much!"

And with that, the offer was formally accepted. After such an enthusiastic response, it would’ve been hard to refuse, even if one wanted to.

In any case, the conversation couldn’t continue for long. Qingzu, accompanied by a delegation of important-looking individuals, was already approaching.

Jing Yuan stood from his chair, both to greet them and to bid farewell to his current guests.

"I truly regret not being able to spend more time with you," he said. "I will look into the information you gave me. And… one more thing, Dan Heng."

Surprised to be singled out, Dan Heng perked up his head.

"Yes?"

"I trust you realize that, even if your theory proved to be true, this won't redeem Dan Feng's status, and nothing would change for you. Unfortunately, even if he was manipulated, he was still the one who chose to go through with the Sedition."

The General looked concerned, but there was no reason for him to worry. Dan Heng had already figured that nothing would change for him.

"I know. I'm not expecting anything from this, other than closure. Besides, I'm already satisfied with my current circumstances. I'm not so greedy as to ask for more."

March beamed happily at his answer, and Jing Yuan shook his head with a thin smile.

"I have nothing left to say, then. I hope I will see you both soon."

With no time left to keep talking, Dan Heng and March took their leave, moving to the sides of the hall to stay out of the way of the Yaoqing delegation. They slipped past unnoticed, gliding toward the entrance doors. As they walked, Dan Heng cast one last glance over his shoulder toward Jing Yuan, who was preparing to receive the officials.

He was as impeccable as always, despite the enormous weight on his shoulders.

Would the day ever come when he allowed someone else to help him?

"In the end, we didn’t manage to accomplish anything," March murmured, low enough not to be overheard by any potential eavesdroppers.

"I wouldn’t say that," he replied, bringing his focus back to the matter at hand. "The General is already investigating and doesn’t want us getting involved for now. But we gave him a lead. Even though Elder Taoran is dead, he can still investigate his past and find out his co-conspirators, if he had any. That’ll be enough for now. What worries me," he added, "is the matter of the investigation against him."

"Yeah, it’s so unfair! I hope nothing comes of it."

March tugged on his sleeve, as she usually did when she wanted something from him.

"So, what do we do now?"

Dan Heng didn’t answer immediately, as they had reached the main doors and needed to pass by the guards stationed at the entrance. They slipped past in silence, stepping outside into the daylight once again.

To be safe, he made sure they were well out of earshot before pulling out his phone.

"Now we contact Stelle. We need to tell her about Elder Taoran right away."

March furrowed her brow, confused.

"Why the rush? The General said—"

"What he said is correct," he interrupted before she could finish. "The problem is that Blade doesn’t discriminate."

If he found out the truth, he wouldn’t care that Taoran had already reincarnated. In his eyes, he’d always be the man responsible for the Sedition, and he would undoubtedly go after him. That had to be prevented.

With new targets to add to his list, Kafka absent, and Stelle’s influence over him dependent on his emotions, there would be nothing stopping him from going on a full-blown rampage. If he started hunting the 'new' Taoran, he wouldn’t stop, and who could tell how many innocents would be caught in the crossfire! As Jing Yuan said, there was no guarantee that all of the Preceptors were involved.

March seemed to grasp what he meant, her eyes widening in horror.

"Darn it! Call her! Call her now!"

Dan Heng didn’t need to be told twice. He had already opened his contacts and quickly selected Stelle’s. He brought the phone to his ear, waiting impatiently for her to pick up.

Fortunately, she didn’t keep him waiting.

"Hello? Dan Heng? Have you already spoken with Jing Yuan?"

"Yes," he answered, while March leaned on his shoulder to listen in. "Have you found Blade yet?"

"No. There’s no one at the safehouse. I was just about to try calling him," she replied.

They hadn’t met yet. Perfect. A warm wave of relief settled in his stomach, while March clasped her hands together in a gesture of thanks.

"Thank Akivili! Finally, some good luck!"

"Why? What happened?" Stelle asked on the other end of the line.

Dan Heng didn’t know how Stelle planned to approach the issue with Blade, or even if she had a plan at all. Maybe, as usual, she would just improvise. For now, though, she was the one who understood Blade the most, and he wanted to trust her.

He didn’t know if what they had uncovered would lead to a ‘miracle,’ but she was the only one who could try. Of that, he had no doubt. And the best way he could help her was by giving her all the information he could.

"Before you find him, there’s something I need to tell you."

The last thing Blade had expected after his arrival at Cloudfort was for his phone to start ringing. After all, the other Hunters had no reason to contact him, since they knew he would return shortly. Even more surprising, though, was seeing the name 'Galactic Baseballer' flashing on the screen.

After what happened the day before, he assumed Stelle would be angry with him. Or upset, at the very least. He doubted she was willing to interact with him anytime soon. So, since he didn't want to make things worse, he had prepared to leave as quietly as possible. He would send her a message before departing, so as not to disappear without warning, but he hadn’t planned on meeting her. Unless that was explicitly what she wanted, at least.

