The night air greeted them immediately, cool and invigorating after the warmth of the fireplace. The Sky Caravan had changed completely during the hours they had spent inside.
Hours earlier, its streets had been crowded, full of life and movement. Now, only a few cultivators walked along the avenues, their solitary figures beneath the light of the lanterns.
The floating lanterns remained suspended in the sky, spreading soft light over the streets, but many of them had already gone out, and those that remained glowed with less intensity. The night breeze was cool, carrying the scents of the night, flowers, earth, and the distant smell of street food that was no longer being prepared.
Kyrian walked beside Gao Ziyue, their steps synchronized in a natural rhythm. Neither of them said anything, but there was no need. The silence between them was comfortable, filled by each other's presence.
Until, after a few minutes, Gao Ziyue stopped.
