The masked man stopped moving. Slowly, he lifted his head. His mask tilted slightly, like he was listening to something only he could hear.
Linyue kept her grip tight on her sword. She didn't lower it completely, though her arms hesitated. Her body stayed ready, tense, but her chest was tight with a feeling she couldn't name.
Then the masked man lowered his sword. No words. No explanation. Of course not. He never spoke much, even back then. When she had trained under him, his words were rare. Orders. Warnings. Lessons. Never anything personal. Never feelings.
Her throat tightened as she stared at him. She couldn't see his face, but she didn't need to. His silence said enough. He was always like this. Unpredictable. Once, he had saved her from certain death. Another time, he had nearly been the one to end her. It was like he carried two selves inside one body. She never knew which one she would face. And the man standing before her now… this one was the teacher she had once trusted. The one who showed her how to call down lightning. But she didn't know how long this version would stay.
He took a step forward.
Linyue didn't move. Her heart pounded, fast and loud in her ears, but her eyes stayed locked on him. Waiting.
He took another step. The air around them shifted. The wind curled through the cracked battlefield, carrying a faint chill, almost like it knew something she didn't.
She didn't lower her guard, but she didn't raise her sword either. Her eyes locked on the man walking toward her. Sparks on the ground flickered and hissed, faint crackles dancing in the silence. The space between them grew smaller with every step he took.
Shu Mingye's jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed as he watched the two of them. Both had lowered their swords. Just like that. No signal. No warning. Silence stretched across the battlefield as if the fight had been paused by some invisible signal. And then, without explanation, the masked man began walking toward her.
Shu Mingye didn't stop to think. His body moved before his mind caught up.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Shen Zhenyu step forward as well, his expression unreadable, his shoulders tight with quiet tension. Lightning still clung faintly to the air, restless and crackling as if unwilling to let go of what had just happened. Shu Mingye ignored it. His focus was only on her. He walked straight to Linyue. He said nothing. He didn't ask. He simply reached out and took her hand. Her skin was cold, but the instant their fingers touched, she tightened around his with quiet certainty, as if she had been waiting all along.
He intertwined their fingers, gripping firmly.
The masked man stopped before them. His head tilted slightly, the blank mask hiding whatever expression might have been there. Then his head dropped to where their hands were joined.
Shu Mingye didn't move back. He didn't flinch. He only tightened his grip a little more, as if reminding everyone, especially the man standing there, exactly who stood beside her now.
Linyue's fingers squeezed his hand in return, light yet steady.
The masked man tilted his head up again. Shu Mingye couldn't see his eyes, couldn't see anything behind that smooth, blank mask. Yet somehow, he still felt the weight of a stare pressing right into him.
How does he even see through that thing? Shu Mingye thought. Was it some kind of secret magic eyeball power no one had bothered to tell him about?
Then the masked man raised his hand.
Shu Mingye and Shen Zhenyu moved at the same time, shoulders squaring as they stepped forward together. In perfect unspoken agreement, they planted themselves directly in front of Linyue, forming two very tall, very determined human shields.
"…"
Linyue's view was now nothing but their backs. Broad, stubborn, completely blocking. She blinked. Then tried tiptoeing. Useless. She leaned left. Blocked. She leaned right. Still blocked.
With a long sigh, she resorted to the only tactic available to an ex-princess with zero patience. She poked her small head right between their arms. It looked ridiculous, but at least now she could finally see.
The masked man had reached into his sleeve and pulled out… a scroll?
Her eyes narrowed. What was he planning?
Before she could say anything or move, Shu Mingye's hand shot out and snatched the scroll mid-air.
The masked man didn't react. He simply turned around and walked away. No farewell. No explanation. No dramatic words like "We'll meet again." Just quiet, steady footsteps fading into the distance, leaving behind faint sparks crackling in the air where he had stood.
The three of them stayed frozen, watching in silence. None of them spoke. Not when the masked man's figure grew smaller, not even when he finally disappeared completely.
At last, Shu Mingye let out a slow, controlled breath. He slid the scroll neatly into his sleeve like he was tucking away a problem for later. "Let's go back first," he said, his voice calm but a little too sharp at the edges.
Linyue's eyes flicked to his sleeve, but she didn't ask about it. Not yet.
They began the walk back to the gates. The battlefield was quiet now. No demons anywhere. No sounds of fighting. The reason was clear enough. Everywhere they looked, only piles of blackened ash remained, the last traces of demons that had been erased by the masked man's lightning.
As they walked, Linyue stole a glance at Shu Mingye from the corner of her eye. He didn't glance at her. He didn't say a word. His face was locked in a hard expression. His jaw was tight, his brows drawn close together. He didn't look furious, but it was obvious his mind was very busy.
Linyue had a strong feeling this silence wasn't going to last. She could already picture the long, detailed questioning waiting for her later, the kind that felt more like interrogation than conversation.
They mounted the horse without a word. Linyue sat in front, Shu Mingye behind her, just like always. His arm circled her waist, firm and steady. It should have felt comforting, and in a way it did, but the silence stretched too long. The wind rushed past as the horse galloped toward the palace. Every stride jolted them slightly, and with every movement she could feel the tension locked in his body. His hold wasn't rough, but his frame was stiff, his breaths controlled as if he was holding something in.
"…Are you okay?" she asked softly.
"No."
The answer came fast. Honest.
She frowned. He must have been hurt worse than he let on. The masked man's lightning was no small thing. "Did it hurt a lot?"
He leaned in close, his lips brushing her ear when he spoke. His voice was low, edged with something unreadable. "Are you worried?"
Linyue turned her head just enough to glance back at him. "Of course."
Something in him eased at her words. He let out a long breath, lowered his head, and rested his chin lightly on her shoulder. "Then yes," he said with a small, tired smile. "It hurt a lot."
He wasn't exaggerating. The pain still burned under his skin, sharp and heavy, biting with every movement. His muscles ached as if they had been torn apart and sewn back together in the wrong order. Every breath pulled at the wounds hidden beneath his calm exterior. But with her sitting close, her sweet and refreshing scent wrapping around him, he could almost ignore it. Because that wasn't what hurt him most. The pain from the lightning was nothing compared to the weight in his chest.
They were already halfway back to the palace. The wind rushed past them, carrying the faint scent of burnt air that still clung stubbornly to their clothes.
Linyue turned her head, her brows drawn in quiet worry. Her voice came soft. "I'll ask Sister Meiyu for healing elixir."
"No," Shu Mingye said at once. His voice was low, rough around the edges. "I don't need it."
"Of course you do," she replied, her tone firm but gentle.
He closed his eyes briefly and let out a sigh. It sounded heavier than usual. "Pie…" he murmured. "You really don't understand it."
Her eyes lifted to his face, puzzled. "Don't understand what?"
He looked at her. His eyes were tired, shadowed with pain, and yet completely serious. "That you hurt me more than that lightning ever could."