Chapter 39 — After the Fall
The battlefield did not explode back into motion.
It shifted.
Like a lung finally releasing a breath it had been holding since the hive's birth, the pressure that had weighed on everything—stone, heat, instinct, fear—bent and flowed in a new direction.
The frozen Revenant remained locked in place, claws suspended mid-strike, violet fissures trembling faintly.
But no one was looking at it anymore.
Four figures descended fully through the warped space above the ruined hive, boots touching fractured stone as if gravity itself had decided to behave again.
Lin Xuan stood at the front.
Calm.
Unrushed.
Hands behind his back as though he had merely stepped into a courtyard, not the aftermath of a battle that had nearly killed three prodigies.
Anika landed beside him, arms folded, eyes already sharp with irritation.
Yan'er followed, feet barely disturbing the dust, golden light faintly haloing her form.
Dion was last—alert, tense, scanning the surroundings even though the danger had already been pinned in place by something far greater than force.
The pressure changed instantly.
Not heavier.
Not lighter.
Ordered.
The chaotic heat of fire region receded, as if the land itself recognized a higher authority had arrived.
Yan'er moved first.
She did not speak.
Did not hesitate.
She crossed the battlefield in a few quick steps and knelt beside Vaibhav's motionless body, her expression tightening for just a fraction of a second as she took in the damage.
Shattered ribs.
Internal trauma so severe it had forced the body to shut itself down entirely.
Life still there—but barely holding its shape.
Yan'er placed both hands gently over his chest.
Golden light bloomed outward—not explosive, not blinding—but deep and warm, like sunlight filtered through honey. It sank through skin and bone, flowing inward with quiet authority.
Inside Vaibhav's body, things that had broken began to remember what they were supposed to be.
Ruptured organs reformed.
Collapsed pathways reopened.
Internal bleeding slowed, then stopped.
His breathing, which had been shallow and irregular, smoothed into a steady rhythm.
He did not wake.
But he was no longer dying.
Nearby, Shin watched with wide eyes, relief crashing into him so hard his knees nearly gave out.
At the same time, Anika turned.
She did not go to Vaibhav.
She did not go to Alicia.
She walked straight toward Shin.
Her steps were slow.
Deliberate.
Shin swallowed.
"Uh—hey?" he tried, forcing a crooked grin. "Nice timing, by the way—"
Without warning, Anika placed her palm flat against his chest.
Shin's eyes widened.
Then obsidian-violet flames erupted.
They did not burn outward.
They burned inward.
"AAAAAAAA—!!!"
Shin screamed as pain detonated through his nervous system, sharper than anything the Revenant had inflicted. It felt like being flayed and stitched back together at the same time, nerves screaming as muscle and bone were flooded with violent corrective force.
His legs buckled, but Anika held him in place effortlessly.
Burned skin restored itself.
Torn muscle fibers knit together.
Microfractures sealed.
His trembling slowed—but the pain did not ease.
"WHY DOES IT HURT IF IT'S HEALING?!" Shin howled, voice cracking.
Anika's expression didn't change.
"Shut up," she said flatly. "And endure."
The flames vanished as suddenly as they had appeared.
Shin dropped to one knee, gasping, sweat pouring down his face.
"…I hate your healing method," he wheezed.
"You're alive," Anika replied. "Be grateful."
Across the battlefield, Dion had already moved.
Alicia was conscious—barely—but her body refused to respond properly, pain locking her muscles in place. She grit her teeth, trying to push herself upright anyway.
Dion knelt behind her and placed his palm firmly against her back.
Warm energy flowed—not radiant like Yan'er's, not violent like Anika's—but steady and grounding. Like a hand anchoring her to reality.
Alicia gasped sharply as sensation rushed back into her limbs.
Her fingers curled.
Her knees responded.
She pushed herself upright with a sharp breath, barely sparing Dion a glance before her eyes locked onto Vaibhav.
She ran.
Pain screamed at her to stop.
She ignored it.
She dropped to her knees beside Vaibhav and grabbed his hand tightly, fingers trembling as she checked his breathing herself, as if she didn't trust what she'd just seen.
"He's not waking up…" she whispered, voice tight.
Lin Xuan spoke calmly from behind her.
"He's fine," he said. "Just exhausted."
Alicia nodded—but worry didn't leave her face. She didn't release Vaibhav's hand.
Nearby, Shin finally managed to stand again, rolling his shoulders with a groan.
"…Man," he muttered. "I feel like I got cooked, seasoned, and served."
His eyes drifted—without thinking.
To Anika.
Specifically—
Her chest.
"Whoa!" he thought reflexively. "Those melons got bigger than last time, it's now 101Cm—"
Then his gaze flicked again.
To Yan'er.
"Even hers—no, no, no—bad thought—she's like a big sister—Don't be a Ugly Bastard—"
Anika's head snapped toward him.
Her eyes blazed.
The next instant, her hand was around Shin's throat.
He was lifted off the ground like a doll.
"You bastard," she hissed, fury sharp and immediate. "You were thinking trash about me, that's tolerable."
Her grip tightened.
"But don't you dare look at Yan'er like that. I'll kill you."
Shin choked, feet kicking uselessly.
Yan'er reacted instantly.
She stepped between them, hands raised.
"Big sister Anika—please. Let him go."
Anika stared at her for a long second.
Clicked her tongue.
And released Shin.
He collapsed to one knee, coughing violently, clutching his throat.
Yan'er turned to him and slapped him on both cheeks.
Smack.
Smack.
"How dare you," she said firmly, worry bleeding through her anger, "use dr*gs and radioactive substances like that?"
