Ashes. A promise beyond death

Chapter 11: The Night Her Soul Trembled

The sky had only just dimmed into lavender by the time Yu Bin stepped down from Longwei's back. Her hands still tingled from gripping his shimmering scales, and her heart fluttered with the thrill of their flight. Flying through the clouds with Longwei and Xian Chen had made her forget the weight of royal expectations, if only for a moment.

The dragon had landed with the grace of a falling leaf, his silver wings folding into his back with quiet strength. A light mist clung to the garden's mossy stones, stirred by the breeze from his descent. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Yu Bin glanced over her shoulder to catch Xian Chen giving her a rare, unreadable look. His eyes were shadowed, but something in them shimmered—soft, fleeting, and unspoken. Before she could ask what it meant, he turned and vanished into the winding garden path. She blinked, puzzled, a whisper of disappointment blooming in her chest, but had no time to dwell on it.

That night, sleep wouldn't come.

Yu Bin wandered out into the cool night air, restless from the day's excitement. Her thoughts swirled like autumn leaves in a storm—chaotic, breathless. The memory of wind on her face, the heartbeat of Longwei's wings beneath her, and the brief warmth of Xian Chen's presence all mingled with the unease she couldn't name. Stars shimmered above the Water Palace gardens, casting soft silver light over the white pebbled paths and still ponds. The moon hung high, its pale glow dusting the treetops with a dreamlike sheen.

Just as she turned a corner near the plum orchard, she saw a familiar silhouette ahead.

"Where are you going, Master?" she called softly, unsure if she was dreaming.

Bao Fang, arms folded and robes slightly disheveled as if she'd just stepped out from a long meditation, turned slowly. Her expression was unreadable, eyes calm as still water.

"Outside," she replied simply, voice like smoke.

Yu Bin tilted her head. "Why? I'm here..."

Bao Fang turned her gaze to the moon, her lips quirking into a rare smirk. "I'm going to play."

Yu Bin blinked. "Play? At night?"

A crooked smile tugged at Bao Fang's lips. "You may come, if you dare."

"Dare? You make it sound like mischief," Yu Bin muttered, but her heart beat faster. "Alright then—let's go."

They walked silently under the moonlight, the sound of their footsteps muffled by moss and dew. The world felt older in the dark. Sacred. Bao Fang's pace was steady, as if she knew exactly where she was going—though she had not said where. The silence between them wasn't empty. It was weighty, charged with something unspoken.

Suddenly, Bao Fang stopped and turned.

"Yu Bin," she said, "do you know how to ride a sword?"

Yu Bin blinked. "No. You never taught me."

Without another word, Bao Fang stepped closer and lifted her into her arms. Her hold was firm, secure.

"Then I'll carry you... my princess."

Yu Bin's eyes widened. "Let me down right now! This is undignified!"

"Are you certain?" Bao Fang's tone was amused.

Yu Bin risked a glance downward—and paled. They were already ascending swiftly above the palace rooftops, the wind rushing around them like a roaring river.

"No! Don't let me fall! Please don't let me fall!" she cried, gripping Bao Fang's shoulders with all her strength.

Bao Fang laughed—a sound rare and wild. "Do you still think I would let you fall, even now?"

The clouds brushed against their robes as they soared through the open sky. The palace shrank below into a patchwork of shadows and lantern lights. Yu Bin slowly loosened her grip, watching the world stretch wide beneath her.

Eventually, they descended into a forest shrouded in mist. The moonlight barely touched the forest floor. Thick trees loomed like silent watchers. A chill slid down Yu Bin's spine.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, hugging her arms around herself.

"We're having fun," Bao Fang replied, stepping onto the moss-covered ground.

"In this creepy forest? How is that—"

She froze.

Figures emerged from the fog—shambling shapes with hollow eyes and twisted limbs. The very air seemed to recoil.

"What are those?!" Yu Bin cried.

"Fierce corpses," Bao Fang said with calm finality. "Dead humans reanimated by spiritual poison. Ghosts that still wear bones. Are you afraid, Yu Bin?"

Yu Bin gaped at her. "You're smiling?! If I die, what will you tell my mother?!"

"That it was an unfortunate accident," Bao Fang answered flatly.

"You're insane. You're trying to kill me."

"I told you I was going to play. You chose to follow."

Yu Bin turned to flee—but a corpse lunged at her. She screamed.

"Here!" Bao Fang tossed a gleaming white sword into her hands. The hilt was cold. Heavy. Alive with power. Bao Fang appeared behind her in a flash, steadying her arms. "Strike. Don't hesitate."

Yu Bin swung.

The blade hissed with spiritual light, slicing clean through the creature. The corpse dissolved into ash.

Her breath caught. Her knees trembled.

"I… I just killed someone…"

"More like a ghost," Bao Fang said softly. "It had a body, so we call it a corpse. But its soul left long ago."

"I don't want this," Yu Bin whispered. "I don't want to fight."

Another corpse lunged. Bao Fang cut it down with a flick of her wrist, then turned back to Yu Bin.

"You may not have the luxury of choice."

She offered her sword again. "Try using your spiritual energy. Let it fill the blade."

Yu Bin hesitated. Then, slowly, she opened her meridians. The sword pulsed with sudden hunger.

It began to drink from her.

Her strength drained like water from a broken jar. She fell to her knees, gasping, vision swimming.

"Master!"

Bao Fang snatched the sword from her hands, frowning.

"It tried to drain you... Strange. Xian Chen uses it often."

Yu Bin lay in the grass, pale and shaking. "It felt like it was eating me."

"You're too weak," Bao Fang said quietly. Her tone lacked judgment, but not concern. "We'll change that. We'll begin cultivation. And you must learn inedia."

"Inedia?"

"Fasting technique. Preserves both your body and spirit."

She turned, her blade flashing like starlight as she dispatched the remaining corpses with lethal grace. Mist curled around her like a shroud. Her movements were poetry—sharp, silent, final.

When it was over, she sat down on a boulder and folded her arms. Her breathing was slow, steady.

Yu Bin remained where she was, trembling. "What if I don't want to be strong like that? What if I don't want to kill people?"

Bao Fang's voice dropped. "You may not want to. But you may need to. As queen, you'll face choices others can't bear. Not because you're cruel—but because you're the one who can carry them."

Yu Bin's throat tightened. Her voice cracked. "Why me? Why must it always be me?"

"Because fate already chose you. Now you must choose it."

Silence stretched between them.

Yu Bin turned to her slowly. "Master… have you ever killed someone… someone alive?"

Bao Fang's expression dimmed. Her eyes turned inward. Shadows passed across her face.

"Yes."

"Why?"

A flicker of pain ghosted through Bao Fang's gaze. Her shoulders trembled for the briefest moment.

Yu Bin saw it.

Without thinking, she crawled closer and wrapped her arms around her master.

"I'm sorry. Forget I asked. If it hurts you… I'll do it for you. I'll carry that burden if it means you can smile again. Please don't look like that. It hurts me."

Bao Fang did not move for a long time. But finally, her arms wrapped gently around Yu Bin's back.

Far off, behind a tree, a tall figure stood cloaked in shadow.

Xian Chen.

Beside him, Longwei stood silent, his pale blue eyes narrowed.

"Are you alright, Master?" the dragon asked softly.

Xian Chen didn't look away.

"I'm fine, Longwei. She'll learn. Bao Fang is doing what she must. It wasn't her fault."

Longwei studied him, his expression unreadable.

"Only if..."

He didn't finish.

The forest held its breath once more, thick with moonlight, memory, and the weight of warriors who had loved too deeply to walk away.