"All good now?" Dreamsound glanced at Qing Feng Yuelian, who had just stitched herself back together, worry rippling like a cold pond.
That last sword—if Tangxue’s hand hadn’t trembled at the final breath, your head would’ve split like a cracked moon. She held back at the end.
"I’m fine enough." Qing Feng Yuelian shook her head, calm like a wan breeze. "What Frostwhisper said—that’s what scares me."
She had met the spirit of the Divine Artifact, Frostwhisper, before; now, Frostwhisper looked at them like strangers in fog.
"Frostwhisper said Shengsheng might lose parts of her memory." Dreamsound’s eyes dimmed like dusk. "It’s okay. If she forgets, we’ll start again."
"Auntie… I want to go back."
"Mm. Dreamsound, you go first; I’ll handle the rest," her voice steady as stone.
Dreamsound’s heart pinched like winter ice. "Auntie, is your body really okay?"
"There’ll be aftereffects, sure, but the sensitivity isn’t that bad—about like you now," Qing Feng Yuelian answered, words falling like slow rain.
"…Is that so?"
"Let’s head down. I just remembered someone I must see," she said, a thought flickering like a moth at lamplight.
Dreamsound stroked the girl’s hair in her arms. The pale-blue strands had deepened at the tips, awakened to ice—touch that deep blue and you felt bone-biting winter.
Silence fell like snow.
Without another word, Dreamsound carried Tangxue and dropped toward the earth, her descent as quiet as falling frost.
Since reaching land, Dreamsound hadn’t taken her mermaid form again; if she didn’t say it herself, no one would believe it—a sea-born soul walking like any girl.
A blue-haired girl in a white long dress—who would tie that image to a demon who kills without blinking, a rose hiding thorns?
Midflight, a flash of emerald light bathed Dreamsound, bright as noon over spring leaves.
The glare cut like glass, and she squinted.
Too late—her arms went suddenly empty, like a snowflake lost to wind; Tangxue had vanished.
"Thanks. I’ll be taking this memory-lost Innate Deity~" The voice chimed like a silver bell and then settled like gold dust.
From the empty air, a golden figure stepped forth—a blonde, blue-eyed elf woman cradling the sleeping Tangxue, her emerald dress swaying like willow.
She looked at them and smiled, water-bright eyes glimmering. "Long time no see, Qing Feng Yuelian."
"Elariel!!!"
"Don’t stare at me like that, okay? If not for my own people, I wouldn’t do this against my conscience. No one wants to wait for death on a plane with no future."
"Besides, weren’t you the ones who made the Innate Deity lose her memories? If you treasure her so little, better let us elves try. Only Innate Deities can remake a race, and you’re not the only ones who know how."
"Give Shengsheng back!!!" Dreamsound’s golden eyes flared red, veins like cracked lightning.
"Please stop struggling. I came prepared." Elariel’s tone cooled like iron. "At your peak, I couldn’t beat either of you. Right now, even together, you don’t scare me."
From the void, vines uncoiled and wrapped them tight, withered to the eye yet hard as old iron; no matter how they fought, the bind held like winter roots.
"Dead boughs of the World Tree… you green b—! Generous of you," Dreamsound spat, fury like a storm front.
Elariel only hummed, calm as a lake.
"Don’t get so worked up. Well then—bye~"
"Put her down." A pink silhouette stepped in, a petal-colored blade cutting her path.
"…Is that you? Blood Elf Vinoena Qianya."
Qianya said nothing, her stare steady as a night sky.
"Why stop me? Do you want this child too?"
"I do," Qianya’s voice was soft as shadow. "But I want her to choose with her own mind. I won’t let anyone force her."
"That’s not really what you want, is it?" Elariel laughed, flowers shaking on a windy branch. "I know your type very well."
Silence, heavy as dew.
"Still, if it’s only you, you can’t hold me. You’re not the only one eyeing this child. Even if you stall me, when the others arrive, those two will be in danger, and you still won’t stop someone taking her," she added, glancing at Dreamsound and Yuelian like a cat at birds.
"Given that, better I take her now."
"Little Elar… if Little Qianya alone won’t do, how about adding me?" At some point, Yu Qiu had closed from the other side, her smile curling like mist.
"Eh~ why is Granny Yu Qiu here too…" Elariel grimaced, nose wrinkling like a spoiled child. "Both queens of the Duskmoon Empire, huh? Looks like you’re dead set on this child."
"Sigh… Sit on a throne too long, and the heart stains, Little Elar." Yu Qiu breathed out, the sound like autumn wind. "Back then you were so pure. I even held you as a child—sniff, sniff."
"Mhm~ I loved clinging to Senior Yu Qiu when I was little! Shame you couldn’t feed me enough."
Yu Qiu’s smile cracked like porcelain.
"Enough chatter. I can’t beat the two of you anyway… I’ll withdraw this time—sniff, sniff."
Reluctant as a cat losing a fish, Elariel handed the little girl back to Dreamsound—and got a glare sharp as knives for it.
Double death stare.
Elariel hunched her neck, fear pricking like thorns.
"I’m not the only fisherman waiting here. I’m letting go for Qianya’s sake. Fine, I’ll scram; none of you like me anyway—sniff." She dabbed at imaginary tears and slipped away like a fading shadow.
"Thank you." Dreamsound turned to Qianya and Yu Qiu, gratitude rising like warm light. "Without you two, Shengsheng would’ve been in real trouble today. I… thank you, from me."
"No need. Just lending a hand," Qianya said, words light as rain.
"This kid cares a lot—praise her more!" Yu Qiu chimed in, teasing like a cat batting string.
Silence, the kind that bristles.
"Scram!"
"Ugh!"
Dreamsound gave a strained smile, awkward as ice in spring.
Soon, she descended and landed with Tangxue in her arms, feet touching earth like soft feathers.
The ground was lively now. Besides Xuanxiao and Linyue Yao, who were already in Starfate City, the empress of the Radiant Empire had arrived too, bringing a scent of court and steel.
"Please. My own daughter sent a distress signal—how could I not come?" her voice cut clean as a banner in wind.
Dreamsound stepped back with Tangxue, wary as a doe in tall grass.
…Bai Zhi.
"The Radiant Empire’s princess is Kelinviel Yingxuan’er, you know. Dreamsound, you’re too jumpy."
