The third bell had not finished echoing when the air suddenly changed. The lantern flames around the square bent at the same time, even though there was no wind. Dust lifted from the ground and slowly fell again. The old shrine doors shook once and deep sound came from somewhere beneath the earth,so low that the villagers could only feel it through their feet.Xu Yang felt it first. Something tightened around his ribs, like invisible hands were pressing against him. The fur along his back rose. He tried to move, but his paws stayed against the stone. His claws slowly dug into the ground. What is happening now? ...Another pulse passed through his body. His ears flattened. Why does this bell keep ringing like I personally owe it something? ... He tried to pull one paw back, but nothing happened. His claws scraped against the stone. What is the connection?...He looked around the square.
The villagers were frightened, but they could still move. Some stepped away from the shrine while others pulled their families closer. Why does everything strange eventually become my problem?... His tail stiffened. I am literally just existing... A second wave hit him. This one was colder. It went through his chest and down his arms, making his whole body tense Seriously?! ... His eyes narrowed as he tried to breathe normally. Again? Why do I feel like I'm being spiritually kidnapped by events I did not agree to?...
Xu Yang's shoulders locked. No one explained the rules. ...The bell trembled again, and his whole body went rigid. Xu Yang closed his eyes for a moment. Forget it....He opened them and stared at the shrine. It was better being a cat. No politics, no prophecies, no bells trying to drag me into trouble. ...His claws pressed harder against the stone. Just fur, food, and selective ignorance. ... His breath caught. I miss uncomplicated confusion.... The wooden doors shook again, and dust fell from the roof.
The villagers looked around in fear. "What was that?" someone whispered. "Stay away from the shrine," another villager said. Xu Yang barely heard them. Something else had caught his attention. The feeling was different from the pressure. It was a pull. And it was coming toward him. He slowly lifted his eyes toward the shrine. Why? ...His body remained locked. Why is it calling me?...He tried to move again, but his paw did not even twitch. Am I really that important? ...He almost laughed at the thought. Because I would strongly prefer not to be...Another pulse moved through him. It felt old and deliberate, as if whatever was beneath the shrine had been waiting for him. Xu Yang's face tightened. Seriously... why me?...He looked at the villagers around him. There are so many people here. ...His tail refused to move. Pick someone else....The pressure suddenly became stronger.
Xu Yang's breath caught, and his entire body went rigid. Why can't I move? ... He tried again.His ears would not move. His tail would not move. Even his fingers felt heavy. Can somebody help me? ...No one answered. His chest felt tighter. Please? ... He lowered his eyes and tried to control his breathing. I'm really tired of this. ...Across the square, Shen Lian had been watching him. She had not moved since the bell began.
At first, there had been surprise in her eyes. Now that surprise was gone. Xu Yang noticed her staring. Oh, no. ...Shen Lian took one slow step toward him. Xu Yang tried to look away, but he couldn't. Her eyes stayed on him, sharp as if she were trying to see through every lie he had used to hide himself. "You felt it." she said.Xu Yang stared her.Shen Lian glanced toward the shrine and then back at him. "The others only heard the bell." Xu Yang's fingers curled against the stone.I didn't hear anything...Her eyes narrowed slightly. You don't have to lie...
Xu Yang looked at her, unable to find a good answer. The bell moved again above the shrine. Xu Yang flinched. Shen Lian noticed. Her expression changed slightly. "That reaction," she said. "You felt it again." Xu Yang stayed silent. Shen Lian took another slow step forward."That call," she continued, each word measured, precise. "It isn't reaching for the village." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "It's reaching for you." Xu Yang's breath caught. Shen Lian took one slow step forward. "Interesting." she said, softer now. "You've been pretending to be small."She smiled ."But small things do not answer ancient doors." The square seemed quieter somehow. Or perhaps Xu Yang was simply too aware of his own pulse. Shen Lian's expression did not harden. "Who," she asked at last, calm and devastatingly direct, "are you… when nothing is pretending?"
Yan Luo shifted subtly, placing himself half a step closer to Xu Yang without looking at him. To anyone watching, it was nothing more than a small adjustment. To Xu Yang, it felt like a shield. Qing Li's fingers brushed the tassel at his waist, his smile gone as his fox-bright eyes moved slowly across the shrine path. "That is new." he murmured. Yan Luo kept his eyes on the shrine. "How new?" Qing Li's ears twitched once. His usual teasing tone had faded, replaced by quiet calculation. "New enough that I'm reconsidering how annoying this village is." Yan Luo glanced at him briefly. "Is it waking?" Qing Li's fingers stopped on the tassel. He stared at the shrine doors. "No," he said softly. "Worse." Yan Luo's eyes narrowed. "It recognizes."