If she didn’t want to see him, he wouldn’t force her.

He didn't want to cause any problems, so he planned everything carefully. If he wanted to avoid detection as he left the ship, he couldn’t use the same fake documents he had used upon arrival. For that reason, Silver Wolf had provided him with a new set and registered him as a crew member of a merchant ship departing that evening. From Cloudfort, he would find his way among the rest of the crew, then reach the ship at Central Starskiff Haven. From there, it was only a matter of leaving the Luofu undetected.

There were still a few hours to go before departure, but he headed there early to scout the area. And that was when the call came through. Now, hidden behind a container with his phone in his hand, he couldn’t help but wonder why she was doing it.

Had this happened a couple of days earlier, he wouldn’t have been concerned. Ever since he had given her his contact information, not a day had gone by without her bombarding him with messages of all sorts. But now, the fact that she was reaching out so soon was suspicious.

Had something happened, by any chance? Considering the circumstances, he couldn't think of any other reason why she wanted to talk to him.

But, no matter how hard he thought about it, there was only one way to find out.

He answered the call.

"Stelle, what—"

Before he could even finish speaking, her familiar voice — more agitated than ever — cut him off.

"You’re still on the Luofu, right?!"

…She didn't waste any time, did she?

Had it been under different circumstances, he might have snarked at her. Instead, she sounded so distressed he couldn't help but worry.

"Yes. What happened?"

She sighed in relief on the other end of the line, and when she spoke again, she was a little calmer.

"Where are you now?"

"Cloudfort."

"Cloudfort…" she repeated, as she muttered to herself. "If I come over there, we’ll waste too much time."

Blade, having no idea what was going on, was starting to grow impatient.

"Would you mind telling me wha—"

"We need to meet at Scalegorge Waterscape," she announced, without letting him speak.

Scalegorge Waterscape? Why?

"What are you scheming?" he asked.

"I’ll explain when we’re there, but you need to come immediately."

"Stelle—"

"It’s a matter of life or death!" she cut him off .

'Life or death'? Had she gotten herself into trouble? Was she in danger?

If that was the case, he couldn't wait.

"I will be there soon."

In response, Stelle’s voice instantly became more lively.

"Great! See you soon, then.”

She hung up immediately, leaving Blade stunned, the phone still at his ear.

Being impulsive was in-character for Stelle, but even for her standards, her behavior was odd. Usually, she would’ve given him a bit more of an explanation. In fact, unlike him, she seemed to enjoy explanations. Instead, she dropped that cryptic invitation, without giving him a hint of what was going on.

Still, if it really was a matter of life or death, he wasn’t going to take any chances.

He quickly shoved the phone into his pocket and, avoiding the workers at the Cloudfort cargo port, slipped away like a shadow.

His destination, once again, was Scalegorge Waterscape, toward whatever Stelle had in store for him. And hopefully, that would be the last time he had to see that place, at least for a while.

Blade had started to get a bad feeling from the moment the boat he had secured came within sight of the ruins of Scalegorge Waterscape. There was a heaviness in the air, a burden that clung to his skin just like the salt from the sea breeze. Not to mention the turmoil building in his head, as if something were whispering inside his skull. It wasn’t unfamiliar, but the feeling felt strangely misplaced after a few relatively peaceful days.

He wasn’t sure what had triggered the Mara so suddenly. Maybe it was the blackout after seeing Stelle with the bracer. Maybe it was the encounter with Dan Feng. Or maybe, it was something that built up over time, and that he had failed to notice, captivated as he was by the illusion of normality he felt around Stelle. It was like water dripping into a jar until it reached full capacity. And now, with every new drop, the surface stretched, expanded. Eventually, if he didn’t do something about it, it would overflow.

The only way to stop it was to empty the jar.

Kafka’s face flashed in his mind, but he pushed the thought aside.

It didn’t matter now. Kafka wasn’t here, and he needed to stay grounded in reality. He had to stay lucid and calm. He couldn’t afford another blackout.

Luckily, the rest of the trip wasn’t long, and soon the thin strip of beach materialized before him. As he got closer, the details became clearer, and before long, he noticed a human figure. It didn’t take a genius to guess who it was, and after a while, he got close enough to distinguish her familiar grey hair.

Stelle had already arrived and, in her restlessness, she had left a path in the sand as she walked back and forth. She saw the boat approaching and stopped dead in her tracks, lifting a hand to shield her eyes as she tried to see who was aboard. Finally, when she recognized him, she waved to signal her presence.

Blade docked and, after making sure the boat was properly anchored, jumped onto land and headed toward her. She didn’t wait for him to reach her: instead, she ran up to him, fueled by pure nervous energy.

"Finally! I was starting to think you were going to ditch me!" she said, stopping so abruptly as to make sand spray onto his pants.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the sea breeze, her eyes bright, and now that she was close, he could smell the salt and iodine in her hair. And as always, the pressure in his head started to fade.

He was relieved to see she was okay, and that she wasn’t afraid to approach him after what had happened the day before. Even though the whole point of it all was for her to be afraid.

