The days dragged on with the weight of iron. Each sunrise spilled gold and fire across the training grounds, yet Huo Feng felt none of it. The world seemed muted, dulled by absence. She sat alone in a shadowed corner, a fragment of torn cloth clutched in her fingers — the very one shredded by Wu Xin's whip. Its threads, once whole and vibrant, now frayed and stiff, felt like a piece of her own heart, jagged and raw.
A sigh escaped her lips, small but loaded with longing. The echo of his absence twisted around her like a slow fog:
He hasn't come back… where has he gone this time? Is he… still not healed? Or has he vanished into oblivion again?
Her voice, barely more than a whisper, trembled in the air:
"Where did you go? Why didn't you say anything before you left?"
The wind answered only with rustling leaves, carrying the faint scent of leather and wood, memories of battles and brushes with death.
Then, an idea sparked — bright, sudden, undeniable. She rose, brushing off dust from her robe, and walked toward Mei, who was practicing sword forms under the fading sunlight. The blade flashed with every strike, casting shards of orange and gold across the courtyard like liquid fire.
"Where is Wu Xin?" Huo Feng asked without preamble, calm but with an edge of steel.
Mei turned slowly, her lips curling into a mocking smile, eyes glinting like polished onyx.
"Oh… you mean the Grand Master Wu Xin? Haven't you heard? He went to the Beast Kingdom. There's a rebellion there — a conflict between rebels and their king. He went to assist the king, according to the treaty between our realms."
Huo Feng's eyes darkened briefly. The weight of responsibility, of urgency, pressed against her chest. Mei's voice, teasing now, lilted with amusement:
"Why do you ask? Planning to go help him, oh brave one?"
Huo Feng's reply was calm, precise, yet every word carried fire:
"Why not? Aren't we the elite of the elite? Let's call it… another test."
From the shadows, Yue's voice rang out, sharp, incredulous:
"But the Council won't allow it! It's interference in another kingdom's affairs — especially without permission!"
Huo Feng shrugged, as though shrugging could slice through law and convention alike.
"Since when have I ever asked for permission? And who said we need it just to go for a little… stroll?"
Her eyes caught the last sliver of sunlight, now gleaming gold-red at the horizon. A spark of adventure ignited within them.
"We'll go… tonight."
Night fell like a velvet curtain over the southern skies. Twelve students — the elite of the Academy — cut through the darkness like meteorites, wings of magic and determination propelling them silently. Yue, Suo, Mei, Huo Feng, and her closest allies moved with deadly grace, their breaths carried away by the chill wind, robes billowing, swords glinting faintly under starlight.
Midway through the flight, Huo Feng glanced at Mei, her tone measured yet playful:
"You like being in control… so you'll lead this mission."
Mei's eyes gleamed, a thrill lighting her expression. She lifted her chin, proud and defiant.
"A wise choice. I'll lead us to victory."
With that, she surged forward, a comet of ambition streaking across the night sky.
The Beast Kingdom was awake with chaos. The dawn bled red into the horizon, staining the clouds and plains in a hue like molten iron, or the cruel, unforgiving hand of a vengeful deity. The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood and scorched earth, mingled with the acrid smoke of charred vegetation and the faint sweetness of crushed flowers.
Creatures of every imaginable horror and majesty collided: some with stone-like skin and three sunken eyes that exhaled gray smoke, others massive, reptilian, armored in scales harder than forged steel, shrieking like banshees with each strike. Winged beasts glided above, translucent and radiant, their bodies refracting light into beams that cut the air like glass.
Huo Feng observed in silence. None of these creatures seemed evil; they fought not for conquest but for survival, for justice, for some ancient truth buried in memory.
Suo muttered under his breath, voice tight, tense:
"This isn't a war… it's a massacre."
Mei's expression ignited with thrill. "Finally, a real battle worthy of my power!"
But Huo Feng remained still, her gaze sweeping the field like the eye of a storm. A haunting familiarity prickled her skin; this land whispered of memory, sorrow, and forgotten rights. She raised her gaze to the crimson sky, murmuring,
"I feel like the past of this land is calling me… but I don't know why."
The moment their boots touched the battlefield, the cries of beasts and soldiers erupted. The air shook with roars, screams, the clash of claws on steel, and the acrid smoke of shattered ground.
Yue darted through the chaos, saving a Sky Soldier mid-leap, his blade a blur of lethal precision. Suo struck from above, spears of glowing light cleaving through armored scales. Slowly, the students joined in, swept up in momentum, believing themselves righteous.
Not Huo Feng. She remained motionless, unmoved by the clamor. Time itself seemed to curve around her, voices fading into silence, the earth's screams unreachable. She walked forward as if through a dream — between corpses and smoke, past fury and blood, into the heart of the unseen.
Then — it appeared.
A towering creature, grotesque and alien, twelve arms swinging like pendulums of doom. Its eyes, black as obsidian and hollow, were blind — or beyond sight entirely. It seized the students one by one, as though plucking marionettes from a stage.
Their screams pierced the air, echoes of terror caught in the mountains. They fought valiantly, but the creature's strength was inexorable. Only two escaped its grasp: Mei, her fury a living blaze, and Huo Feng, utterly still — untouched by fear or panic.
"Huo Feng! The sword! Give me the sword — please!" Mei's voice trembled, breaking through the deafening chaos.
But Huo Feng did not hear. She was already gone — not in body, but in spirit. She passed through the battlefield, through fire and carnage, her presence a whisper in the storm.
Her eyes found a small dying beast, cradling another fallen companion with fragile devotion. It pressed its muzzle against the other's fur, a kiss soft as wind, a farewell whispered in silence. Huo Feng knelt briefly, whispering:
"This isn't a battle… it's a slaughter. It's injustice."
She looked to the scarlet sky, voice barely audible even to herself:
"Who's the enemy here… them, or me?"
Behind her, the twelve-armed monstrosity tore through students — Yue's screams, Su's blood, Mei barely holding her stance. And still, Huo Feng did not move.
Then, finally, he appeared. Wu Xin — but his call could not reach her.
Her gaze shifted, meeting another presence: a grotesque yet regal beast, standing proud, watching without attack. Their eyes locked, and recognition flared within her — this was the King of the Rebels.
A strange, ancient right awakened within her.
"This throne… belongs to me."
She stepped forward, calm, resolute. The beast did not resist. Her spirit slipped into him — like a soul returning to its rightful vessel.
A roar thundered — hers, resounding through the battlefield like an earthquake of authority. For a heartbeat, the chaos paused.
Then a comet tore across the horizon — not a comet, but the Furnace Elder. He landed, movement fluid and precise, parting the warring beasts like a shadow through fog.
He seized the Rebel King, and with it, Huo Feng's spirit withdrew, obedient yet untamed.
"Come," he commanded, voice carved from iron and command.
She followed silently. But then, looking back at Wu Xin, still bleeding, still fighting, her chest tightened. She hovered in the air, radiant, almost divine.
Her voice echoed, not through speech but decree:
"You have no choice but to obey. From this moment — he is your king. Rebel again… and I will erase you."
The ground trembled. One by one, the beasts lowered their weapons, kneeling. The Sky Soldiers followed, silent witnesses.
The battlefield roared — but it was a roar of recognition, of loyalty reclaimed. The rightful heir had arisen.
Huo Feng did not linger. She turned away, leaving all behind — her friends, the chaos, the awe, the confusion — even disappointment.
Her silhouette disappeared into the horizon, a lone figure of power, purpose, and destiny.