Ashes. A promise beyond death

Chapter 23 - Lanterns of the heart

The river shimmered in the morning light, a silver ribbon winding through the valley, wild and sacred. To the untrained eye, it was peaceful. But Yu Bin knew better. Beneath its gentle surface pulsed a powerful spirit—alive, ancient, and demanding respect.

Each morning, she returned. And each time, the river challenged her.

At first, it fought her presence—cold, wild, and unwilling to yield. The currents tugged at her limbs like angry spirits. More than once, the water dragged her under, its icy grip testing her resolve. But Yu Bin was not so easily broken.

She pushed back with will and patience, learning to listen instead of resist. And slowly, the river began to listen too.

By the end of the first week, something changed. The hostility faded. The water danced around her instead of against her. It flowed into her meridians like a long-lost part of her soul returning home. She became more than a guest. She became its child.

Two weeks passed, and the transformation was undeniable.

Yu Bin now spent more time with the river than with her master. She rose before dawn, slipping away to the water's edge like a spirit herself. When not submerged in deep meditation, she climbed trees as tall as towers, absorbing sunlight like a flower in bloom. Her strength grew. Her leaps defied gravity. Her spirit stilled into something sharp and focused.

She was becoming someone new.

---

One golden afternoon, Bao Fang called from below, her voice like the breeze—gentle, yet commanding.

"Yu Bin, come down here."

Yu Bin dropped gracefully from a branch, her landing light as air.

“Yes, Master?”

Bao Fang's gaze lingered on her for a moment. A rare smile curved her lips. “Tomorrow, we begin combat training. But today… today we celebrate. You’ve completed the first phase.”

Yu Bin’s face lit up like the sky at dawn. “Truly?!”

“Truly.”

After a quick bath, she slipped into her prettiest robe and practically dragged Bao Fang down the mountain. The city welcomed them with its warm hues and street bustle. Yu Bin became a blur of joy—darting from shop to shop, buying lanterns, sweets, and odd little trinkets that had no purpose except to make her smile.

That evening, they returned to the mountain, arms laden with color and laughter. They lit the lanterns one by one. Soft lights drifted skyward, carrying silent wishes into the stars.

---

"Master," Yu Bin murmured, lying on her back in the grass. "We should bring Brother Xian next time. I bet he'd love this. Though…" she giggled, "he’d probably call it boring."

A voice answered, low and teasing.

"Boring, huh? I get injured saving you and now you mock me while lighting lanterns?"

Yu Bin gasped, spinning around.

“Brother Xian!”

She flew into his arms. "I missed you so much!"

“Liar,” he said, smirking. But his arms held her tight.

She pulled back, eyes shining. “How are you? Where’s Longwei? How did you even find us?”

“I’m fine now. And I knew where to look—your father told me. I wasn’t the only one who came, either.”

From behind him stepped Ming-Fang, waving excitedly. “Hey, Yu Bin!”

“Ming-Fang!” Yu Bin squealed. “This is the best day ever!”

And then—

“We’re here too, little one,” came two familiar voices.

Yu Bin turned, stunned. Her mother and father stood beneath the trees, smiling as they opened their arms.

Tears spilled down her cheeks. Her family—her world—was here. She ran to them, heart bursting.

“Master!” she called to Bao Fang. “Everyone’s here! Isn’t this amazing?”

Bao Fang bowed to the royals, her voice steady. “Welcome to my home, Your Highnesses.”

“We’re grateful,” said the king, smiling.

The night unfolded like a dream. Laughter echoed in the mountains. Lanterns floated high, brushing the stars. Yu Bin clung to joy with both hands, unwilling to let a single moment slip away.

---

Later, when the others had grown tired, Yu Bin wandered to the edge of the clearing, watching the last lanterns rise.

Xian Chen joined her, quiet beside her.

“You’re far too quiet,” he said.

“I was just thinking…” she whispered. “I want to grow stronger. I want to protect all of them. I want to reach your level one day.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder, firm and steady.

“You will. I believe in you.”

She smiled up at him, eyes shimmering in the lantern light. “Thank you.”

“The moon’s beautiful tonight,” he said, not looking at the sky.

“So it is,” she murmured, unaware that to him, the moon paled beside her.

He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Your hair—it suits you like this.”

Her cheeks warmed. “Master did it for training.”

“It suits you,” he repeated softly.

---

The world had quieted by then. Ming-Fang had fallen asleep; the king and queen shared stories by the fire.

“Want to go for a ride?” Xian Chen asked. “Longwei’s ready.”

“Really? Yes!”

Longwei appeared, blinking sleepily before grinning. “Princess, a midnight flight?”

“With pleasure.”

As they soared through the air, Yu Bin laughed freely, her hair streaming behind her like a banner of gold.

“You know,” Xian Chen teased, “when I first saw you under that tree, I thought you were a bookworm.”

“And now?”

“Now I know you're a dragon in disguise.”

She laughed—and then he tickled her.

“Brother Xian! Stop—we’ll fall!”

“I’d never let you fall,” he said, voice suddenly serious. “Not ever.”

She turned, heart thudding. “And I won’t let you fall either. I’ll protect you, Master, Ming-Fang, my parents... everyone.”

The night wind carried their promise into the stars.

---

They flew in silence after that, side by side atop Longwei’s back. No longer just a princess and a prince—but two souls quietly learning the shape of something deeper.

Yu Bin closed her eyes, head resting against Xian Chen’s chest. His heartbeat was steady, like a lullaby made only for her. And for the first time in years, she felt not just safe—but whole.

Xian Chen gazed down at her, awe and fear swirling in his chest. She was changing—stronger, brighter… slipping further from the shadowed past. And he could only pray he’d be strong enough to walk beside her when her fate came calling.

Above them, the last of the lanterns floated like stars in flight—silent prayers lit by hope.

And in the quiet night, as the mountains slumbered and the world held its breath, the wind carried a message neither dared to say aloud:

Even in ashes, something sacred remains.

And sometimes, that something… is love.