"I never go back on my word," he said, cutting that train of thought short.

He looked around, trying to figure out the reason why she wanted to meet him.

"Why did you call me?"

Instead of answering, Stelle grabbed his sleeve.

"I have to show you something. It's important."

Her grip was firm, and her stride resolute as she started pulling him toward the ruins.

Used as he was to going along with her, Blade followed without even thinking. It was easy to turn his brain off and let her lead him wherever she wanted, the crunch of sand beneath their feet gradually replaced by the clack of their shoes on stone steps. Had it been anywhere else, he might not even have questioned where they were going.

But this was Scalegorge Waterscape. No matter how many times he had visited in recent days, it was not the kind of place where he could afford to lower his guard.

"Where are we going?"

Taking advantage of his larger build, he slowed his pace. This forced Stelle to slow down as well. At first, she seemed annoyed, but she relented to match his pace.

She must have remembered why he was hesitant.

"Don’t worry, we’re not going all the way down," she reassured him as they passed Dragonvista Rain Hall, heading deeper into the ruins.

That was somewhat reassuring, but it didn’t put his mind at rest. He was about to ask her for more details when her fingers tightened around his sleeve, her knuckles whitening against the fabric. The nervous gesture prompted him to look at her more closely.

He noticed she was staring straight ahead, as if afraid to take her eyes off the goal. She was visibly on edge, and the concern he had felt while coming here — somewhat appeased after seeing she was safe — came rushing back all at once.

"We’re not going all the way down," she repeated, "but what I’m about to show you might hurt just as much as being close to the seal would."

He found that hard to believe. What could possibly compare to the whole root of his problems? The one thing that destroyed his life?

The situation was becoming increasingly unsettling. If by 'hurt' she meant triggering the Mara, then continuing was a bad idea. His condition was growing more erratic, and he didn't want to make it worse. But on the other hand, she painted it as something truly important.

"…I will try to handle it," he said, as a lingering doubt started floating in his head.

Stelle didn’t look very relieved. Nonetheless, she started walking faster, letting go of his sleeve.

Blade focused on her back, absently watching the yellow ribbons fluttering from her jacket, as he tried to ignore the disappointed tingle in his fingers, the memory of her hand’s warmth still imprinted on his skin.

Two days before. That had been the last time she had held his hand.

"Stelle."

He said her name without really knowing what he wanted to say. So, when she glanced back in response, he wasn’t sure what to tell her.

Maybe he could apologize for the previous day?

As soon as a small, timid voice of his conscience dared to suggest it, he shut it out.

He couldn't. If he did that, the whole reason he had done it would fall apart. He wanted her to keep her distance, so he would have paid the price for it. If she was angry at him, that was only fair. He deserved it.

"What am I supposed to expect from all this?" he asked, steering the conversation toward more practical topics.

"Information," she replied. "It’s something my companions and I discovered this morning. And it concerns you very directly."

A pause, as she searched for the best way to explain. Failing that, she simply spat it out.

"It’s about the Sedition."

A painful pang stabbed at his temples, as though needles had pierced his skull.

A part of him had suspected it, but apparently, he wasn’t prepared enough.

"Tell me," Blade ordered curtly, too busy trying to suppress the pain to worry about sounding harsh.

Stelle slowed down, allowing him to walk beside her.

"It’ll be easier if I show you."

She gestured at the area around them, and he forced himself out of his gloom to realize where they were.

It was a Vidyadhara 'nursery'. He’d been to the area multiple times before, so the clusters of eggs peeking through the coral weren’t new to him. He considered them part of the landscape, something that had always been there. Yet, when he stopped to think about it, it was both strange and amazing that a Vidyadhara was sleeping within each one of them, waiting to be reborn.

The same person, and yet someone different. Just like—

No.

Before the thought could fully form, his mind shut itself down, refusing to continue.

He didn’t want to think about this.

"Maybe you already know how Vidyadhara eggs work," Stelle said. "If you listen to them..."

"...you can hear the traces of their last memories," he finished for her.

He knew. Dan Feng had told him a long, long time ago. If she knew about it, the knowledge surely came from the same source.

Stelle nodded and motioned for him to follow, leading him to a nearby natural platform.

"We came here this morning to investigate," she explained. "Dan Heng believed the eggs might tell us something about what happened seven hundred years ago. After all, not all witnesses of the Sedition were killed outright. Some managed to go through hatching rebirth."

Of course, it had been Dan Feng’s idea. He couldn’t imagine anyone else coming up with something like that. But it would be pointless.

"Egg memories are volatile," he said. "Often they’re just the delusions and fantasies."

"That’s what Dan Heng said, too," she replied. "But even delusions come from somewhere. And this one didn't feel like a delusion at all. The person inside the egg was desperate for someone to see it."

She stopped in front of a group of eggs, pointing at one in particular.

Blade followed her gesture, watching it from a distance. It sat there, motionless and harmless, pinkish reflections dancing over its translucent shell. Nothing was threatening about it. Yet just the thought of approaching it made the hair on his neck stand on end, his whole body on alert.

