The faint sound faded into silence, leaving the room heavy and unmoving. For a moment, neither of them reacted. Xu Yang's ears twitched sharply, his entire body going still as his senses stretched toward the shadows behind Lin Chen. The feeling was unmistakable.something had been there. Watching. Waiting. His pupils narrowed as his breathing slowed, instinct taking over completely. This was not something he could ignore anymore.
A quiet shift of energy passed through him, and in the next instant, his small cat form dissolved. Fur receded, bones reshaped, and his presence expanded as he returned to his human form. The air itself seemed to change with him. Xu Yang stood there, steady and alert, his gaze fixed on the darkness as if trying to force it to reveal itself.
"…Did you hear that?" he asked, his voice low and controlled.
Behind him, Lin Chen had already lifted his head, but his attention was not on the shadows. It was on Xu Yang. Completely still, completely focused, as if everything else had momentarily ceased to exist. For a few seconds, he didn't respond. He didn't even blink. Xu Yang noticed the silence and turned slightly, their eyes meeting. Something shifted between them in that moment.
Lin Chen wasn't just looking at him he was staring, as if seeing him for the first time. Not as the quiet presence who stayed beside him, not as something familiar or safe, but as something unknown. Something distant. Xu Yang's expression faltered slightly under that gaze.
"…Lin Chen?" The name seemed to pull him back. Lin Chen blinked once and looked away, his voice returning, though softer than before. "…Maybe just some animal."
Xu Yang studied him for a moment before giving a small nod. "…Hmm." Still, the unease didn't leave him. Something felt off.
Something still lingered in the room, just beyond reach. But he didn't push further not when Lin Chen looked like that, not when the exhaustion and pain were so clear on his face.
Lin Chen shifted slightly, trying to steady himself, but the movement triggered a sharp breath. His balance faltered, his body tilting forward as the pain overtook him. Before he could fall, Xu Yang moved instinctively. He stepped in quickly, catching him with one arm around his back and the other holding his arm firmly.
"…Lin Chen are you okay?"
His voice softened without control, and his eyes clear now in human form held that same fragile concern he couldn't hide. Lin Chen stilled for a moment in his hold, then slowly pulled away. Not roughly, but deliberately, creating distance.
"I'm fine," he said.
Xu Yang didn't move immediately. His hand lingered in the air where Lin Chen had been, fingers curling slightly as if unsure what to do now. His gaze searched Lin Chen's face, scanning every small reaction, every hidden sign of pain. "You're not fine," Xu Yang said quietly, stepping closer again despite the distance Lin Chen had just created. "You can barely stand. Sit down… at least let me check your injuries." "I said I'm fine," Lin Chen repeated, sharper this time, though his voice lacked strength.
Xu Yang's brows drew together. "Why are you forcing it?" he asked, his tone tightening with worry. "You were hurt in the Thread. I saw it. You don't have to pretend in front of me."
Lin Chen let out a slow breath, his gaze lowering for a moment as if something flickered across his mind something conflicted, something unspoken.
"That's exactly why," he muttered. Xu Yang frowned. "What do you mean?"
Lin Chen didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned slightly, avoiding Xu Yang's eyes, his hand pressing faintly against his side where the pain was clearly worse. "…You saw it," he said after a pause, his voice quieter now, almost distant. "Saw what?" Xu Yang asked. Lin Chen gave a faint, bitter smile. "How weak I am." Xu Yang's expression shifted immediately. "That's not "
"You don't have to say anything," Lin Chen cut in, though there was no real force behind it. "You already saw enough."
Xu Yang stepped forward again, more firmly this time, his voice lowering. "Being hurt doesn't make you weak." Lin Chen let out a quiet breath, something close to a laugh but heavier. "That's easy for you to say." The words hung between them. Xu Yang stilled.
"…Lin Chen," he said softly, "why are you talking like this?"
Lin Chen finally looked at him again, and this time there was something sharper in his eyes. Not just pain but distance. A wall building up where there hadn't been one before. "Because I'm tired," he said quietly. "Tired of pretending like everything is fine."
