Wei Ji watched the two elders disappear into the dark forest, their steps uneven and slow. He waited until their auras faded far enough that he no longer felt their trembling fear hanging in the air like dust. Only then did he allow his shoulders to loosen. The courtyard was silent again, almost peaceful despite the broken ground and the tangled roots that had devoured Ren moments ago.
Wei Ji let out a breath and looked up at the sky. The clouds drifted lazily, the moonlight slipping between them like a thin strand of silver. He rubbed the back of his neck and whispered to himself, "Finally. Quiet."
A soft chirp sounded to his right. A small blue bird hopped down from a branch and landed near his foot. It tilted its head, as if asking whether the danger had passed. Wei Ji crouched down and tapped the ground beside it.
"You waited this whole time. Brave little thing."
