Roulan's small fingers tightened around her father's hand as they walked. She was supposed to leave today, the carriage was likely already waiting outside the sect gates. But for now, she wanted just a little more time. Just a few quiet moments by his side.
Each step toward the guest hall felt heavier than the last. The path through the inner courtyard was lined with flowering trees, their petals drifting lazily in the breeze. But Roulan hardly noticed the beauty. Her thoughts were too loud.
Once she left Evergreen City, what would happen to her?
Her cultivation had ended before it had even truly begun. Her meridians were broken, shattered beyond repair. Without them, she could no longer gather qi. No techniques, no pills, no spells would ever work again.
Would she live the rest of her life as an ordinary girl? A crippled child in a foreign land?
And when would she see her father again?
That thought hurt the most. Her throat tightened, but she said nothing.
