Lin Tian returned to the Solitary Reflection Pavilion, the biting mountain air failing to chill the tension Mu Chen's hostile glare had ignited. The gray-stone structure felt like a gilded cage. He sat on the bed, bracing for the confrontation in two days.
A soft, three-fold knock broke his thoughts. He straightened his robes and called out, "Enter."
Su Lan slipped inside, closing the door behind her. Though she wore her Discipline Hall uniform, her composure was shattered, her hands trembling.
"Meridian monitoring," she stated stiffly, citing standard procedure. Then, her shoulders slumped, dropping the charade. "They're watching me too," she muttered, pacing near the brazier. "Testifying for you regarding the Forced Symbiotic Ascension marked me as a traitor to Elder Feng Jian's faction."
"I know," Lin Tian said softly. "Thank you."
"Don't," she snapped, her eyes burning with intensity. "I didn't do it for you. The thought of them breaking you made me sick."
