Chapter 15: A Memory Stirred
The forest was quiet again. In the aftermath of the battle, all that remained was a circle of scorched earth and the lingering tension of ancient power. The scent of fire and ash clung to the trees, but in the center of it all, Bai Jiu stood tall, his blade resting beside him, his robes slightly torn, his gaze fixed on Ying Yue.
She was kneeling by a fallen tree, her fingers trembling as they hovered over the glowing stone in her hand—a fragment of the ancient seal. The moment she touched it, something deep within her stirred.
A sharp image pierced her mind: a vast celestial hall with golden pillars that touched the sky, a man standing on the balcony with hair like midnight and eyes like silver stars. He smiled at her—not cold, not distant—but with a tenderness that took her breath away.
"Xie Changye," she whispered aloud, the name flowing from her lips like an echo from another life.
Bai Jiu's eyes darkened.
He took a step closer, his voice low. "Where did you hear that name?"
She looked up at him, confusion and fear swimming in her gaze. "I don't know… I just… remembered."
He knelt before her, gently taking the fragment from her hands. "That name hasn't been spoken for centuries."
"But… who is he? Was he someone I knew?"
Bai Jiu's jaw clenched. He turned his face away, hiding the war inside his eyes. "Perhaps. Or perhaps your soul is playing tricks on you."
Ying Yue stared at him. "You know more than you say."
"I know many things," he replied. "But knowledge is not always a kindness."