The Seal's Echo
The skies above the ruined temple darkened unnaturally. Thunder rolled though no storm brewed. Bai Jiu laid Ying Yue down gently, brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek. Her breath was steady, but exhaustion clung to her.
He stood and turned toward the altar at the temple's heart. A faint glow pulsed beneath the surface, forming the shape of a lotus—the ancient sigil of the divine seal.
Bai Jiu placed his palm on it. Silver light spread in ripples. Visions flickered in his mind—an oath spoken in the divine court, her lips brushing his in secret, the blood pact they made to seal the darkness. His chest ached with the weight of the past.
Behind him, Ying Yue stirred. "That seal… I remember it. I made it… for you."
He turned slowly. "You made it to protect everyone. But I was the reason you used it."
Her brow furrowed. "You were… dying."
"Yes. And you gave up your immortality to save me. You fell to the mortal world. And the one we sealed… he followed."
A cold wind swept the chamber. A deep voice echoed from the shadows.
"How touching. The goddess awakens… only to remember her greatest mistake."
Ying Yue stood, her