He didn’t want to know. What difference would it make now, anyway? Nothing he might see could change the past. It would only rub salt into wounds that still bled.

"Blade."

At the sound of his name, he tore his gaze from the egg and looked at the young woman beside him. The subtle coldness he had sensed in her since his arrival had softened, and in her serious, composed face, he caught a glimpse of the warmth that had always comforted him.

"I’ll be with you the whole time."

She said nothing more. She didn’t need to.

Once again, she was offering to shield him from the one thing he couldn’t defend against. With that distraction removed, it was up to him to decide whether he wanted to run away from the past or not.

Blade turned back to the egg, his doubts crushed by his resolve.

The thing that set him and Dan Feng apart, at least in recent years, was that he refused to ignore the past. As terrible as it was, he had always marched toward his punishment, rejecting every moment of weakness. Even when the temptation was strong. Even when tempted with true happiness.

He wasn’t about to falter now. He wasn’t that much of a coward.

Having made his decision, he walked straight to the egg, as resolute as a soldier heading for the battlefield. He heard Stelle’s footsteps close behind, soft against the damp ground. A comforting sound, but he didn’t look back at her, focusing only on the task at hand. If that Vidyadhara’s memories were tied to the Sedition, he would need every ounce of willpower to endure them.

Only once he was beside the egg did he glance at Stelle, silently confirming that this was the one. When she nodded in reply, he knelt next to it, placing a hand on the glass-like shell.

Stelle knelt beside him, so she could look him in the eye. She placed her hand on the shell beside his and moved closer. Close enough for him to catch the scent of salt in her hair, and the fainter scent of her skin.

She usually smelled like peppermint, but that day it was honey. They must’ve changed the soap on the Express.

Some of the tension in his shoulders eased, a reassuring cocoon wrapping around him. Their eyes met in an unspoken agreement between them, and without saying a word, they both leaned their heads against the shell.

The memory was on the verge of vanishing into the fog. Perhaps the egg’s owner was yielding to the power of rebirth. Perhaps, having passed it on to someone else, he could finally let go.

But fragments remained, like shadows over the water's surface. Faint enough to be fleeting, clear enough to be recognized.

He saw Dan Feng’s guards forming a wall against a group of Cloud Knights.

He remembered those people. Their faces had faded from his mind, but wherever their master was, they were never far. He remembered Dan Feng had once mentioned their commander — he couldn’t recall the name anymore — as a brave and kind man, someone with whom he got along well enough. They weren't friends: his rank made relationships with his subjects difficult. Still, he had been one of the few outside of the Quinted whose loyalty was beyond question.

It was the commander's voice he heard when the egg’s owner refused to step aside and hand over his master. It was through his eyes that he saw the grief-ravaged face of Jingliu and heard her try to convince the leader of the Knights.

Dan Feng wasn’t a traitor.

Yingxing hated the Abundance more than anyone and would never abuse its power.

Dan Feng had enemies, and someone must have spread those rumors to bring him down.

It had to be a mistake.

And it was still through his eyes that he saw her faith shatter at the roar of the draconic abomination. He saw her draw her sword and run toward the ruins, perhaps to fight, perhaps in the vain hope that the irreversible hadn’t yet happened.

Finally, he saw the face of the man who had called the Knights: an older Vidyadhara who looked vaguely familiar, the corners of his lips curling into a smile as the world descended into chaos.

Like a drop disturbing the still surface of a lake, the images scattered, as the commander’s memories merged with his own.

He lay in the mud, barely conscious, a new pain spreading from his fingertips through his entire body. Twisting, breaking, and destroying everything he was.

All around him were shadows. He couldn’t see, couldn’t understand. His body was changing, but he didn’t know it yet. All he knew was pain, so overwhelming he barely registered the cold point of a blade against his throat.

"I should kill you first... but you will have your own torment to bear for all eternity..."

He knew that voice.

Jingliu.

Why was Jingliu there? She wasn’t supposed to be. It was dangerous. Not even she could stand against that monstrosity. If something happened to her...

The sword’s tip left his throat, and he saw a graceful shadow raise her weapon against a taller figure. The shape of a man bent by pain and exhaustion.

Dan Feng.

"Impossible. The Preceptors said... The blood of my race and the soul of my ancestor should have created another High Elder. All this... It shouldn't be like this."

His voice was broken, disbelieving. He couldn’t comprehend what had happened.

He couldn’t believe how deeply he’d been deceived.

"If your death can return everything to how it was, I would do it..." said the woman, her voice cold as ice. "But you need to tell me right now where that dragon's weak point is."

A single moment of hesitation. A single second, as Dan Feng regained clarity and understood there was no choice. It was over, and nothing could be fixed. Only destroyed.

"The top of its head..."

Blade realized he had stopped breathing only when the air returned to his lungs with painful force. He surfaced from the memories like a drowning man breaking through water, the real world erupting around him.

