The night was quiet, but the silence felt heavy.
In a small house, dimly lit by a single lamp, a young boy sat alone.
Qiao Yu Zhen.
He looked toward the door again and again, his small hands resting on his knees. His eyes were filled with worry.
"They should have returned by now…" he murmured softly.
Outside, the wind moved gently, carrying with it a strange uneasiness.
Eternity ago…
The Nether Realm had not always been silent and broken.
It was once filled with power, discipline, and order.
Among its many warriors were two figures—Yeluo Zhen and Xuanji Yin.
They stood side by side in the training grounds, surrounded by dark flames and cold winds. Both of them were strong, respected, and feared by others.
"You're distracted," Xuanji Yin said, crossing her arms as she looked at him.
Yeluo Zhen smiled faintly. "And you noticed."
"I always notice," she replied calmly.
He turned toward her, his expression softening. "Then tell me… what am I thinking?"
Xuanji Yin paused for a moment, then said, "You're thinking about leaving."
Yeluo Zhen did not answer immediately.
But his silence was enough.
The Nether Realm was not a place for emotions. There was no room for love, no space for personal choice. Everything was controlled, everything was bound by duty.
But somewhere along the way—
They had changed.
Yeluo Zhen stepped closer, lowering his voice. "If we stay here… we will never be free."
Xuanji Yin looked at him, her eyes steady. "And if we leave… we become enemies of everything we know."
He nodded. "Yes."
A quiet moment passed between them.
Then he said, "But even then… I would choose the same path."
Xuanji Yin's gaze softened slightly. "Why?"
Yeluo Zhen looked directly at her. "Because that path has you."
Her breath caught for a brief second.
In a world where feelings were seen as weakness, those words carried more weight than anything else.
"You're foolish," she said quietly.
Yeluo Zhen smiled. "Maybe."
Another pause.
Then—
Xuanji Yin stepped forward.
"Then I will be foolish too."
That was the moment everything changed.
They chose each other.
And by doing so—
They became traitors of the Nether Realm.
The day they left was filled with chaos.
Dark energy surged behind them as they ran, leaving everything they had known behind.
"They will chase us," Xuanji Yin said.
"They already are," Yeluo Zhen replied, pulling her along.
But they did not stop.
Through forests, across mountains, through storms and darkness—they ran together.
And finally—
They found a place far from the Nether Realm.
A place where they could live… not as warriors, but as ordinary people.
A place where their son was born.
Now…
The door suddenly opened.
Qiao Yu Zhen stood up quickly.
"Mother?" he called.
Xuanji Yin stumbled inside.
Her steps were unsteady, her clothes torn, and blood stained her side.
She almost fell, but managed to hold onto the wall.
"Mother!" Yu Zhen ran toward her, panic filling his voice. "What happened?!"
He reached out, holding her carefully. "You're hurt… you're badly hurt!"
Xuanji Yin looked at him.
For a moment, her eyes softened.
"My son…" she whispered.
Yu Zhen's voice trembled. "Where is father? Why isn't he with you?"
Her body froze slightly.
She opened her mouth—
But no words came out.
Yu Zhen shook his head, his eyes filling with tears. "Tell me! What happened to him?"
Xuanji Yin raised her hand slowly, touching his face.
Her fingers were cold.
"He…" she tried to speak, but her voice was too weak.
Her strength was fading.
Yu Zhen held her tighter. "No… don't stop. You have to tell me!"
Tears rolled down his face.
But Xuanji Yin only looked at him.
Her expression was filled with something deep—pain, love, and regret.
She could not say it.
She could not tell him that his father was gone.
Her hand slowly slipped from his face.
"Mother…?" Yu Zhen's voice broke.
Her body became still.
Too still.
"Mother… wake up…" he whispered.
No response.
"Mother… please…" His voice grew weaker.
But she did not move.
Her head rested gently against him.
And then—
A faint light appeared.
Yu Zhen's eyes widened.
From her body, a soft glow began to rise.
It was gentle, almost like a fading flame.
Her soul.
"Mother…?" he said, his voice trembling.
The light floated slowly upward.
For a brief moment, it paused, as if looking back.
Then—
It disappeared.
Gone.
Yu Zhen sat there, frozen.
His hands still holding her.
His mind unable to understand.
The room was silent.
Too silent.
Outside, the wind continued to blow softly.
But inside—
A child sat alone, holding the lifeless body of his mother.
And the truth he could not hear—
Stayed unspoken.
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