Xu Yang's chest tightened. "Then don't pretend," he replied immediately. "You don't have to do that with me."
A small pause followed. Lin Chen's gaze lingered on him, searching his face as if trying to find something something he wasn't sure existed anymore. "…That's the problem," Lin Chen murmured. Xu Yang's brows furrowed deeper. "What problem?"
Lin Chen didn't answer. Instead he looked away again, his expression closing off bit by bit, like a door slowly shutting. And then t he shift came. The distance settled fully between them. The words were flat. The warmth from before had completely disappeared.
Xu Yang blinked, confusion flickering across his face. "…Why are you doing that?" he asked quietly. "Did I do something wrong?"
Lin Chen let out a quiet laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Wrong?" he repeated slowly, as if the word itself didn't sit right. His gaze lifted again, sharper now. "You didn't do anything wrong." He paused briefly before adding, softer but heavier, "I'm the one who's wrong."
Xu Yang's chest tightened. He stepped closer without thinking, reaching out and holding Lin Chen's wrist gently. "…I'm sorry," he said, the words coming too quickly. "I'm sorry…"
Lin Chen's eyes dropped briefly to Xu Yang's hand before returning to his face. "Sorry?" he echoed, a faint smile touching his lips without reaching his eyes. "…That's it?"
Xu Yang swallowed, his grip tightening slightly. "I know I shouldn't have hidden my identity from you. I'm sorry." Silence settled between them, thick and unmoving. Lin Chen didn't soften. "If you don't trust me," he said quietly, "then why are you here?"
Xu Yang's breath caught. "With me?" he repeated faintly.
A pause followed, heavy with meaning, before Lin Chen added, "…You can leave."
The words weren't loud, but they struck harder than anything else. Xu Yang shook his head immediately. "It's not like that," he said, his voice unsteady now. "I was just… worried. I didn't know what you would think if you knew." His gaze lowered slightly. "I was scared… scared to lose you." Lin Chen let out another quiet laugh, tilting his head slightly. "Lose me? As what?"
Xu Yang met his eyes directly. "…As my friend." That only made things worse.
"Friend?" Lin Chen repeated, as if the word felt foreign. "Do you even know what that means?" "You're the only one I have," Xu Yang replied, his voice steadier now. "When I had nowhere to go, you gave me a place. You gave me a home."
For a moment, Lin Chen said nothing. Then his expression shifted not softer, just tired. "Friends don't hide things," he said quietly.
Xu Yang nodded faintly. "I know."
"I don't care what you know," Lin Chen snapped, his voice cutting sharper this time. "You can leave. I'm not in the mood to talk to you." And just like that, he turned away.
Xu Yang stood frozen for a second before reaching out again, catching his hand. " This is my home," he said softly. "You said that. Where am I supposed to go?"
Lin Chen didn't turn back. He pulled his hand away. "I don't know," he replied coldly. "But you can't stay here."
That was the moment something broke.
Xu Yang didn't argue. He didn't speak. He just stood there, silent, as the weight of those words settled inside him. Then the sky outside cracked open. Thunder roared violently, lightning tearing across the darkness, the sound echoing through the room. Xu Yang flinched instinctively. Before he could stop himself, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Lin Chen, holding him tightly.
Lin Chen stiffened immediately. For a second, he didn't move. Then he pushed Xu Yang away, firmly this time. "I said leave," he repeated, his voice colder than before. "I don't want any connection with you."
That ended everything. Xu Yang didn't respond. The silence spoke for him. He stepped back, turned, and walked toward the door. Outside, the rain had already begun, heavy and relentless.
Behind him, Lin Chen stood still, watching, saying nothing. Xu Yang reached the door and paused, his hand resting against it. For just a second, he turned back. Their eyes met one last time, filled with everything they hadn't said.Then Lin Chen looked away and walked into his room. The door closed without a sound. Xu Yang stood there a moment longer before opening the door and stepping out into the storm.
The rain swallowed him instantly. Cold water drenched him within seconds, his clothes clinging to his body as thunder roared overhead. But he kept walking without any direction. Each step grew heavier, the weight in his chest harder to carry. Minutes passed maybe longer. He didn't know. He didn't care.
