His face held an undeniable depth, the curve of his smile hiding sharp edges.
Those concealed eyes, veiled by the silken band, promised an endless, unsettling mystery.
It was that confusing, dual behavior—the unsettling fusion of innocence and malice—that bore a signature only Kirihito possessed. Yet, for now, he was content to indulge his softer, lighter side.....
Emerging from the washroom, Xio had exchanged his layers for a simpler, normal-looking white robe. However, the cut bore an uncanny resemblance to the Yin Lan Clan's daily wear, perhaps a deliberate choice, hinting at a new, unfolding scheme.
Xio's gaze settled on Kirihito, whose eyes were now bound by a crimson ribbon, serving as a striking blindfold. The color was perfectly matched to the new black-and-red-layered ensemble: an inner tunic, the main robe, and a shorter outer piece that played with the length of his sleeves.
A rich, crimson waist belt cinched his perfect, narrow hips. The finishing touch was a hanging charm—a tiny, crimson heart cradling a delicate white dove. The outfit was undeniably beautiful, a vision of dark elegance, though Xio knew it was only a matter of time before the snake complained about the confinement of the layers. Kirihito, after all, preferred the ease of nakedness.
Sure enough, his collar was already loose, deliberately pulled to expose the elegant slope of his collarbone.
He circled Xio with the light, bounding steps of a happy pigeon, grinning widely. His voice was a playful, purring lilt. "Let's go, let's go! Wèi will go to town in his new robe! But Wèi feels so hot in it... Can Wèi wear only one layer??"
"No," Xio answered firmly, setting down a comb. "No removing anything. And come here. I need to fix your hair."
Xio studied Kirihito's reflection while meticulously styling his own hair in the clean, severe manner of a reputable Lan from the Yin Lan Clan—a style Kirihito immediately noticed. He watched Xio's transformation carefully; the change in style made his companion look subtly, yet entirely, different.
"No! Don't touch Wèi's hair! Wèi will keep it this way," Kirihito whined, childishly batting at Xio's hand. He then tilted his head, playing with Xio's childhood rabbit charm hanging nearby. "And why is Butterfly wearing white and making his hair like that now? He looks like a stranger."
"Because I will not show my real face to anyone," Xio stated, nearing completion of the new style.
"Why?" Kirihito asked, patting the dressing table. "You're going to leave your face right here?" The innocent question, coupled with the action, was darkly comical and strangely unsettling if one considered the logical impossibility of leaving a face on a table.
Xio chuckled faintly, a sound of gentle amusement at the snake's innocent yet dangerous charm. "No, you foolish snake. I will change my face so nobody recognizes me. And I know someone whose face will be useful."
Kirihito's playful panic flared into real concern. "How will Wèi know who is Wèi's butterfly if Butterfly looks different?!"
To reassure him, Xio came up with a simple idea. "The one you see wearing this pendant—the one I once scolded you for—that is me. And you already know I call you Wèi Yīlíng." This simple identifier was a quiet tether between them.
Xio stepped closer to begin binding Kirihito's hair. As he did, he revealed his plan. "There is a Lan of the Yin Lan Clan, his name is Lan Suji. He is well-known in the town we are going to. If I wear his face, we will receive extra care and respect. And, more importantly, we will be able to buy things that are only permitted for highly regarded Dàozǔ like him."
Kirihito finally allowed his hair to be bound, though the ribbon left most of his silky black locks pooling forward, artfully framing his covered eyes.
Then, he posed a question that struck Xio with unexpected sharpness. "Are you a bad Dàozǔ... if he's a good one?"
Xio froze, looking at their reflection—the dark, blindfolded snake and the man now wearing the composed, virtuous face of Lan Suji. He replied with a faint, bitter smile. "Sometimes, the situation makes people bad... not that you are actually bad."
Kirihito's lips parted in thoughtful wonder. Did that mean he was a bad snake because of the situation? He briefly recalled the strange murmurs he had made, the sensation of casually crushing something, like ants.