At first, he couldn’t process what had just happened. All he was aware of was Stelle’s face before his, her eyes opening softly as she emerged from the memory, too.

Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, the weight of it all crashed down on him. And a blinding rage hit him like a storm.

He shot to his feet, moving instinctively, driven by something greater than himself. He didn’t know what he was doing, and he didn’t care. The only image in his mind was the blurred face of the man who had led the Knights to him and Dan Feng. The only sound he heard was Dan Feng’s hurt, disbelieving voice.

'The Preceptors said... The blood of my race and the soul of my ancestor should have created another High Elder. All this... It shouldn't be like this.'

This was how he knew how to proceed. These were the people who put the idea into his head.

He had to find them. He had to reach them. He had to destroy them.

The monsters who had orchestrated this had to die. Those who had deceived them had to pay. And it wouldn’t be hard to reach them. Not when they didn’t expect him. No matter how well protected they were, no one could stop him.

No one could stop someone already dead.

A twisted pleasure filled him, and he found himself smiling as images of what he would do to them flooded his mind, one darker than the next. He didn’t notice the world turning blood red, nor that he had already drawn his sword. He barely registered that he was walking straight toward the exit of the ruins.

"Blade! Where are you going?"

From the blood-hued fog, he heard quick footsteps chasing after him, and a woman’s voice calling his name.

Something in his mind stirred, sending faint signals of recognition. He knew that voice. Its sound tickled his ears, and a part of him wanted to stop and listen. But it was crushed, smothered by a rage and pain so intense he could barely bear it.

It had been a lie from the start. They had been manipulated. And while that didn’t erase their crimes, now there were new culprits.

While Jingliu succumbed to the Mara’s influence and betrayed all she was, they remained untouched.

While he writhed under the weight of a cursed immortality, desperately seeking unreachable relief, they lived in peace.

While he made Dan Feng’s life a living hell, they prospered.

He couldn’t allow it. He would make them pay in blood. It was the only way the rage would subside.

"Blade! Wait!"

The voice again. And this time, something grabbed his sleeve, holding him back.

He stopped, turning toward her. The girl stood out sharply in the shadowy inferno surrounding him. He could see her features, her expression. And when their eyes met, he immediately noticed the shock on her face, and the small shudder of fear that passed through her.

He didn’t know how he looked to her right now, but it was clear she was terrified. He expected her to let go. To run. But she didn’t. She suppressed her emotions and held his gaze, her grip tightening.

His first thought was to cut her down. But the part of him that loved her voice rebelled, and his sword arm stayed still at his side.

"Get out of my way," he warned her.

Her presence confused him. He didn’t want to deal with her.

"I can’t. You’re not yourself."

The stubborn girl didn’t let go. On the contrary, she tightened her grip further. She wasn’t just holding his sleeve anymore: she had grabbed his wrist, squeezing hard enough to hurt. And his annoyance grew.

With a jerk, he tried to shake her off again. But she was stubborn: she dug in her heels to stop him from moving.

"You need to listen to me!" she insisted. "You can’t go around like this. You need to calm down and—"

He didn’t listen. He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to hear her voice. He didn’t want to look at her. He wanted her gone.

Run.

That was the last word the protesting voice in his head spoke before a feral rage consumed it completely. At that point, her features blurred, her voice became indistinct, and every scruple disappeared.

He let the sword fall, and his now-free hand grabbed her wrist. She was slow to react, caught off guard by his dropping the weapon. And that split-second delay put her at his mercy.

With a sudden jerk, he freed his wrist from her grasp and seized both of hers, preventing her from defending herself. He raised them beside her head, rendering her completely helpless.

"You won’t stop me from finding them!" he growled, a twisted pleasure filling him as he saw her face grow pale.

"Don’t you recognize me?" she whispered, her voice fading beneath the pounding of blood in his ears.

He didn’t recognize her. He didn’t want to. She was an obstacle. She had to disappear.

Without answering, he pushed her to the ground. She hit the soft earth with a muted thud and immediately tried to get up. But he was faster. He pounced on her, pinning her hips with his knees and trapping her under his weight. She struggled, tried to push him away, but all her efforts were in vain.

She was strong, but in that moment, he was driven by a supernatural fury that, combined with his larger build, made her efforts as futile as trying to move a wall with bare hands.

Now, he just needed to get rid of her.

She would never get in his way again. She would never make him hesitate. Never again would she pull him away from his purpose.

His hands moved to her neck, so fragile and slender between his fingers. And he squeezed.

She gasped for air as her lungs emptied. She writhed beneath him, eyes filling with tears as she struggled in vain to breathe. Slim fingers clawed at his hands, trying to scratch them, to pull them off. But with every passing second, her strength faded.

It would all be over soon, if only he could squeeze as hard as he wanted to. But he couldn’t. That rebellious part of him had risen again, and he could hear its screams inside his head, feel its influence blocking his fingers, stopping him from applying enough pressure.

And then, the girl’s features came back into focus, a name flashing through his mind.

Stelle.

