Cold.
That was the first thing Ling Tian felt.
Not the cool breath of the heavenly winds, but the biting chill of earth's air. It sliced through him, sharp as a blade, and carried with it the scent of damp soil, rotting leaves… and something else—blood.
His eyes fluttered open. The sky above was no longer silver with starlight, but pale with dawn. Mist hung over a tangled forest, muffling all sound.
He tried to rise—and collapsed instantly.
A searing pain tore through his limbs. His immortal body, once invincible, was gone. What remained was fragile flesh that bled and bruised.
For the first time in countless years, he tasted mortal weakness.
Somewhere nearby, a branch snapped. Ling Tian turned his head.
Through the fog, a dark figure emerged—Yue Xi, the Moon Goddess. Her robes were torn, her silver hair streaked with dirt. She stumbled toward him, her once-radiant eyes now dimmed with fear.
"Ling Tian… we've truly fallen."
Her voice trembled, not from the cold, but from the realization neither dared to speak aloud:
They were no longer gods.
Before he could answer, the sound of hooves thundered in the distance.
Men on horseback burst through the trees, their armor dented, their banners torn. At their head rode a bearded man with blood splattered across his face.
"There! Survivors from the raid! Kill them!"
Ling Tian's brows knitted. Survivors? Raid?
The soldiers drew their blades. Yue Xi reached for her moonlight bow—but her hand found nothing. The divine weapon was gone.
The mortals rushed forward.
Instinct took over. Ling Tian shoved Yue Xi behind him and stepped forward, though his legs felt like they might give way. He raised his hand to summon divine lightning—
Nothing came.
The blade of the nearest soldier arced toward him.
Then, out of the mist, an arrow whistled through the air, striking the man's sword arm. He screamed, dropping his weapon.
A woman emerged from the trees, carrying a simple wooden bow. Her dark hair was tied loosely, her face pale but resolute. She moved with quiet precision, loosing arrow after arrow until the soldiers retreated into the fog.
When the forest fell silent again, she lowered her bow and walked toward them.
Ling Tian stared at her. She was the vision he had seen while falling—
A woman in a field of red blossoms, smiling as if she had been waiting for him.
She stopped a few steps away, her gaze sweeping over him and Yue Xi.
"You're hurt," she said, her voice calm but laced with urgency. "If you want to live, follow me."
Ling Tian should have asked who she was. He should have demanded answers.
Instead, without knowing why, he found himself taking that first step after her.
The mist swallowed them all.