The assassin was gone. The trial floor was quiet again.
But the flames within them weren't.
They flickered silently — not from cultivation… but from the storm between two hearts caught in a moment neither of them expected.
---
Wounds That Leave More Than Scars
Mei Ling lay wrapped in warm, spiritual silk, her body resting on a floating platform within the recovery pool chamber. Her back wound had closed, but the pain still lingered… not just in flesh, but in spirit.
Long Feng sat beside her in silence, his robe half-burnt, hands scarred from shielding her earlier.
He didn't speak.
Not because he didn't want to.
But because he didn't know how to.
How could he?
She had nearly died — again.
For him.
And each time, it carved something deeper into his chest.
---
Mei Ling Breaks the Silence
"Say something."
Her voice was soft, but it echoed in the chamber.
He looked at her — really looked. The pale light of her lotus flame danced in her eyes. She looked fragile… and stronger than ever at the same time.
"You shouldn't have taken that hit," he said.
Mei Ling smiled weakly. "If I hadn't, you'd be dead."
"I would've dodged."
"You would've been stabbed."
"…I had a plan."
"You always do. Doesn't mean they always work."
He sighed and looked away.
> "I don't want you to keep putting yourself in danger like that."
"Then stop giving me reasons to."
---
Something Changes
The words hit deeper than either of them expected.
He turned his head slowly.
Their eyes met — silver flame to frost-blue.
There were no walls this time. No battles to distract them. No enemy waiting to interrupt.
Just silence.
Just her hand… slowly reaching out.
She touched his fingers — gently, shyly, unsure.
> "Do you even see me…?" she whispered.
> "I do."
> "As more than a disciple?"
> "I don't know what you mean."
She flinched.
But didn't pull away.
---
Mei Ling Confesses
"I've followed you through sects, flames, blood, and death," she said. "Not because I'm weak. But because I wanted to grow strong enough… to stand beside you."
Her hand trembled in his.
"I'm not asking you to love me now. I just… want you to see me."
Long Feng didn't answer right away.
His soul was still scarred from his first life — from a woman who had smiled the same way Mei Ling was smiling now… right before she stabbed him in the back.
But Mei Ling wasn't her.
She never lied. Never demanded.
Only stood there.
Waiting. Hoping.
And that terrified him more than death ever had.
---
What Shouldn't Have Happened
He leaned forward slightly.
Their foreheads touched.
His voice was barely a breath.
> "If I let you in… I don't know if I'll be able to let you go."
Her heart thundered.
"Then don't."
---
A Flame-Touched Kiss
They kissed.
Soft. Hesitant. Gentle.
Like touching flame to silk — it could burn or warm.
Her fingers curled in his robe. His hand cupped the back of her neck, unsure if he was pulling her closer or holding her together.
It didn't last long.
But it didn't need to.
Because that kiss said everything they'd both been too afraid to say out loud.
---
The Morning After
The next day, no one spoke of the kiss.
They walked together, as always.
A little closer.
A little quieter.
The bond wasn't claimed. No promises made. No titles exchanged.
But something had changed.
And neither of them would ever be the same.
---
In the Shadows – A New Flame Watches
Far above, hidden on the sixth floor ceiling, a pair of eyes watched them.
A girl dressed in snake-scale green robes crouched silently on the edge of the platform.
> "So," she whispered to herself, "he's already chosen one…"
A flicker of green fire danced around her fingertips — laced with poison and promise.
> "Let's see if that flame stays loyal… when another burns hotter."
She vanished.