"Oh come on, silent mode again?" Kaelin huffed, stomping her foot in frustration.
Before anyone could respond, Yue Tianlang suddenly stepped forward and—thud—dropped to his knees in front of her. The unexpected motion stunned her into silence.
"Kai Lin, on behalf of all the people of Xuan Yue Town… thank you," he said solemnly.
"Wha—? Okay, I get it, but can you please get up first?!" she stammered, flustered by the sudden seriousness. The others couldn't help but chuckle.
"Let's get moving then," Mo Yan said with a grin.
"Yeah. Hopefully we can finish this before nightfall tomorrow."
Once the plan was settled, everyone jumped into action. Zhao Heng, relying on memory, started sketching blueprints, with Zixuan helping from a scientific and technical standpoint. Tianlang and Mo Yan scoured the castle for materials—wood, parts, anything they could use. What they couldn't find, they made from scratch. Meanwhile, the bulk of the physical construction fell to Kaelin.
By the time night fell the next day, the group had dragged two rough, glider-style airplanes out to the steep slope just outside the town.
"Can't believe we finished these so fast," Mo Yan said, impressed.
"That's because I pulled an all-nighter, thank you very much," Kaelin grumbled, clearly proud but also exhausted.
"She's right. Zhao Heng and I designed the frames, but the actual building? That was all Kaelin. To be honest, this is the first time I've ever been part of something this technical," Zixuan added.
"Of course! My family runs an auto repair shop," Kaelin said, hands on her hips with a smug look. "Sure, planes and cars aren't the same, but the fundamentals? Close enough."
Tianlang looked at the strange wooden contraptions before him. Each one had wooden panels for wings, foot pedals, twin propeller blades at the back, and three wooden wheels underneath. He blinked in disbelief, muttering, "Can this thing really fly…?"
"No worries," Zixuan said confidently. "To stabilize the frame, I added a pinch of Stardust Sand and enchanted the wings with Windstone. Stardust Sand can restructure and reinforce materials, while Windstone naturally resists turbulence."
Tianlang nodded, not fully understanding but trusting her. "Those are definitely good choices. But—wait… where did you even get those?"
"From the castle storage, of course."
"…WHAT?!" Tianlang's jaw dropped.
Windstone was rare, sure—but Stardust Sand?! That was something he'd received as a gift from the Blood Empress herself—harvested from the glimmers reflected in moonlit lakes! But… well, it was already used now. Better spent saving lives than rotting in a box.
"With everything ready, we move now," Zhao Heng said, eyes on the swirling clouds above.
The four climbed into the gliders. As the cliff edge approached, they pedaled hard. The propellers spun to life, and as the ground vanished beneath them, they soared into the sky.
Slowly opening their eyes, they were greeted by a breathtaking view. The land stretched out endlessly beneath them, bathed in shadow. Despite having no magical propulsion, they had truly taken to the air.
"We're really… flying!" Tianlang gasped, sitting between Mo Yan and Kaelin as he leaned out and took in the vast sky.
"Of course we are! Hold on tight—we're about to break through the clouds!" Kaelin grinned, pushing her glasses up confidently.
They pushed harder, their planes rising sharply. The dark, oppressive clouds parted—and finally, the moon emerged. A full moon, brilliant and luminous, greeted them above the sea of darkness.
Everyone broke into smiles of relief and awe.
Mo Yan turned to Tianlang with a soft smile. "Tianlang—it's your turn."
"Right!" Tianlang stood up slowly in the plane, stretching a hand toward the moon as he closed his eyes.
A second later, the moon flared with radiant brilliance.
"This… this is the Moon Festival?" Mo Yan whispered in awe.
It looked almost… ordinary. And yet, no light had ever felt so pure.
The moonlight pierced through the clouds, washing over the land like a blade. Everyone thought the worst had passed—that the ceremony would succeed.
But then, without warning, the scattered clouds roared back like a storm.
Violent winds surged. The planes tilted. The Moon Festival was abruptly cut short.
"What's happening?! Why now?!" Kaelin yelled, trying to steady the glider.
Zhao Heng's sharp eyes darted between the sky and the gathering storm. His voice was calm but urgent.
"Something's wrong—we need to pull out now!"
Too late.
A deep, thunderous cry echoed through the night, and from the blackened clouds burst a massive black eagle.
Their eyes widened in collective shock.
Tianlang's voice trembled with disbelief. "That… that's Ozrel?!"
Before anyone could react, the eagle shrieked again. The wind roared. The gliders spun uncontrollably, buffeted by the storm.
They plummeted from the sky.
The wind tore at them, the darkness swallowed them whole. Kaelin screamed, flailing helplessly. They were falling—fast—and with no hope of controlling the descent.
High above, Tianlang clenched his jaw and summoned his seven-foot scythe. With a single powerful swing, he carved a crescent slash into the air, ripping open space itself.
A rift appeared, swallowing the others just before they hit the ground.
Tianlang dove through after them, landing first and leaping into the treetops. Using a bedsheet he'd prepared earlier as an emergency parachute, he timed it perfectly—catching them before they hit the forest floor.
"AHH—MY HEAD!" Kaelin shouted as she landed, her head bumping squarely into a branch. "That hurt!"
"You guys okay?" Tianlang called out.
"DO I LOOK OKAY TO YOU?!" Kaelin shot back as she clutched her head, though clearly more annoyed than seriously injured. "Still… if not for that bedsheet, we'd be pancake stew by now."
Mo Yan stood up shakily, looking toward the sky. Dawn was already breaking.
—
"So, what the hell was that eagle?" Zixuan asked, adjusting her glasses.
"Yeah, I've never seen a creature that massive!" Kaelin added, still a bit frazzled.
Mo Yan turned to Tianlang. "Back in the sky, I think I heard you call its name. You know it?"
Tianlang was silent for a long moment before nodding. "Yes. That was Ozrel, the Holy Moon Sky-Eagle. It was once the guardian spirit of this land… and the first creature to form a contract with the 'Moon Saint'."
"HUH?!"
Everyone gaped, Kaelin voicing the question on all their minds.
"Then why did it show up now?! And right in the middle of the ritual?!"
Tianlang sighed deeply and looked toward Mo Yan.
"Remember yesterday, on the terrace? I told you what the Holy One said—that the moonlight bears suffering to give humanity hope."
Mo Yan nodded slowly. "Yeah… but what's that got to do with Ozrel?"
Tianlang's expression darkened.
"Because the very first Moon Festival was performed alongside Ozrel. Originally, the ritual was meant to bring salvation to war-torn souls. But over the years, it became… a ceremony to purge human desire. I can feel it—Ozrel's in pain. It was once a pure and sacred being… but centuries of absorbing human darkness have corrupted it."
Zixuan lowered her head, then said quietly,
"So you're saying… every Moon Festival shifted the burden of human desire onto Ozrel. And now, after being consumed by those sins, it's lashing out—and that's what's caused Lightloss Syndrome to return?"
Tianlang nodded grimly.
"That's right. That's why the moon's been hidden. Ozrel is drawing in human light to soothe its agony. If we can't purify it… this disaster will only spread further."
~~------------------------
Want to read ahead? 30+ chapter's on patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554