***
The night sky shimmered with hundreds of paper lanterns drifting upward, their golden glow painting the village streets in a dreamy warmth. For the first time in weeks, there was no mention of trials, tombs, or kingdoms. Only laughter, music, and the aroma of food clinging to the cool breeze.
"Come on!" Yin Shu exclaimed, tugging Zhao Lian through the crowd with one hand and clutching a stick of candied hawthorn with the other. "If we're here, we have to try everything."
Zhao Lian stumbled along, his scholar's robes wrinkling under her reckless grip. "Wait—slow down! You've already eaten three skewers and two dumplings. Shouldn't you—"
"Shhh!" Yin Shu stuffed the candied fruit into his hand. "Eat first, scold later." She popped one into her mouth, grinning as if she'd conquered a battlefield.
Mo yao followed at a calmer pace, her black hair shining under the lantern light. She carried a lantern given by a kind old woman, its paper surface thin and delicate, just waiting for a wish. With careful strokes, she wrote: May the path ahead be less lonely.
When she released it, the lantern drifted upward with the others, its glow soft against the heavens. She watched silently, unaware that Zhao Lian, trying to chew Yin Shu's gift without choking, kept stealing glances at her.
"Look!" Yin Shu pointed excitedly to a game stall. Wooden fish floated in a shallow basin, each painted with bright colors. Children laughed as they tried to hook them with tiny poles.
Zhao Lian shook his head. "That's clearly meant for children—"
"Exactly! You'll finally have a chance to win something," Yin Shu teased.
Before he could protest further, she shoved a pole into his hands and challenged, "First one to catch three wins!"
The game was chaos. Yin Shu lunged at the fish like a warrior in battle, nearly falling into the water, while Zhao Lian muttered calculations about angles and grip, missing every attempt. Mo Yao, serene as ever, hooked one fish on her first try, her lips curving faintly in triumph.
"Unfair!" Yin Shu shouted. "You probably bribed the fish spirit with your icy stares."
Zhao Lian groaned, water dripping from his sleeve. "Why do I always lose when I'm with you two?"
"Because you take everything too seriously," Mo Yao said lightly, handing him the fish she caught.
His ears went pink.
The trio's laughter carried them to a fortune-teller's tent draped in red cloth. Curious, Mò Yáo pushed them inside.
An old woman with eyes clouded like mist studied the three before her. She took their palms one by one, her wrinkled fingers tracing the lines.
"You, child of flame," she said to Mò Yáo. "Your heart burns too brightly. One day, it may scorch even those you love."
Mò Yáo blinked. "Well… that's not very festive."
The woman turned to Zhao Lian. "You walk between two paths. A scholar's mind… but a warrior's fate."
Zhao Lian stiffened, swallowing hard.
Finally, her gaze fell on Yīn Shū. Her voice lowered to a whisper. "And you, silver moon… you will be the key to chains yet unbroken. Beware the eyes that watch from the dark."
The tent suddenly felt colder.
When they left, Yin Shu broke the silence. "She was just trying to sound mysterious. Don't take it seriously."
But Zhao Lian noticed Mo Yao glance once more at the drifting lanterns, her expression shadowed.
***
As they moved back toward the festival square, a group of rowdy boys blocked the path. One of them snickered, pointing at Zhao Lian. "Scholar boy, did your mother dress you for the festival? Those sleeves could mop the street."
Yin Shu immediately stepped forward, fists on her hips. "Careful, or I'll mop the street with your faces."
The boys laughed, but before things could escalate, Mo Yao placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Not here. Not tonight." Her voice was calm, yet sharp enough to slice the tension.
The boys hesitated—something in her dark gaze unsettled them. With muttered curses, they slunk away.
"Aw, I was ready to fight," Yin Shu grumbled, crossing her arms.
"You're always ready to fight," Zhao Lian sighed, though a small smile tugged at his lips. "You're impossible."
"Impossible but fun," she shot back, grabbing another dumpling from a stall.
***
Later that night, the three sat by the riverside, the festival quieting around them. The sky shimmered with drifting lanterns, mirrored on the water's surface.
Yin Shu leaned back, munching on roasted chestnuts. "If we could stay like this forever, I wouldn't mind at all."
Zhao Lian adjusted his robes. "You'd get bored in a day."
"True." She grinned.
Mo Yao didn't answer. She was staring at one lantern that burned brighter than the others. Its flame twisted unnaturally, almost forming an eye—slitted, watching. Her heart skipped.
"Mo Yao?" Zhao Lian's voice was gentle.
She blinked, and the vision was gone. "…Nothing."
But she knew it wasn't nothing. Destiny's gaze never strayed far.
For now, though, she allowed herself to sit with her sister and Zhao Lian, the warmth of their laughter wrapping around her like a fragile shield.