Chapter 18 – Frost of the Twin Moon Vixen, Chaein
The morning mist draped itself over Azure Sky Academy like a pale veil, shimmering under the newborn sun. A quiet tension hung in the courtyard — the first official mission had been announced.
Instructors called names with crisp authority, scrolls and badges gleaming in their hands.
> "Participants: Yin Jin, Baifang, and Chaein."
Three names. One team.
Yin Jin lifted his gaze, his golden-black eyes narrowing slightly as he saw her — Chaein. Calm, elegant, her silver hair reflecting the sunlight like threads of frost and moonlight intertwined. Her presence carried both grace and quiet danger.
Beside him, Baifang slapped his spear against his shoulder, grinning wide.
> "Ha! The heavens bless me again. A beautiful teammate and my best brother-in-arms. What could go wrong?"
> "You could talk less," Yin Jin muttered.
> "And miss the chance to admire fate? Never."
Chaein turned slightly, her cold blue eyes glancing between them.
> "If you two are done flirting, we should move. The longer we waste here, the harder the road becomes."
Baifang blinked, whispering under his breath, "Did she just—?"
Yin Jin cut him off, a rare smirk forming.
> "She did. Let's go."
---
The Road to the Verdant Veins Region
They left the academy at dawn, following the east trail. Mist rolled between the cliffs, and glowing flowers marked the ancient road leading toward the Verdant Veins Region, their first mission site.
Hours passed in silence — until Baifang's voice broke through, as lively as lightning itself.
> "So, Yin Jin… you've been smiling lately. Don't tell me it's because of her."
Yin Jin ignored him.
> "That's a yes," Baifang said proudly.
Chaein, walking ahead, didn't turn but spoke softly.
> "Or maybe he finally found a reason to breathe."
Yin Jin looked at her in surprise. A flicker of warmth stirred behind his usual calm.
> "Maybe," he said. "Or maybe I found something worth protecting."
Baifang groaned.
> "You're killing me with these lines, man."
Their laughter echoed through the mountains — light, fleeting, but genuine.
---
The Verdant Ruins
By dusk, they reached the Verdant Veins Ruins, where ancient pillars jutted from the soil like the bones of forgotten gods. The air hummed with old qi — unstable, electric.
Chaein crouched near a fractured stone, frost forming under her touch.
> "Void residue," she murmured. "Something tore through this place recently."
Baifang's spear crackled with lightning. "Perfect. A warm-up before dinner."
Yin Jin unsheathed his sword, black-gold fire flickering to life.
> "Stay sharp."
The ground trembled — then burst open.
From the cracked heart of the ruin, a surge of black smoke erupted, coalescing into twisted Voidborn Beasts.
Chaein reacted first — frost spread like a storm, freezing the first wave mid-air before shattering them into glittering shards.
Baifang roared, his spear turning into a streak of thunder.
> "Now this is what I call excitement!"
Yin Jin moved next — silent, precise. His aura flared gold and black, the flames around him dancing like living spirits.
> "Let's finish this fast," he said.
---
The Battle of the Verdant Veins
The night exploded with color — frost, lightning, and black-gold fire clashing beneath the shattered moonlight.
Yin Jin's movements were fluid, his blade tracing arcs that melted through shadows. Baifang spun, unleashing his "Thunderfall Dance," lightning spearing through the dark.
Chaein's frost blades hovered around her, slicing through the beasts with surgical precision. Her expression never wavered — calm, distant, and mesmerizing under the pale twin moons above.
Then the ground split open again.
A roar thundered across the ruins — the Voidborn Alpha, its form grotesque, half-humanoid, its six crimson eyes burning with hunger.
> "Everyone back!" Yin Jin called out.
The Alpha's tendrils lashed outward, crushing stone like glass. Baifang's lightning speared through the chaos, Chaein's frost shields shattered under the pressure.
> "We'll take it down together!" Baifang shouted.
Yin Jin stepped forward.
> "No… I'll end this."
His eyes glowed — gold burning into black, black igniting into gold. His flames surged, twisting into armored fire-knights and winged dragons, born from pure will.
> "I shall use you to perfect my test skill."
The knights charged first, slamming into the Alpha with blazing spears. The dragons roared, circling overhead before diving in torrents of fire.
Yin Jin leapt high, sword raised — the flames around him spiraling into a storm. With one blinding strike, the Alpha's body split apart, disintegrating into ash and smoke.
Silence.
The ruins smoldered in golden-black light, the air thick with heat and fading frost.
Baifang whistled low.
> "Brother, next time, warn me before you summon an army."
Chaein exhaled, frost dimming around her hands.
> "You're reckless," she said softly, meeting Yin Jin's eyes. "But… brilliant."
Yin Jin sheathed his sword, smiling faintly.
> "Guess that means we passed."
Baifang laughed.
> "Passed? We just made history."
---
The Twin Moon Camp
That night, under the twin moons, the three camped by the ruins. Baifang slept almost instantly, snoring beside the crackling fire.
Yin Jin sat across from Chaein, the light dancing between them.
> "You control frost like it's a part of your soul," he said.
Chaein looked up, her eyes reflecting both moons.
> "And you wield fire like it's your destiny."
He smiled. "Maybe it is."
For a moment, neither spoke. Only the fire burned between them — warm, alive, and quiet.
> "You're strange, Yin Jin," Chaein whispered.
> "I get that a lot."
Her lips curved faintly — the first genuine smile he'd seen from her.
Under the twin moons, frost and flame shared a silent moment — the kind that marked the beginning of something neither battle nor fate could burn away.
---Thus ended their first mission. But far away, beyond the veil of the Verdant Veins, something stirred within the Void Rift — a presence watching, waiting, whispering the name "Yin Jin" like a curse and a promise.