But then, his mind glitched. A sudden, painful flash—the image of a woman's severed head—stabbed the back of his mind. His jaw tightened, but he quickly hid the discomfort from Xio.
Meanwhile, his Dark Side spoke thoughtfully, a deep, resonant voice in the mental void:
"This boy... he talks like him. Just as he did, he makes me question my whole existence, my entire cold system."
For the first time, Kirihito heard a trace of the entity living within him, and he was struck by the dizzying certainty that he was forgetting something—but what?
Just as he was lost in thought, the Dark Voice cut through his confusion.
"Don't freeze and be emotional like that, kid... Just move."
Kirihito's heart hammered against his ribs. He hadn't known before that he wasn't one, but two. He quickly shook his head, desperately trying to clear the sudden revelation. Wèi is fine. Wèi heard all wrong, he told himself frantically.
Xio blinked at the strange, swift shift in his companion's demeanor. His appearance was already perfectly changed to that of Lan Suji, and even his voice had taken on a new, smooth quality.
"Anything wrong, Wèi?" Xio asked, his tone now carrying the refined concern of the Lan.
Kirihito instantly snapped back to his playfulness, nodding eagerly and running towards the door. "Now Wèi is ready to go!" he declared with zeal.
Xio watched Kirihito's silky locks flare behind him, his hand falling from the matching red ribbon he had just secured. He lowered his hand with a sigh, watching Kirihito disappear through the threshold.
But then the snake darted back in, his eyes (or the ribbon covering them) fixing on the remaining black snake coiled on the dressing table. "Oh, how can Wèi forget you?~" he purred, scooping up his reptilian companion.
"Wèi! Don't run around! Wait for me!" Xio called, following quickly, not forgetting to secure and render his chamber invisible with an effective sealing talisman.
After they had walked a short distance into the silent forest, Xio spoke. "The town is far from Fukaki. Let's ride my Shadow Owl."
Kirihito's eyes widened with newfound excitement. He was already bored with walking and certainly wasn't in the mood to run at his usual breakneck speed; he already felt strangely tired.
"Wèi will ride! Wèi will ride!" he shouted excitedly, circling Xio again.
Xio smiled faintly and drew out his flute, playing a sharp, haunting melody that cut through the silent woods. Moments later, his enormous Shadow Owl appeared, landing with a soundless grace. Wèi's mouth parted in wonder; he was already fond of birds and instantly fell in love with the majestic spirit creature.
The owl gracefully lowered itself, ready to take them upon its back. Before Xio could even move, Kirihito scrambled onto its back like climbing a small hill.
"Big birdie! Wèi is happy to see you!" he cooed, laying on the owl's massive, shadowy chest, his legs kicking upwards as he hugged the owl's neck.
The owl seemed to enjoy the attention, cooing back, its red eyes softening and its shadow feathers fluffing in response to the affection.
Xio couldn't help but tease him gently. "You said you aren't a princess... then why are you being so affectionate with animals, even a shadow spirit?"
Kirihito immediately puffed out his cheeks, his beloved ego taking a clear hit. "Wèi is only playing with the owl! Wèi isn't any princess! Not those female insects! Ew!!" he dramatically gagged, clearly disgusted by the comparison.
Xio chuckled, and with a powerful push, the owl took flight. It soared higher, their hair streaming behind them, caught in the rushing wind.
Wèi's face broke into a huge, unfiltered grin, his cheeks flushed with pure exhilaration as he watched the entirety of Fukaki fall away below.
"Wèi is flying like a birdie!" he shouted loudly, his voice echoing back to them from the distant mountains.
Unable to contain his joy, Kirihito stood up, mirroring Xio's stance. He spread his arms wide like massive wings, his huge, flowing sleeves transforming his outline into something that was neither bird nor snake, but an unearthly being riding the yellow sky of almpat fading afternoon .