Yue sat at the edge of the lotus pond, her fingers drifting through the cool water.
It was quiet here.
Too quiet.
The chaos of the tournament had passed, but inside her heart, a storm churned louder than any cheering crowd. Her body still carried the ache of her previous match—bruised ribs, a sprained wrist, a subtle internal imbalance from the blow that had knocked her off her feet. Yet none of that hurt as much as what she felt inside.
Not because she lost.
Because he had watched.
Kai Jin.
His name pulsed in her thoughts like a wound that wouldn't close.
He had said nothing. Made no move. No gesture of comfort. But she had seen the flicker in his eyes—his fists clenched in the stands, the way he turned his face when she was helped off the arena stage.
He was angry. Furious, even.
But not with her.
With the world.
And somehow, she felt like she shared a part of that fury—like she had unknowingly tethered herself to it.
She stood, breath shaking.
The wind curled around her like an old lover—soft, familiar, intrusive. She closed her eyes and let it carry her thoughts away, just for a moment.
Her room in the female disciples' quarters was lit only by a single spirit lamp when she returned.
She peeled off her outer robe, wincing slightly as the bruises along her side pulled. She was used to pain. Used to enduring. But lately, it had begun to feel... different. Heavier. As if something unseen was pressing in on her soul.
She dipped her fingers into the basin of warm healing water, letting the glow ease her wrist.
It wasn't enough.
He carried worse and said nothing.
The thought invaded her mind uninvited.
Why did she keep thinking of him?
Why did everything lately seem to bend toward him?
Two hours later, unable to sleep, Yue wandered through the moonlit corridor and found herself climbing the stone steps to the upper courtyard. A place few outer disciples dared to linger—too close to the Inner Sect chambers.
She didn't care.
She just wanted air.
And space to think.
That's when she heard the voice.
"You shouldn't be here."
Yue turned slowly, her breath catching.
Lin Su.
Beautiful. Sharp-eyed. Wrapped in black and red robes like fire-streaked shadow.
She leaned against the wall, arms folded, expression unreadable.
"I couldn't sleep," Yue said quietly.
"You think being up here will help you rest?"
Yue hesitated. "...I needed clarity."
Lin Su smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"You're not the only one losing sleep over him."
That made Yue's spine straighten.
"I wasn't thinking about him," she lied.
Lin chuckled softly. "You're not very good at lying."
They stood in silence for a time, both staring at the moonlit peaks across the horizon.
Then Lin spoke again.
"You feel it too, don't you?"
Yue didn't answer.
"The pull," Lin whispered. "Something ancient. Old. Not just strength. Not just mystery. Something… wrong."
Yue clenched her fists.
"He saved me."
Lin's eyes flicked to her. "That's not what I said."
"But it's what you meant."
Another long pause.
Then Lin straightened, her gaze softening just slightly.
"I don't want you to get hurt."
Yue blinked. That surprised her.
"I don't know what he is," Lin said. "But the longer you orbit his gravity, the harder it will be to escape."
And then she was gone.
No footsteps. No farewell. Just wind and empty stone.
Yue stayed there until morning.
She watched the sun rise from behind the cliffs, painting the sky in shades of blood and honey.
Her mind was a battlefield of contradictions.
Fear.
Hope.
Attraction.
Doubt.
But through it all, one thought repeated like a mantra.
I'm not leaving his side.
Even if it destroyed her.