Ashes. A promise beyond death

Chapter 12- Bound by more than rope

Some bonds are forged not in love, nor in war, but in the quiet chaos between.

The sun had just kissed the jagged spines of the distant mountains goodbye, its descent casting golden fire across the world. Shadows bled into the streets as dusk wrapped its velvet arms around the palace grounds. Above, the sky shimmered with lavender and flame, yet Yu Bin walked as if the world around her had lost all color.

She had flown through clouds only hours before — her fingers gripping dragon scales, wind carving laughter from her lips — but now, something in her chest felt strangely hollow. Perhaps joy wasn’t meant to last long in her world. Perhaps flight always ended in the crash of reality.

Bao Fang walked beside her, her expression unreadable, hands behind her back like a general in quiet thought. Her pace was calm, her robe unruffled despite the earlier chaos in the forest. Yu Bin tried to mirror that serenity, but her limbs were sore, her spirit frayed.

“I’m taking you home. That’s enough for today,” Bao Fang said at last, her voice gentle but unyielding.

Yu Bin nodded, then hesitated. Bao Fang's gaze drifted toward the horizon, her tone shifting, quiet but sharp like the edge of a blade hidden in silk.

"Let me tell you something,” she began. “Don’t judge what you don’t understand. You can wound someone deeper than any sword by acting from ignorance. Every decision you make — every word, every silence — echoes forward. Do not forget: what you do today will ripple into tomorrow."

Yu Bin’s breath caught in her throat. She looked up at her master, feeling the weight of those words settle into her bones.

“So be careful,” Bao Fang continued, her voice harder now. “Kindness will be remembered. Cruelty will be repaid. This world is neither fair nor forgiving.”

Yu Bin lowered her eyes. Guilt tugged at her — for what, she wasn’t yet sure. For her own weakness, perhaps. For doubting others. For failing to understand a world that asked so much of her.

“I’ll try,” she murmured. “To be better. To be… someone worthy. Maybe even a wise queen someday.”

Bao Fang gave a small, approving nod.

“That’s all anyone can ask.”

Then Yu Bin glanced sideways, lips twitching into a grin. “By the way, you owe me.”

Bao Fang blinked. “I owe you?”

“You almost got me killed,” Yu Bin said with mock seriousness.

Bao Fang smirked. “Didn’t I also save your life?”

“That doesn’t count! What matters is I almost died.”

“You were never in any real danger.”

“Tell that to the corpses chasing me through the trees!”

“That was part of the training. Movement is crucial.”

Yu Bin crossed her arms. “Still. You owe me. So buy me chicken wings.”

Bao Fang let out an unladylike snort. “You could’ve just said you were hungry.”

“It’s not hunger. It’s a reward.”

“Alright, alright. You’ve earned it.”

“Really? Then I want a lot of wings!” she said, eyes gleaming like a child promised the moon.

“Okay, kiddo.”

“I’m not a kid!”

Their laughter spilled into the night, echoing off stone walls and sleeping rooftops as they approached a humble restaurant nestled beneath hanging lanterns. The scent of roasted meat and sizzling spice filled the air, stirring something warm in Yu Bin’s chest.

She had just sat down when an all-too-familiar voice grated across her peace.

“Why do you have to be so noisy wherever you go?”

Yu Bin groaned. “Ah. Mr. Right.”

Xian Chen stood at the entrance, arms crossed, expression as cold as ever.

“You—” he started.

“Both of you, stop,” Bao Fang cut in before the sparks could catch flame. “Young Master, you’re welcome to join us.”

“I’m fine alone,” Xian Chen replied flatly.

Yu Bin rolled her eyes. “I’m fine alone,” she mimicked, her voice a childish mockery.

“You—!”

“One more word from either of you and I will throw both of you into the lake,” Bao Fang warned.

“She started it,” Xian Chen muttered.

“When did I start anything? You’re the one who’s always—!”

Without another word, Bao Fang reached into her sleeve and, like a magician revealing a final trick, pulled out a gleaming silver rope. With a flick, she bound their wrists together.

“What is this?!” they shouted in unison.

“A rope,” Bao Fang said innocently. “Congratulations. You both know how to identify objects.”

“Stop joking and untie me,” Xian Chen growled.

“Oh, I’d love to. But I can’t. This is a binding rope. It won’t release until you two genuinely care about each other.”

Yu Bin blinked. “Wait—what?!”

“Oh, and by the way,” Bao Fang added casually, sipping tea, “you now share sensations. Hunger, pain, exhaustion. If one of you suffers, so does the other. If one of you acts violently… well. Let’s just say it would be mutually destructive.”

Xian Chen turned pale. “You’re joking.”

“When have you ever seen me joke?” Bao Fang replied, deadpan.

Yu Bin sank into her seat. “I’ve only known her a few weeks,” she muttered. “And already I had to fight undead.”

Xian Chen’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Stop being sad.”

She looked up. “Excuse me?”

“It’s annoying. And now I feel it too.”

Yu Bin frowned. “How is this my problem?”

“He’s right,” Bao Fang said with a smirk.

Yu Bin looked between them, then back down at the rope.

“But why is it his business how I feel?”

Bao Fang raised an eyebrow. “Still don’t understand?”

“Told you she’s slow,” Xian Chen said smugly.

“Stop calling me stupid!”

“Stop yelling, or I swear—”

“Xian Xian,” Bao Fang interrupted with a mischievous glint in her eye. “This is your opportunity to grow.”

Xian Chen muttered something about regretting everything.

Yu Bin narrowed her eyes. “She’s my master, not yours.”

Bao Fang gave a knowing smile. “Yes, yes. I’m yours. Now eat.”

Yu Bin scowled. “How do I eat with one hand?”

“Not my problem. Figure it out.”

Dinner passed in a mix of silence and grumbled insults, broken only by Bao Fang’s amused sighs. When the food was gone and the stars blinked awake above them, they rose and began the awkward walk back to the palace.

The rope tugged with every misstep, every uneven stride. They stumbled, cursed, and glared at each other like two dogs forced to share a leash.

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