Until his legs finally gave out. He fell hard to the ground, mud and dust mixing beneath him as the rain soaked through everything. He didn't get up. He didn't try. He just lay there, eyes half-open, breathing shallowly as the storm raged above him.And slowly, his vision faded.
Elsewhere For a long moment, Lin Chen didn't move. He stood there, facing the empty space Xu Yang had just left behind, his hand still slightly raised, as if he had almost reached out. But he hadn't. He didn't stop him. He didn't call him back. Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating, pressing against his chest in a way that made it hard to breathe.
Then, another thunderclap broke the quiet, loud and violent, shaking the windows and echoing through the walls. Lin Chen flinched slightly, his brows tightening as the sound reverberated in his chest. "…Idiot," he muttered under his breath, the word bitter and heavy. He turned abruptly and walked toward his room, each step uneven, his body still weak from the injuries, but this time the pain in his body wasn't the thing bothering him the most. Something else pressed down on him. Something heavier.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind him. The room felt colder now, emptier, too quiet. He stood there for a second, staring at the floor as if it held the answers, then started walking back and forth. Slowly at first, then faster. His thoughts refused to settle, twisting inside him like the storm outside. "What did I just do…?" he murmured, running a hand through his hair, fingers tangling in the strands as if he could pull clarity out. His chest felt tight, unbearably tight. "He lied to me…" he said, almost trying to convince himself. "He hid everything… stayed here like nothing was wrong…" His steps slowed, then stopped altogether. "…So why does it feel like I'm the one who did something wrong?"
Silence answered him, thick and unyielding. Another flash of lightning lit the room briefly, followed by the low rumble of thunder. His gaze shifted toward the window, and the rain outside had grown heavier, relentless, drumming against the glass. Suddenly, a thought hit him with force, twisting in his chest like a sharp blade: Xu Yang, out there, alone, in the storm. His expression tightened immediately. "…He hates thunder," he muttered almost unconsciously, remembering the way Xu Yang had flinched earlier, the instinctive way he had held onto him for support. That fear wasn't fake. Lin Chen clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. "…He'll be fine," he said, trying to brush it off, trying to convince himself that Xu Yang was strong enough to handle the storm. But the words rang hollow. Not after what he had just witnessed, not after seeing how unstable Xu Yang had looked, not after sensing the fragility beneath his composure.
"…What if something happens to him?" The words slipped out before he could stop them, and once they were spoken, they didn't leave. His jaw tightened, and he shook his head as if the motion could dismiss the worry that clawed at him. "He can take care of himself," he muttered again, quieter this time, but his feet remained still. His body refused to relax. Instead, his mind kept pushing further, imagining Xu Yang alone in the rain, collapsing from exhaustion, or worse, encountering something he couldn't face. What if someone finds him? What if that presence from before the thing he had sensed was still out there, waiting? Lin Chen's breathing grew uneven, ragged. "…Damn it," he muttered, the frustration bubbling over. He turned abruptly, pacing again, restless and anxious. "You told him to leave," he said, his voice rougher now, muttering at himself as much as to the empty room. "You said you didn't want anything to do with him."
His steps slowed, his chest tightening with every heartbeat. "…So why are you thinking about him like this?" No answer came. Only the storm outside, louder now, closer, battering the walls and shaking the floorboards beneath him. His gaze fell to the door once more, lingering as if it might somehow offer direction or comfort. For a long moment, he simply stared at it, unmoving, trapped in the weight of his own indecision. "…What if he doesn't come back?" The thought struck him differently this time, sharper, more painful. He swallowed hard, his chest constricting even more painfully. "…What if that was the last time…?" The sentence remained unfinished, too heavy to voice, too painful to think fully. He ran a hand over his face, letting the storm outside mask the tremble in his fingers. "…This is ridiculous," he whispered, voice hollow and lacking conviction, a futile attempt to rationalize the overwhelming anxiety twisting through him.
