Inside the Cottage – Later That Night
The fire crackled softly. Everyone was asleep or meditating, except Yunxi, who sat near the window. Her fingers traced the pattern on her compass. It glowed faintly.
Yunxi (to herself):
"I need to find the crystal flower. But what did I say about this place in the story…?"
Suddenly, she heard a faint whisper outside.
A woman's voice — one she hadn't written.
"The veil lifts only when the heart accepts both shadow and light…"
Yunxi jolted up, eyes wide.
She wasn't alone with her story anymore.
Forest Clearing – Training Ground
The moonlight filtered through the trees as Chen stood with his arms crossed, eyes narrowed at the panting girl before him.
Chen (coldly):
"Again."
Yunxi collapsed onto the grass, groaning.
Yunxi:
"Again? I've already 'again'd' a hundred times! I think my soul left my body…"
Chen (unmoved):
"Then bring it back. Your enemy won't wait for your soul to return."
She glared at him with a pout, sweat streaking her forehead.
Yunxi:
"I need a break! I'm not a dragon like you— Wait, actually, I want a magical weapon too! Something cool. A sword that sings or a fan that controls storms!"
Chen (without flinching):
"Fine."
He turned, walked to a nearby tree, and broke off a thin, green bamboo stick — smooth but ordinary.
He handed it to her.
Yunxi (blinking):
"…What's this? A stick? Are you serious?"
Chen:
"It's balanced. Won't betray you. Doesn't need magic to be useful. Just like you — plain and stubborn."
Yunxi stared at it, offended.
Yunxi:
"You just called me a stick in human form."
Chen (smirking slightly):
"You said it. Not me."
She sighed, twirling the bamboo in her hand. As she moved, it hummed — a faint pulse of energy.
Yunxi (startled):
"Wait… did this thing just… glow?"
Chen turned away, voice low.
Chen:
"Maybe it just needs the right hands."
Yunxi looked at him, then at the bamboo. Maybe it wasn't just a stick after all.
Forest Clearing – Nightfall
Yunxi gripped the bamboo stick tightly, her movements more fluid now. Sweat dripped down her brow, but her breathing was steady. For the past few days, she had trained relentlessly, under the cold and piercing eyes of Chen.
Flashback to Chen's voice:
"Don't chase power. Let it flow. Listen to the earth. Breathe with the wind."
Tonight, something was different.
She stood still, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. The bamboo stick lightly trembled in her hand.
Suddenly—a swirl of leaves lifted around her.
She opened her eyes. Her body glowed faintly with a soft golden hue, and the stick responded, pulsing gently like it recognized her.
With one swift movement, she slashed through the air — and a ripple of wind surged forward, cutting through a row of leaves mid-air.
She gasped.
"Did… did I just use magic?"
From behind a tree, Chen silently watched.
Chen (to himself):
"She's starting to feel it…"
Just then, a little flame flickered on her palm—weak, flickering, but real. She looked at it in awe.
Yunxi (grinning, whispering):
"Okay… okay! Maybe I'm not totally useless."
Moonlight Pavilion Garden – Afternoon
Roa cheerfully arrived, arm-in-arm with her handsome but proud boyfriend, General Lian, a rising star in the imperial army. His aura was strong, his posture confident — but his eyes occasionally flickered with something darker… something Yunxi noticed immediately.
Yunxi (thinking):
This is the man who'll later betray them all… not because he's evil. Because he's misunderstood.
Chen stood by the pavilion entrance, arms crossed, jaw tight. His cold gaze barely hid his disdain.
Chen:
"What is he doing here again?"
Roa:
"He's my guest, brother. Don't start."
The air turned stiff. Lian gave a polite nod to Chen — one that barely masked tension.
Yunxi (smiling nervously):
"Actually… why don't we all have tea together? Clear the air?"
They sat at the low table under the blooming magnolias. Yunxi tried to steer the conversation, but Chen remained cold, and Lian subtly mocked him — not outright, but enough to spark more conflict.
Suddenly, Yunxi had a vision — a flicker of fire, Roa screaming, and Chen in full dragon form roaring at the sky.
She blinked. Gone.
Yunxi (thinking fast):
I have to stop this fight before it becomes a war. If Chen transforms again, heaven might destroy him. And Roa… she won't forgive him.
She leaned toward Roa and whispered:
"Let me talk to him. Alone."
Continues – Behind the Pavilion
Yunxi gently tugged Chen's sleeve and pulled him away from the group. His expression was unreadable, but he followed.
Yunxi:
"Chen, I need your help."
He raised an eyebrow.
Chen (dryly):
"Is this about your bamboo stick again?"
Yunxi (frowning):
"No! This is about Roa and General Lian. Why do you hate him so much? They're a nice couple."
Chen looked away, arms folded, jaw clenched.
Chen:
"Nice doesn't mean trustworthy."
Yunxi (softly):
"Or maybe you just don't trust anyone. You're always cold, always keeping distance. But Roa… she's smiling for the first time in ages. Doesn't that mean something?"
He didn't respond, but his fingers tightened slightly.
Yunxi (stepping closer):
"I've seen what can happen, Chen. And no, I can't explain it yet. But if you push him too far, if you don't try to understand, it'll break everything — not just them… you too."
Chen (quietly):
"...You know something I don't."
Yunxi blinked but didn't deny it. She met his gaze with sincerity.
Yunxi:
"Please. Just give him a chance. For Roa's sake."
A long pause.
Chen (grudgingly):
"Fine. I'll tolerate him. For now."
The Vision Under the Bridge
The moonlight was soft that night, casting silver threads upon the forest path. Yunxi walked alone, her bamboo staff tapping softly against the ground. The others had gone ahead, but something pulled her back. A strange pull — not fear, not curiosity — something deeper.
She found herself at the edge of an ancient stone bridge, half-covered in moss, standing silently above a still, forgotten river.
As the wind stirred the leaves, Yunxi's hand instinctively reached into her satchel.
There, tucked beneath a worn piece of cloth, was a folded parchment she didn't remember placing.
She opened it.
A charcoal sketch.
Rough, yet hauntingly familiar.
A boy stood below a bridge, shadows wrapped around him like fog. A girl stood above,
leaning slightly over the railing. Their eyes locked in the middle — a gaze frozen in time.
Her heart skipped.
"This… I drew this," she whispered. "But when?"
Suddenly, the night rippled.
A soft rustle below.
Her gaze dropped toward the riverbank.
And there he was.
Chen.
Standing exactly as the drawing showed. His silver hair caught the moonlight. His eyes — cold, unreadable — slowly lifted to meet hers.
And for a moment, neither of them breathed.
Yunxi gripped the parchment tighter. The system's voice echoed faintly in her mind.
"When your eyes meet under the bridge, fate shifts. A thread begins to weave."
Her chest tightened.
Was this… the moment?
Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
They stared.
The night held its breath.
And somewhere in the quiet ripples of the river, destiny stirred awake.