The next instant, an explosive pain struck the right side of his head, forcing him to let go. In his frenzy to kill her, he had lost track of her hands. That’s how she had managed to grab her metal bat and hit him by surprise.

He fell backward, clutching his head, landing seated on the ground and freeing her from his weight. As the pain slowly ebbed, he watched her rise to her knees, bat in one hand, the other rubbing her neck, taking deep breaths to refill her lungs. And finally, he recognized her again.

Stelle. Stelle. Stelle.

The red haze withdrew, his mind clearing. And as his rage quieted, other emotions, no less violent, took hold of him.

Horror. Shame.

What he feared most had happened. He hurt Stelle.

He looked at his hands, the sensation of her neck still vivid between his fingers, and an uncontrollable tremor took hold of him.

"Blade?"

Noticing the change in him, Stelle cautiously leaned forward. She was still holding the bat, but one hand reached out, trying to touch his shoulder. As she did, he noticed the faint red marks on her neck. No bruises were forming, which meant either he hadn’t squeezed hard enough or not long enough. But that didn’t change what he had tried to do. And the thought that, despite it all, she was still trying to reach him was driving him insane.

He recoiled sharply from her touch, pushing her hand away.

"Stay back!"

She froze, remaining at a distance while he desperately tried to calm himself.

He knew. He had felt this coming. And it was all his fault. He shouldn’t have let her get close. He shouldn’t have made that stupid promise. He shouldn’t have hoped that, somehow, they could avoid this forever. He had been selfish, and this was the result.

With utmost caution, Stelle inched closer, her gentle hand reaching for him again.

"Blade, listen…"

"Stay back," he repeated, his voice more measured, but no less firm.

He couldn’t let her come closer again. He couldn’t risk hurting her.

This wasn’t like the day before. It hadn’t just been fantasies, or a controlled attempt to make her understand the danger. He had completely lost it. For a few minutes, he had even forgotten who she was.

"It was the Mara. It’s not your fault," she said.

A dull pain pierced his chest, and he burst out in a bitter laugh.

Of course it was his fault! One hundred percent. After all…

"I am the Mara. It can’t create what isn’t already there. There’s a part of me that sees you as an obstacle and wants to get rid of you. Why won’t you understand that?!"

Stelle let her hand drop, her gaze falling to her knees, her expression unreadable.

Maybe she was starting to understand. If there was one good thing about this situation, it was that maybe now she would finally prioritize her safety—her survival.

"Leave. Please," he begged. "I don’t want to hurt you."

She said nothing. She stood up, put the bat away, and walked past him.

Blade was convinced she was going to leave — relief, dread, and pain churning inside him. He couldn’t breathe, and it felt like his heart was about to explode.

It was the right thing. At least she would be safe. As long as he knew she was safe, that would be enough.

But as he tried to convince himself that it was for the best, he sensed movement behind him, and a pair of warm arms wrapped around him, embracing his torso. A soft chest pressed against his back, and a cheek rested on his shoulder. He felt her soft hair tickling his ear, and it nearly drove him mad.

"Let me go," he muttered, the pressure in his chest so heavy it nearly stole his voice.

Stelle ignored his request.

"I’m not going anywhere until you calm down."

"Stelle—" he tried to reply, but she cut him off.

"Breathe."

Easier said than done. His body was exhausted, his mind still shaken, as it wrestled with what remained of the Mara. He felt that if he let go for even a second, he might hurt her again. The images he had seen through the egg and his own memories kept flashing before his eyes, tearing at him like knives.

"It’s okay," Stelle whispered against his shoulder. "The things you saw happened a very long time ago. Nothing can hurt you now."

It was true. The Sedition had been seven hundred years ago. The draconic abomination was gone, and so were the soldiers. Not even Jingliu was there to torture him. But the consequences remained, just like the ones responsible.

Him.

Dan Feng.

The Preceptors.

At that thought, a new wave of anger threatened to overwhelm him, and with it, the fear of losing control. Of hurting the person holding him together.

"Stelle, it’s dangerous."

"I knew that from the beginning. I knew bringing you here was risky," she answered. "But I’m fine. And soon, you’ll be fine too. Breathe."

Once again, he tried to obey, and this time he managed a deep breath. It was hard, but once his lungs filled with air, the pressure in his chest eased a little, and his thoughts grew clearer. The familiar sense of peace he usually felt around Stelle returned, pushing back the remnants of the Mara.

He didn’t know how he would have managed to calm down if she hadn’t been there.

"You should be furious with me," he said as his body relaxed into her, surrendering to the embrace.

"I’m still a little mad about yesterday," Stelle admitted. "But for what happened just now? It’s not your fault. Even if the emotions were yours," she quickly added before he could protest. "Everyone has dark thoughts without even realizing it. You just… don’t have the luxury of suppressing or controlling them."

Maybe that was truly how she felt. But even if she didn’t hate him for almost killing her, that didn’t mean he didn’t hate himself for it. He would never forgive himself. Never.