Shin lowered his head immediately.
"I'm sorry, big sister…"
Yan'er sighed, then reached out and gently patted his hair.
"Give them to me."
Shin hesitated.
Then reached into his pocket and pulled out three remaining green vials, holding them out like contraband.
Yan'er took them carefully.
"Next time," she said softly, "don't be careless. I'll prepare an antidote."
Shin nodded so fast it almost hurt.
"Yes, ma'am."
Around them, the battlefield had become strangely quiet.
Vaibhav lay stabilized.
Alicia knelt beside him, refusing to move.
Shin leaned heavily against a broken slab, alive by sheer stubbornness.
Lin Xuan turned toward the Revenant.
It was still alive.
Barely.
The creature stood frozen where it had been halted, its massive frame trembling under forces it could neither see nor resist. Violet fissures crawled unevenly across its molten-black skin, pulsing like a failing heart. Its breaths came shallow and ragged, each one sounding more like a rasp than a roar.
Instinct screamed at it.
Run.
Submit.
Disappear.
But its body would not obey.
Lin Xuan walked forward without haste, boots crunching softly over shattered stone. With each step, the pressure around the Revenant intensified—not violently, but absolutely. Like gravity itself had decided to favor one side.
He stopped beside Vaibhav's unconscious body.
Without hesitation, Lin Xuan bent and lifted him with one arm, as easily as if he were picking up a sleeping child. Vaibhav didn't stir. His head lolled slightly, breath steady, chest rising and falling under Yan'er's earlier healing.
Lin Xuan reached out with his free hand.
A sword manifested.
Simple.
Unadorned.
Perfectly balanced.
He placed the hilt into Vaibhav's right hand, closing Vaibhav's fingers around it with deliberate care.
For the first time, the Revenant reacted.
Its eyes widened. Its body strained, muscles screaming as it tried—desperately—to move.
Lin Xuan looked at it.
Then—
He threw Vaibhav forward.
Vaibhav's body flew straight ahead, carried by a force that was neither speed nor strength, but certainty. The sword led the way.
The blade pierced the Revenant's chest cleanly.
No resistance.
No impact.
Just passage.
The tip emerged from its back in a clean line of steel.
The Revenant froze.
Its eyes flickered once—confusion, then something like realization.
Then its legs gave out.
The massive body collapsed forward, crashing to the ground with a heavy, hollow thud that echoed through the ruined hive. Dust billowed outward, but there was no roar. No final scream.
Only stillness.
Anika stepped forward.
She raised one hand, palm open.
Obsidian-violet flames bloomed into existence, cold and merciless. They engulfed the Revenant's corpse instantly, consuming flesh, bone, and corrupted essence alike. There was no smoke. No smell.
Within seconds, nothing remained.
No body.
No ash.
No trace.
As if the creature had never existed.
Lin Xuan turned away from the empty space and opened a portal with a casual flick of his wrist. Space folded inward, revealing a calm, luminous passage beyond.
"We're leaving," he said.
No one argued.
Yan'er rose, Dion moving to assist Alicia as she stood more steadily now. Shin rubbed the back of his neck, glancing once more at the spot where the Revenant had fallen, then toward Vaibhav—still unconscious but alive. Lin Xuan lifted him.
They stepped through the portal one by one.
The battlefield vanished behind them.
Two days later.
Soft light filtered through tall windows into a large, quiet bedroom. The air was clean, carrying the faint scent of herbs and something warm—home.
Vaibhav lay unconscious on a wide bed, blankets pulled neatly up to his chest. His breathing was slow and even, color returned to his face.
Alicia sat beside him.
She hadn't moved much in two days.
Her fingers were laced with his, her head bowed slightly as she watched his face as if afraid he might disappear if she looked away. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, exhaustion etched into every line of her posture.
Then—
Vaibhav's fingers twitched.
Alicia stiffened.
His eyelids fluttered once.
Then again.
Slowly, Vaibhav's eyes opened.
The first thing he saw was Alicia.
Her face—tired, worried, relief barely held back—filled his vision.
Without thinking, he pushed himself up just enough to pull her into a hug.
Alicia gasped softly, then melted into him, arms wrapping around his shoulders as she held him tightly, like letting go might break him again.
"Don't do that again…" she whispered, voice trembling.
Vaibhav didn't answer. He just held her.
The door opened.
Lin Xuan walked in calmly, Anika clinging lazily to his back with her arms looped around his shoulders like she belonged there. Behind them followed Prabhat, Shin, Dion, Arjun, Theo, Vivan—
—and Daichi, still chewing loudly on something.
Vaibhav noticed them and gently loosened his hold on Alicia.
He turned his head toward Prabhat.
"Big bro…" His voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry. I broke the pendant."
He reached instinctively for his chest.
His hand met empty fabric.
Panic flashed across his face.
Prabhat chuckled softly and reached into his pocket.
"Relax."
He tossed the pendant toward Vaibhav.
Vaibhav caught it clumsily, staring at it in disbelief. The surface was smooth, uncracked, whole—exactly as it had been before.
"Fixed it," Prabhat said with a grin.
Vaibhav's fingers closed around it tightly.
Relief washed over him in a wave so strong his shoulders sagged.
The room filled with sound.
Shin immediately started complaining about almost dying.
Anika mocked him without mercy.
Theo scolded Daichi for chewing too loudly.
Daichi asked for more food.
Vivan stayed calm.
Arjun shook his head, smiling faintly.
Alicia stayed close to Vaibhav, her hand never leaving his.
For the first time since the hive collapsed—
Everything felt… normal.
And for now—
That was enough.