Another flash of lightning illuminated the room, followed almost immediately by the roar of thunder, and this time, Lin Chen moved. He moved before he could overthink it, before he could stop himself, before hesitation could root him to the floor. He grabbed his outer robe quickly, wincing as the motion tugged painfully at his injuries, but he ignored the sting. He pulled it over his shoulders and hastily fastened it as best he could, muttering under his breath, "…Just to check… I'm just making sure he didn't pass out somewhere like an idiot." He paused at the door, hand resting on the handle for a brief second, gathering courage. Then he opened it.
The storm greeted him immediately, battering him with cold wind and heavy rain that soaked through his thin robe in seconds. Each drop stung, each gust pushed him forward, yet he did not step back. Lin Chen's eyes scanned the darkness, searching through the sheets of rain, heart pounding violently against his ribcage. "…Xu Yang," he called out, voice trembling slightly but loud enough to cut through the roar of the storm. Still, no response came. His expression hardened, jaw set, determination sharpening with every second of silence. "…Idiot," he muttered again, but this time, there was no irritation, only worry, only the unspoken fear that Xu Yang might be in danger, that he might be lost to the night and rain. Without hesitation, without a second thought, Lin Chen stepped further into the storm, the rain soaking through him fully now, hair plastering his forehead, the cold biting at his skin. The wind howled around him, but his pace did not falter. He moved forward, scanning, listening, calling, searching every step fueled by the desperate need to find him, to make sure he was safe.
The rain blurred his vision, but he didn't care. Every thought, every fear, every pang of regret pushed him onward, and for the first time that night, the storm felt like it was moving with him, guiding him toward something, toward someone. And still, he called out, voice stronger now, carrying across the wet darkness: "…Xu Yang! I'm coming!" The words were almost swallowed by the storm, but Lin Chen didn't falter. Every step, every movement, carried the weight of unspoken apologies, the ache of fear, and the hope that he would reach him before it was too late. And with that, he disappeared further into the rain, determined to find the only person who mattered enough to risk himself completely.
Rain poured relentlessly through the forest, drenching everything in a steady, harsh rhythm. Mud squelched beneath Wang Xio's boots as he moved cautiously, the dark silhouettes of trees stretching like looming sentinels around him. Lightning occasionally split the sky, briefly illuminating the wet forest floor and the low-level demons that scuttled and prowled beside him.
Among them, a pair of Red Fang Wolves trotted nervously, sniffing the air. A few Mudclaw Spiders clung to the branches, their limbs clicking against wet wood. And Night Lurkers, thin and wiry with amber eyes that glowed faintly, moved silently through the underbrush.
Yan Luo walked slightly ahead, calm, hands tucked into his sleeves. He glanced around but did not speak at first. Wang Xio, tense, broke the silence. "These Threads… they've spread faster than I expected," Wang Xio muttered. "If we don't stop them, this forest could be gone by morning." Yan Luo didn't respond immediately. "…They don't care what's here," he said finally, his voice low. "They consume. Trees, animals, even people anything in their path."
One of the Red Fang Wolves let out a soft growl. "Are they… like big snakes? Or ghosts?" it asked nervously, tail flicking.
Wang Xio glanced at it sharply. "…They're Threads. You don't want to know what they are in detail." The wolf made a face. "…I didn't ask for details, just… heads up."
A Mudclaw Spider scuttled across a branch, clicking its legs. "…, chief I say we hide until it's over," it squeaked, tone high-pitched and almost comical. "Why do humans and big foxes always run into danger? I vote we nap instead."
Yan Luo's lips twitched slightly, though he didn't look at the spider. "You talk too much," he said flatly. "And naps don't save anyone."
The spider clicked its legs rapidly. "…I talk because I care! You think danger is fun? Huh? Tell me, big fox, why do we get wet in rain for this? I demand an explanation!"
Wang Xio snorted quietly, shaking his head. "…He's exaggerating. Calm down."
The wolf muttered under its breath, "…Exaggerating? You've never met spiders with strong opinions before, have you?"
