Shun stood motionless, his silver hair catching the fading sunlight as it spilled across the square. His eyes fixed on the robed figure standing in the center, her face half-hidden in the deep shadows cast by the dying light. Gold touched her features, softening the edges of her expression, but Shun's gaze held no warmth. It carried a weight, a raw ache that spoke of loss long buried. His lips parted, and his voice came out soft, barely audible above the evening's stillness.
"You're alive?"
The woman, Rose, tilted her head, her lips curling into a faint smile that held no trace of kindness. "Of course. Somehow, yes."
Xin watched her from a few paces away, his eyes tracing the signs of her ordeal. Her robe hung in tatters at the hem, caked with dust and grime. A thin streak of blood marred the fabric along her shoulder and forearm, dark against the faded cloth. She stood tall, her posture defiant, but there was a stiffness in her movements, a silent admission of pain she refused to voice.
"You're hurt," Xin said, stepping forward before his mind caught up with his body. His voice trembled with concern. "Let me help you."
"I'm fine," Rose replied, her tone cool, smooth as polished stone. She waved a hand, dismissing his worry with a flick of her wrist.
"Fine?" Xin's brow furrowed, his voice rising. "You're bleeding. I can heal you. It's no trouble."
"No." Shun's voice sliced through the conversation, sharp and unyielding. He moved toward Rose, his silver hair shifting in the breeze. "I'll do it."
Xin blinked, caught off guard. "You're not in any shape to heal anyone, Shun. Your head's still—"
Shun shook his head, cutting him off. He stepped closer to Rose, his expression unreadable but resolute. "She won't let anyone else touch her," he said, his voice low, as if sharing a secret meant only for himself.
Rose's lips curved into a smirk, her eyes glinting with something sharp and knowing. "You do know my body so well, my knight in silvery armor." She punctuated the words with a slow, deliberate wink, her gaze lingering on Shun.
Xin's brows shot up, his mouth falling open. "Your… knight? What does that even mean?"
Shun ignored him, his focus entirely on Rose. He raised a hand, gesturing toward the door of the nearby building. "Out, Xin. Wait outside. And don't peek."
"Peek?" Xin's voice climbed an octave, his cheeks flushing. "Why would I peek? What's that supposed to mean?"
Shun didn't answer. He pointed at the door again, his expression offering no room for argument.
Xin stood frozen for a moment, his eyes darting between the two of them. Rose seemed perfectly at ease, her smirk unwavering, while Shun's face remained a mask of calm. Against every instinct screaming in his head, Xin muttered something under his breath—half agreement, half frustration—and shuffled toward the door.
The door clicked shut behind him.
The hallway outside was quiet, save for the faint creak of the wooden floor beneath his shiftingownership
System: weight. Xin leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, trying to convince himself this was nothing out of the ordinary. Healing. That's all it was. Nothing strange about it. He repeated the thought like a mantra, willing his mind to stay calm.
Then he heard it.
A sound.
A soft, muffled exhale.
Then a sharper, drawn-out noise, almost like a gasp.
Xin's head jerked toward the door, his ears straining. His brain scrambled for a rational explanation. She's hurt. She's in pain. That's all it is.
But then came a low, throaty sound—one that had no business being in a healing session.
Xin's face went red instantly. His hands clenched at his sides. Nope. Nope. Not my business. Definitely not my business.
He tried to look anywhere but at the door. The wall opposite him was suddenly fascinating. The ceiling beams? Architectural marvels. The floor? Stunning craftsmanship.
But the noises didn't stop. If anything, they got… worse.
"What are they doing in there?" he muttered to himself, his voice barely a whisper. His ears burned, his mind a chaotic whirl of possibilities, each more unsettling than the last. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to ground himself. "It's healing. Only healing. Why does it sound like that?"
A sharp gasp from inside made him flinch, his whole body tensing. He squeezed his eyes shut, muttering under his breath. "Ancestors, help me. I'm going deaf. It's the only way."
He'd traveled with Shun for years. He'd heard him bark orders in battle, roar with fury in the heat of a fight, curse when plans fell apart. But these sounds? These were new. Unfamiliar. They clawed at his mind, painting pictures he didn't want to see.
Another sound...a low, drawn-out moan..pushed him to the edge. "That's it," he whispered, his voice shaking. "I'm done. I'm out."
He was halfway to covering his ears, desperate to block it all out, when the door creaked open.
Shun stepped out, his silver hair slightly mussed, a faint sheen of sweat on his brow. He looked calmer, almost serene, as if the last few minutes hadn't been the most confusing of Xin's life. "You can come in now," he said, his tone casual, like nothing unusual had happened.
Xin stared at him, his mind a battlefield of questions he wasn't sure he wanted answered. Should he ask? Should he bury this moment in the deepest vault of his memory and never speak of it again? Shun didn't give him time to decide. He stepped aside, gesturing toward the open doorway.
Xin swallowed hard, his curiosity at war with his instinct to flee. Slowly, he stepped forward, crossing the threshold into the room.
Rose sat on the edge of the cot, her cloak neatly adjusted, her posture relaxed. The bloodstains on her robe were gone, her skin now carrying a faint warmth, as if life had been breathed back into her. She smiled at Xin, her expression both inviting and impossible to read.
"See?" Shun said from behind him, his voice steady. "All better."
Xin's eyes flicked between them, searching for answers he wasn't sure he could handle. "…Right. Better."
But in the back of his mind, a question burned, sharp and relentless. What happened in that room?
Rose tilted her head, her smile deepening, as if she could see straight through him, as if she knew every thought racing through his head. "Well," she said, her voice light but carrying an edge, "now that we're done with the formalities, I suppose I owe you an explanation. How I came back from the dead, that is."
Xin froze, his breath catching. "Wait. You're saying you were actually—"
Shun's expression shifted, the calm fading into something heavier, more serious. He stepped closer, his presence grounding the moment.
Rose's gaze locked onto Xin's, her eyes sharp and unwavering. In that instant, he knew whatever she was about to say would unravel everything he thought he understood.
"Well," she began, her voice steady, "it's not a simple story. Death isn't exactly a door you walk through and come back unchanged. Though it was a weird life threatning experience.."
Xin's throat tightened.
Shun's hand twitched at his side, as if he wanted to reach for her but thought better of it. "You didn't tell me," he said, his voice low, almost accusing.
"I didn't tell anyone," Rose replied, her tone sharp but not unkind. "Some things you carry alone."
Xin's mind reeled. Rituals? Pacts? His thoughts spiraled, conjuring images of dark altars and whispered oaths. He wanted to press her, to demand details, but her gaze held him in place, daring him to ask more.
"What does it mean?" he managed, his voice barely above a whisper.
"It means I'm here," she said, her voice softening. "But it also means i went through my first Act."