The forest air felt alive as Lin Che, Su Qing, Xiao Ya, and Mo Ying walked back from the Spirit Plant Ruins. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappling the ground with gold, and the trees rustled as if whispering greetings. Xiao Ya skipped ahead, her hands brushing the ferns—talking to them, laughing at their responses—while Mo Ying walked beside Lin Che, pointing out a small stream glinting between the trees.
"That's where I'll set up shop," she said, nodding toward a clearing near the stream. "Flat ground, fresh water—perfect. I'll fix up an old shed from the lumber camp, maybe plant some herbs. The villagers from Ma Lan's place said they'll help."
Lin Che smiled. It sounded idyllic—quiet, rooted in the forest, far from the chaos of the city. "We'll come visit," he said. "Often."
Mo Ying nodded, her eyes softening. "I'd like that. But first—you two need to figure out your own next step. You can't just wander forever." She nodded at Su Qing, who was watching Xiao Ya with a fond smile. "You've got a family now. They need a home."
Lin Che glanced at Su Qing and Xiao Ya, his chest warm. Family. It was a word he'd never thought would apply to him—not after losing Lin Han, not after running from the Zhao family. But now, standing in the forest with them, he knew it was true.
"We'll stay in Ma Lan's village," Su Qing said, turning to him. "At least for a while. Help the villagers with the crops, fix their tools. Xiao Ya can play with the other kids, talk to the forest. It'll be peaceful."
Lin Che nodded. Peaceful. It was exactly what they needed.
They reached Ma Lan's village by dusk. The villagers crowded around them, cheering—Ma Lan had told them about their victory over the Syndicate, about the end of the Shadow Shards. An old woman pressed a basket of fresh berries into Xiao Ya's hands, while a young man offered to help Mo Ying carry her tools to the clearing.
Ma Lan pulled Lin Che and Su Qing aside, her eyes bright. "I saved your old house," she said. "The one you stayed in before. It's clean, has fresh blankets. You're welcome to it—for as long as you want."
That night, the village held a feast. They roasted a deer over a fire, passed around jars of herbal tea, and sang songs about the Guardians and the forest. Xiao Ya danced with the village children, her laughter mixing with theirs, while Mo Ying talked to the farmers about fixing their plows.
Lin Che sat beside Su Qing on a log, watching the fire. The Star Marrow on his wrist glowed faintly—soft, steady, no longer a beacon of danger but a symbol of hope. He thought of everything they'd been through: the attack on the Iron Rust Workshop, the flight through the forest, the battles with the Syndicate, the destruction of the Shadow Shards.
It had been hard. Painful. But they'd made it—together.
Su Qing leaned her head on his shoulder. "Happy?" she asked.
Lin Che nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "More than happy."
The next morning, Mo Ying left for her clearing. They walked with her, helping her carry her tools and the parts for her repair shop. Xiao Ya gave her a small potted fern—"To keep you company," she said—and Ma Lan gave her a basket of seeds to plant.
"I'll be back in a week," Mo Ying said, hugging them goodbye. "To check on you. And to show you the shop—if it's done."
They waved as she walked into the forest, then turned back to the village. Xiao Ya ran off to play with the children, while Lin Che and Su Qing went to their house—small, cozy, with a window overlooking the fields.
Su Qing pulled her Arcane Manual from her bag, flipping to the last page. She took a pen from her pocket and wrote something, then handed it to Lin Che.
It was a list:
- Fix the village well
- Teach Xiao Ya to read
- Plant a garden behind the house
- Visit Mo Ying's shop
- Explore the eastern part of the forest
Lin Che smiled. Small, simple things. The kind of things that made a life.
"We'll do it all," he said, taking her hand.
That afternoon, Lin Che helped the villagers fix the well—hauling buckets of water, mending the wooden bucket handle—while Su Qing sat in the field with Xiao Ya, teaching her to read from a tattered book Ma Lan had given them. Xiao Ya struggled at first, but soon she was sounding out words, her face lighting up with pride.
As the sun set, they walked to the garden behind their house. Lin Che dug the soil, while Su Qing and Xiao Ya planted the seeds—tomatoes, carrots, herbs. Xiao Ya talked to the seeds as she planted them, telling them to grow strong, to be brave.
Lin Che stood back, watching them. The sky was pink and orange, the fields were quiet, and the forest rustled in the distance. For the first time in a long time, he felt at home.
He thought of Ling An, of the Guardians, of all the people who'd fought to protect the forest and the city. They'd passed the torch to him—and he'd carried it. The darkness was gone. The Shadow Shards were destroyed. The Syndicate was no more.
The journey of the awakened one wasn't over—not really. There would be new challenges, new adventures. But for now, they could rest. They could live.
Su Qing looked up at him, smiling. "What are you thinking about?"
Lin Che walked over, wrapping his arms around her. "About tomorrow," he said. "And the day after that. About all the days we'll spend here—together."
Xiao Ya ran over, jumping into their arms. "And I'll talk to the plants every day!" she said.
Lin Che laughed, picking her up. "Yes. You will."
They stood there, watching the sun set, as the forest whispered around them. The Star Marrow on Lin Che's wrist glowed softly, a silent promise of tomorrow.
The end of one journey. The start of another.
And it was perfect.