We moved deeper into the current. The streets stretched wide, lined with arches of pearl and towers carved from coral that shimmered faintly in the lantern glow. Strange creatures passed by , some human in shape, others scaled, finned, or crowned with horns that glinted like obsidian. Every gaze lingered on me for a moment too long, until I wanted nothing more than to fold into the shadows.
Mingzhu walked ahead without pause, his robes trailing like liquid silver. If he noticed the stares ....or the way my steps faltered...he gave no sign.
Dòu Dòu, on the other hand, swam backward in front of me, spreading his arms wide as though presenting the city itself. "Welcome, little mortal, to Luo Shui's finest district. Markets that never sleep, palaces that glitter even in darkness, and of course, alleyways you should absolutely never, ever wander into. Not without me, at least."
I narrowed my eyes. "You're not exactly reassuring."
"Good," he said brightly. "Reassurance is boring. Adventure, now that's more fun." He spun once in the water, hair spiraling like ink, before leaning closer with a stage whisper. "Besides, if you keep glaring at Mingzhu like that, people might think you're secretly married. Very scandalous."
Heat flared in my cheeks before I could stop it. "You're insufferable."
"True. But entertaining." His grin widened, triumphant.
I looked past him toward Mingzhu's back, straight and unyielding. The river's mark still throbbed faintly at my ankle, reminding me that none of this was a dream. That I was bound...claimed...by a current older than I could fathom.
A weight pressed in on my chest. The laughter I thought I heard, the child I had lost, the coldness in Mingzhu's voice , it all tangled until I couldn't tell where grief ended and anger began.
I wanted answers. But all I had was silence, broken only by Dòu Dòu's chatter and the distant hum of the city breathing around us.
And still, somewhere behind it all, the whisper lingered in my mind. Not clear enough to follow, not strong enough to believe. Just enough to keep me restless.
The avenues grew quieter as we moved away from the crowded markets. The lanterns thinned, their glow dimming until the streets lay washed in a softer, uncertain light. Here, the water felt heavier, pressing close against my skin.
I slowed, uneasy. "Why does it feel… different?"
Mingzhu did not answer. His gaze was fixed ahead, expression unreadable.
Dòu Dòu drifted beside me, his grin subdued now, voice lowered. "Because not all corners of Luo Shui welcome strangers. Some doors stay shut even to us. Best to keep moving, little mortal."
His tone...still playful, but edged with caution...tightened the knot in my chest.
We passed beneath an arch of stone, its surface etched with runes that shimmered faintly as we crossed. Beyond it lay a square carved into the coral, wide and empty. At its center stood a statue: a dragon coiled around a column of pearl, its eyes dark, its mouth half-open as though whispering something only the current could hear.