Moonlight cast a silver glow across the quiet room, blending with the soft whisper of the wind to create a soothing melody. Johan stood over the table, staring down at a worn map with a contemplative expression. He glanced toward an open drawer, reaching inside to pull out fresh parchment and ink.
As he dipped his feather quill into the inkwell, the faint light caught the edges of his blond hair. He smoothed the paper flat, determined to leave a message for Gong Feng and Long Xiao to halt their pursuit. He began to write, dark ink staining the pristine white page. Nearby, Li Ping watched him settle into the chair, her eyes heavy with worry.
Dear brothers,
By the time you read this, Li Ping and I will already be far on our way. I want to thank Brother Gong Feng for his vital help on our journey. I will never forget your kindness, and I will do my best to repay it when I return. As for Brother Long Xiao, though our time together has been brief, I can boldly say that our paths will cross again.
Johan set the quill down, leaving the fresh ink to dry on the page, and rose from his chair. He and Li Ping stepped back toward the map. Johan tapped the marked coordinate, and the air fractured. A portal materialized, pulsing with a deep, ancient energy. With a final look back, Johan and Li Ping leapt through the shimmering rift, vanishing from the room.
Because the portal was slow to close, its residual light still flickered when Long Xiao walked into the chamber moments later. He caught sight of the swirling rift, then noticed the letter resting on the table. He walked over, picked it up, and skimmed the words.
"Interesting," Long Xiao muttered to himself, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Lei slipped into the room silently behind him, his eyes widening at the sight of the open portal.
"I thought you were asleep," Long Xiao chuckled, looking over his shoulder. "I was just about to leave without you."
"You can't do that, Master!" Lei pouted, crossing his arms.
"Well, it seems our two mortals are heading somewhere interesting," Long Xiao laughed, stepping up to the edge. "And I definitely don't want to spoil their fun."
Without hesitation, Long Xiao dove into the portal.
"Hey! Master, wait for me!" Lei cried out, rushing forward to follow him into the light.
Outside, the faint hoots of two-horned owls and the distant roar of a waterfall echoed through the night. Further down the hall, Xinyi and Gong Feng remained trapped in a deep slumber, completely unaware of the quiet escape that had just unfolded.
Forest of Forgotten Echoes
—
The air in the Forest of Forgotten Echoes was heavy with a dense, grey mist that coiled around the gnarled trunks like ghostly serpents. The trees were twisted and fractured, their branches reaching outward like skeletal fingers clawing at the empty air. Beneath them, the damp earth was choked with the scattered bones of forgotten beasts. An eerie, sourceless luminescence bathed the woods in a faint glow, while bone and shadow crows circled overhead, their hollow caws piercing the oppressive silence.
At the heart of this desolation stood the ominous hut of the one-eyed oracle. The doorway was lined with weathered skulls, their empty eye sockets burning with a cold, blue fire. Nearby, a wind chime crafted from old rib cages clinked softly in the breeze.
Johan and Li Ping halted before the threshold.
"Master, I've returned." Johan said softly, raising his hand to knock.
Before his knuckles could graze the wood, the door creaked open on its own. A draft of warm, metallic-scented air spilled out into the night, carrying a swirl of strange dark mist. A sharp shiver ran down Li Ping's spine. As Johan stepped inside, she suddenly felt something cold and ropelike slither up her leg.
"Aaahhh!" she screamed, panicking as she stomped her feet frantically against the ground.
"Barat, do not frighten our guest," a calm, resonant voice echoed from the depths of the hut.
The entity receded, and the one-eyed oracle turned her gaze toward Johan, gesturing toward a seat. "You know what your return signifies."
"I know, Master," Johan replied solemnly. "I have confirmed that I am an only child. My parents were not at home, and it is highly likely they are now in a completely different region. Our paths won't cross anytime soon. And even if they did... I am no longer their Qian Yun."
The one-eyed oracle stared at him intently, the blue flames from the doorway casting long shadows across her face.
"Becoming my disciple means defecting from the righteous path entirely," she warned, her voice dropping to a low murmur. "Have you truly thought this through, Qian Yun?"