The night air in the Heavenly Realm held a strange weight, as if the stars themselves whispered old regrets.
Inside his private chamber, Jin Xuan Yue stood alone before the tall mirror, hair damp from the bath, robe half-tied.
His gaze wasn't on his reflection, but on a pendant he now held — a crystal orb, inside which flickered a faint golden flame.
Her soul light… or what remains of it.
He gripped it tighter.
A knock.
Before he could answer, the door slid open slightly — Li Hua, balancing a tray of tea with practiced grace.
"I didn't summon you," he said, voice low.
She smiled sweetly. "And yet, here I am. Should I leave?"
His eyes narrowed. "Come."
She stepped in. Slowly. Gracefully. But her heart pounded wildly. Being so close to him, in his private space… The scent of sandalwood and cold wind clung to the air.
He took the cup she poured. Their hands brushed — just slightly. Enough for her pulse to skip.
"Why did you stay behind when the other servants left?"
"I suppose I find your silence... comforting."
"That's the first time someone has said that to me."
"Then you've had poor company."
He turned away, but a rare flicker of amusement ghosted his lips. She caught it — and her heart ached. He's still in there. The man I loved… he never died.
Just as she turned to leave, he spoke, voice softer.
"You remind me of someone."
She froze.
His eyes were on her now. Piercing. Searching.
"I knew someone once who made tea like this. Bitter at first… but left a sweetness behind."
She lowered her head. "Sounds like someone worth remembering."
"She was." His voice was a whisper.
You still do, she wanted to say.
---
Elsewhere, in a secluded temple bathed in cold silver light, a woman in white robes stood before a crystal pool.
Her long veil fluttered as shadows rippled across the surface.
Zeița Lunii.
"His heart still burns for her…" she murmured, bitterness lacing every word. "Foolish, eternal flame. Even ashes remember their pain."
Behind her, a cloaked demon emerged from the shadows.
"My lady, the Demon Star has begun to awaken. The seal weakens."
"Then it is time," she said coldly. "Time to tear open the sky and finish what I started. Qing Yue's return… was a mistake."
---
Meanwhile, Jin Mei sat cross-legged in the lotus garden, tossing fruit pits at Rui Shen.
"You're impossible! What kind of guardian sleeps through morning drills?"
"I'm conserving energy. Maybe I'll need it later to save your royal behind," he said, dodging another pit.
She laughed despite herself. "When you talk like that, I forget you're technically a noble."
"When you smile like that, I forget you're technically terrifying."
---
That night, as Li Hua walked back to her quarters under the stars, she stopped at the base of the stone steps.
A single white flower lay there. Fresh. Delicate.
And beside it… a slip of cloth.
With her name.
Qing Yue.
Her breath caught.
He knows.