"I’m sorry for what you had to go through," she continued, " But I thought it was right for you to see it. It didn't sit right with me, knowing something so deeply tied to your past, and knowing you didn't."

He knew. And he appreciated it—far more than words could express.

"I'm sorry. And thank you," he said.

He drew another breath, his heartbeat slowing to a normal pace. He was left with exhaustion and a throbbing headache, but he was fine. He was himself again.

For now.

He gently pulled away from her embrace and stood, avoiding looking directly at her. The Mara had retreated, but the shame and pain remained. He couldn’t face her kindness again, and he hated the thought that she had seen him in such a wretched state.

He retrieved his sword from the ground and sheathed it, pondering his next move. He had much to think about. So many new things to process. And even now that the storm had passed, a strong urge to act.

"What are you going to do?" Stelle asked, rising from the ground.

Blade stared toward the entrance of the ruins, clenching his fists so hard they hurt.

There was only one possible answer, and whether he was clear-headed or under the Mara’s influence, it would never change.

"Who was the Preceptor in the memory?" he asked.

"Dan Heng recognized him. He said it was Taoran."

Taoran. He remembered the name, even if he had struggled to match it to a face.

"Then he’ll be the first to die," he concluded, anger threading through his voice. "The others will follow soon after."

Stelle crossed her arms, far from surprised. She had expected his answer, but that didn’t mean she liked it.

"According to Jing Yuan, Taoran is already dead. And as for the others, we don’t know who was involved in the Sedition."

Blade let out a mocking snort.

"What difference does it make? You don’t really think Taoran organized everything on his own, do you? Those cowards don’t do anything unless they have got their bases covered."

Stelle threw her hands up in exasperation.

"It matters, actually! I don’t like the Preceptors either, but I can’t believe every single one of them was involved in a conspiracy that caused thousands of deaths! And until we know who the conspirators are, they’re all innocent until proven guilty. You might end up killing people who have nothing to do with it."

He turned to look at her coldly.

"…You must have a very high opinion of me if you think I care. Have you forgotten who I am?"

Stelle held his gaze, peering into him with such intensity that he had to summon all his willpower to avoid looking away.

"I haven’t forgotten," she finally replied. "The Blade I know doesn’t hesitate to kill if it’s for a mission, or if someone stands in his way, or if some idiot attacks him first. But he never kills without a shred of a reason." She stepped forward to confront him defiantly. "Was I completely wrong about you?"

Her words struck him like a dagger. They hurt because they were true.

Whatever his reputation, Blade didn’t kill without cause. Not when the Mara wasn't affecting him, at least. If he made an exception for the Preceptors, he’d be a hypocrite, tainting his revenge with disgrace. And even he couldn’t tolerate that.

"So what do you suggest I do? Letting them get away with it isn’t an option," he said, stepping closer and closing the distance.

The challenge in her eyes was magnetic, her strength drawing him as much as her kindness.

"I know. It’s not an option for me either. So, I have a proposal," she answered so quickly that he suspected she’d already thought it through.

Blade crossed his arms, waiting for her to speak. And she continued:

"We’ve already told Jing Yuan about everything. Apparently, he was already investigating the Preceptors, though I don’t know if it’s because of this matter or something else. In any case, for now, he doesn’t want us to get involved."

He nodded. Her words aligned with Jing Yuan’s method of operation, so he had no reason to doubt her.

"So?"

"So, for now, we pretend nothing’s happening. We let Jing Yuan handle it, until the time is right. And when the opportunity arises, we help him trap them and make sure they receive proper punishment. Me, you, Jing Yuan, and my companions. Including Dan Heng."

If she hadn’t been so deadly serious, Blade might have thought she was joking.

"You want me working with Imbibitor Lunae?" he retorted sarcastically.

"You don’t have to be in the same place to work on the same case. Dan Heng wants to correct the wrongs caused by Dan Feng. It’s his way to fix his predecessor's mistakes. On that, I don’t think you’re necessarily against each other," she explained.

"…You’re starting to talk exactly like him."

She shrugged.

"Well, we’re friends for a reason."

That was true, without a doubt.

To be fair, he wasn’t opposed to taking care of the consequences of the Sedition. What he disagreed with was the idea that it would make punishment unnecessary.

Fixing things was fine, but the price to pay remained the same.

Seeing no response from him, Stelle lowered her voice to a whisper.

"A couple of days ago, you said you wanted to find out whether you could leave something good behind. Maybe this could be the chance to find out. And if it isn’t… well, from your point of view, it could be a way to grant an old friend a final wish. Don’t you think?"

She looked up at him, full of hope and desperation at the same time. It was clear this meant a lot to her, and nothing she proposed violated his principles. Of course, he knew she didn’t want it to be a ‘final wish’ for Dan Feng. Perhaps she hoped their plan would prompt him to reconsider.

He doubted it would, but maybe she was right that by helping to right a few wrongs, he could leave something positive behind, even if small. And the Preceptors would get punished regardless. He would make sure of that.

It wasn’t something he’d ever considered before meeting her. But many things had changed since then. He had changed.