Yan Luo ignored them, scanning the dark forest ahead. "…Focus on your footing. The Threads move quickly. Even a small demon can trigger them if they panic." Wang Xio's eyes narrowed. "…Do you always have to sound so calm?" he asked, tone dry.
Yan Luo didn't respond. "…Calm gets results," he said simply. The Mudclaw Spider clicked its legs again, louder this time. "…I call it boring! Calm is boring! Where's the fun in calm when you could scream and throw stuff at the Threads?" "…I said calm, not dead," Yan Luo muttered, stepping over a slick root.
The wolf nudged Wang Xio. "…Hey, chief, does he always talk to spiders like that?"
Wang Xio ignored the comment, gaze scanning the rain-slick forest. "He's… different," he said quietly. "Just focus. Don't let the Threads catch you." Another flash of lightning lit the sky. Yan Luo's figure slipped into the shadows. Wang Xio barely noticed until he was gone. "…Where'd he go?" the wolf whispered nervously.
The spider clicked its legs indignantly. "…He disappears too easily. One moment here, poof! Gone. Typical mysterious big-fox human!" Wang Xio sighed, adjusting the chain at his side. "…Now it's just us," he muttered, voice low. "…Let's see what's waiting for us tonight."
The low-level demons shuffled closer behind him, still muttering complaints and nervous jokes among themselves. Wang Xio's eyes scanned the darkness, silver gleaming faintly under the flashes of lightning They continue walking.
The storm had made the paths slippery and the shadows deeper, each tree trunk a potential hiding place for danger. One of the smaller demons, a sprightly imp-like creature with mottled green skin, whispered nervously, "Chief… are we really going the right way? I feel like these trees are moving!"
Another demon, taller and bulkier, let out a low chuckle, nudging the first one. "Relax, Fung. Even the shadows are scared of Chief here. If anyone gets lost, it won't be us." The imp huffed, clearly unconvinced.
Wang Xio smirked faintly, shaking his head. "Keep your eyes open. Don't let the storm distract you." The rain pounded harder, the wind whipping through the trees, and Wang Xio kept moving steadily. The low-level demons shuffled along, occasionally slipping in the mud, muttering complaints or snickering at each other's missteps.
Suddenly, through the sheets of rain, wolf caught sight of something near the edge of a small village. A figure or maybe a shape was barely visible, hunched and struggling against the downpour. He froze for a moment, narrowing his eyes. It moved slightly, shifting in the rain.
"Hold on," Fang wolf muttered under his breath. "Someone's there…"
The low-level demons peeked from behind him, their chatter quieting instantly. Even they seemed to sense something unusual in the figure's presence.
Wang Xio took a careful step forward, then another. The storm's noise masked the sound of his boots, but the figure remained in place, faint and shadowed. He couldn't tell if it was injured, frightened, or something else entirely but instinct told him it needed attention.
"Let's go see," Wang xio said softly, more to himself than the demons. They nodded nervously behind him, following as he led the way toward the shape near the village.
As they moved closer, the rain fell heavier, soaking everything, blurring shapes and sounds. Wang Xio's gaze never left the figure. There was something familiar about its posture, something human but he couldn't be sure.
Step by step, they drew nearer. The forest gave way slightly to the muddy outskirts of the village, lanterns swaying in the storm, their light flickering faintly. The figure didn't move didn't react but Wang Xio felt a pull he couldn't explain. He quickened his pace. The low-level demons stayed close, uneasy but silent. Then, just as he reached the first few houses, Wang Xio's eyes locked on the figure completely.Step by step, he moved closer, the rain plastering his silver hair to his forehead. The figure's shape became clearer.
Wang xio saw his face and said. " You! "
Morning arrived quietly, unaware of everything the night had broken. Xu Yang's eyes opened slowly. The first thing he noticed was warmth. Dryness. A ceiling he didn't recognize. His gaze sharpened instantly as he sat up too quickly, his surroundings unfamiliar in every way. "…Where…?"
His heartbeat quickened as his eyes scanned the room. "…Why am I here? What is this place…? Who brought me here?"
Then a voice came from outside, calm and unhurried. "You're awake."
Xu Yang froze.