Chapter 22: What Was Lost, What Remains
The morning after the battle, the forest was bathed in golden mist. Birds sang gently, as if the world had been reborn.
Bai Jiu sat on the steps of the ruined altar, watching the sun filter through the trees. His sword lay beside him, no longer burning.
Ying Yue emerged, wrapped in a pale robe, her hair tousled by sleep and wind. She sat next to him quietly.
"Is it over?" she asked.
"For now," he said. "The seal holds. But seals… weaken. In time, he might return."
She looked at him. "And what will we do then?"
He met her gaze. "Fight. Together."
A soft smile curled on her lips. "You lied to me," she teased. "You said you weren't Xie Changye."
"I was trying to protect you," he said. "From the past. From myself."
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Next time, just tell me the truth."
He wrapped his arm around her. "There won't be lies between us again."
They sat in silence, two souls once broken, now whole again—bound by time, fate, and the seal of love.
To be continued…