"All right," he agreed.

Stelle’s face lit up with a radiant smile.

"Thank you! See? I’m always right. Deep down, you’re a good person!"

Blade looked away, a lump forming in his throat.

Silly girl. How could she still see him as a good person after everything she’d been put through?

"If this is what we are going to do, it's all the more reason why I need to leave," he told her, without even looking at her.

If he stayed, he’d be tempted to hunt the Preceptors, and with the Mara that unstable, he couldn’t take that risk.

Stelle didn’t contradict him.

"I understand."

"Also, I think you and I should keep our distance for a while."

A moment of hesitation passed before she answered again.

"All right. I get it. You need to fix the Mara."

He nodded. If they had to work together again, he had to make sure he wouldn't hurt her. Especially if the case concerned the Sedition.

Stelle cleared her throat, trying to sound normal. Goodbyes clearly weren’t her forte.

"When you see Kafka, could you tell her I want to speak with her? I’ve already asked Silver Wolf to do it, but maybe it’s better if you tell her too. Just in case."

Perceiving her anxiety, Blade turned to look at her. She was staring at the ground and nervously played with a strand of hair, tugging it so hard she seemed to want to yank it out.

She had decided to face her own fate, then. That was good. At least it would give her one less thing to anguish over, for better or worse.

"I will tell her."

Of course he would. And he’d also make sure Kafka spoke to her. That was a promise.

She smiled in gratitude — a sweet, somewhat resigned smile, very different from the ones he was used to.

"See you soon then. I'll keep in touch."

She took a step back and averted her gaze, turning toward the cluster of eggs behind them.

No embraces. No kisses. Not even a handshake.

These past days, they’d played so well at being lovers that it felt strange to go back to how things used to be. In truth, he didn’t even know if they were ever really a couple, or if it had all been just a game. Or a dream.

"See you soon, Stelle."

With one last glance at her, Blade turned on his heel and walked away along the path, so he would reach the beach first. When she decided to go back, he wouldn’t be there.

He would give her as much space as she needed. He would take his time, too, hoping that would be enough to resolve the issues with the Mara. And they would meet again when the moment was right, to put an end to the Preceptors.

It wasn’t goodbye forever.

"Blade!"

He was halfway through the path back to Dragonvista Rain Hall, when he heard Stelle call his name. As he turned around, he saw her running toward him, waving her hand to catch his attention.

He stopped in his tracks, waiting for her, pleasure and confusion alternating inside of him.

She skidded to a stop in front of him, still winded from her run. But, instead of catching her breath, she held out her palm to him.

"Give me your hand."

Blade furrowed his brow, perplexed by the sudden request, but he complied without protest.

He extended his right hand, and visibly relieved, she slipped off his glove. Then, under his bewildered gaze, she pulled a black marker from her pocket and scribbled something on his palm. Finally, like an artist finishing a masterpiece, she snapped the marker shut and tucked it back into her pocket, leaving him to contemplate the result.

'Stelle was here.'

The message, accompanied by the drawing of a crude flower, covered his whole palm, the ink still fresh and bright.

"It’s an indelible marker. You know, in case Kafka tries one of her mental tricks to ‘clean’ the Mara. This way, you will remember me," she told him proudly, as if this was the greatest idea she had ever had.

Blade looked up to give her a deadpan stare.

"…So I’m supposed to walk around forever with this scribble on my hand?"

She shrugged.

"Well, ‘forever’ is a strong word. The ink isn’t made to stick to skin; it’ll fade with time. But by then, we’ll meet again, right? Because this isn’t goodbye."

She said it firmly, as if convincing herself more than him.

Instead of answering, Blade stared at the writing again, tracing the crooked flower with his fingertip.

"What about this?"

"That’s a forget-me-not, obviously," she explained. "I read in one of March's romance novels that its meaning is sort of the opposite of red spider lilies. So… you know. Maybe it will bring us luck."

She looked up at him hopefully, eyes shining with expectation, clearly awaiting some kind of compliment. Instead, Blade studied the drawing closely, squinting to make out the lines.

No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t resemble a forget-me-not at all. It looked more like a blot of ink smeared by the marker.

Not that it mattered.

"Thank you."

She beamed, and for a couple of seconds, she looked genuinely happy. However, her smile soon faded as she rested a hand on his arm.

"Take care of yourself out there."

She stood on her tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. An awkward, small kiss. The most she was willing to give right now, after all they went through. Still, he appreciated it. After he tried to kill her, it was much more than he deserved.

She didn't say anything else. She simply strode past him, with her head held high. She walked so fast that before Blade could even formulate a reply, she was already at the top of the path.

He let her go and, slipping his glove back on, concealed the scribble from prying eyes. Now that she was gone, he felt the Mara’s coils twist again, trying to break free from his control. He fought to ignore them, at least for the moment, but he knew they were still there. And this time, he wouldn’t manage to banish them completely.

It wasn’t goodbye forever. Not now. But perhaps it was closer than he was willing to admit.