The sound of wheels rolled softly across the stone path.
Xuan Lu stepped into the carriage without looking back. The curtain fell, and the guards moved into place. From the upper room, Lin Xu stood by the window, watching.
She did not wave.
She only stood there, still and quiet, as the carriage waited below.
Before it could move, two small figures ran forward.
"Wait!"
Mo Bao reached the front of the carriage first, breathing hard. Mo Yuen followed closely behind him. They stood in the open space before the horses, looking up with bright, hopeful eyes.
"When will you come back?" Mo Bao asked loudly. "When can you play with us again?"
The carriage curtain lifted slightly.
Xuan Lu leaned out.
His face was calm, his smile gentle, the kind that did not explain anything.
"For now," he said slowly, "I can only take your mother."
The boys blinked.
Xuan Lu's gaze softened, but his words stayed firm.