Qing Li finally looked at him. "Enough." He paused, then added, "Not fully. But enough." The bell shuddered again. This time, the sound was deeper. The ground shook beneath their feet. Several villagers shouted and stumbled back. One man grabbed his wife's arm, while another dropped the lantern he was holding. The shrine doors, long rotted and unmoving, groaned loudly. A crack appeared across the old wood and dust fell from the roof and covered the stone steps. Then something inside the shrine exhaled. The breath was slow and deep, carrying the smell of damp earth and old incense.
Xu Yang's chest tightened. His claws pressed into the soil. What is inside there? ... Another breath came from the darkness. This time, Xu Yang felt it move through his body. His ears flattened. This is wrong. ...His eyes fixed on the shrine doors. The seal wasn't supposed to fail yet. ...His stomach tightened. Not like this. ...Shen Lian stepped forward and raised one hand. "Stay back." Her voice was calm, but the villagers immediately obeyed. A few moved behind the others without taking their eyes off the shrine.
Shen Lian did not look back. "No one comes closer." A villager swallowed hard. "Miss Shen... what is that?" Shen Lian's eyes stayed on the doors. "I don't know yet." Her hand slowly moved toward the weapon at her side. "But don't make it notice you." Xu Yang's tail went still. That was not comforting at all. ...The shrine doors shook again and thin crack spread across one of them. Then both doors slowly pushed outward. They did not burst open. They simply moved, as if something inside had decided they were no longer needed. More dust poured down.
A dark shape appeared behind it. Xu Yang could not see its face. He could only see that it was too tall, too still, and far too solid to be a wandering spirit. The air around the shrine became heavy. Yan Luo's hand moved closer to his sword. Qing Li's tail flicked once behind him. "That is not a fragment," Yan Luo said quietly. Qing Li's eyes remained fixed on the shape. "No." He took one small step closer to Yan Luo. "It's waking." Yan Luo's expression hardened. "Can you tell what it is?" Qing Li shook his head. "Not yet." The shape inside moved slightly. Stone cracked beneath its feet.
Xu Yang's heart jumped. Heaven would have corrected this. Wouldn't it? ...His blood ran colder. It didn't. His thoughts sharpened at once. Which means Heaven either didn't see it...Another pulse rolled out from the shrine. Xu Yang's paws dug deeper into the ground. Or this isn't Heaven's failure. ... He looked toward Yan Luo. Yan Luo noticed his expression and lowered his voice. "Xu Yang." Xu Yang looked at him. "Stay behind me." Xu Yang blinked. "I'm a cat. I'm already very good at hiding." Yan Luo gave him a brief look. "Then hide properly."
Xu Yang's ears twitched. "That's your advice?" "Yan Luo nodded.Xu Yang stared at him."Very useful." Qing Li suddenly sighed beside them. "I have another suggestion." Yan Luo did not look at him. "Keep it." Qing Li placed a hand over his chest, looking offended. "You didn't even hear it." "I know you." Qing Li smiled faintly. "That's actually quite sweet." Yan Luo gave him a side glance. "Qing Li." "Fine." Qing Li turned his attention back to the shrine. The smile disappeared from his face again. For a few seconds, none of them spoke. Then Qing Li exhaled dramatically. "Speaking of waking..." He rubbed one eye. "I'm incredibly sleepy."
Yan Luo stared at him. Qing Li tilted slightly closer, his fox-like charm returning for just a moment. "Can I borrow your shoulder?" "Go away," Yan Luo said, giving him a cold side-eye. Qing Li blinked, looking genuinely wounded. "That was cold." Yan Luo's expression did not change. "It is not time to sleep." He looked back at the shrine. "Focus." Qing Li sighed like someone tragically misunderstood by the world. "You never support my emotional needs." Yan Luo finally looked at him again. "Qing Li." Qing Li immediately raised both hands. "Okay, okay." His eyes returned to the shrine, and his expression became serious again. The dark shape inside took another step forward. The sound of its foot touching the stone was quiet. But everyone heard it. Xu Yang's body stiffened. The bell above them gave one small, trembling sound. Then it stopped.
Shen Lian did not draw a weapon. She did not form a seal. She did not look away from Xu Yang. "Interesting." she said.The shape inside the shrine suddenly stopped. For a moment, nothing moved. Then its head slowly turned toward Xu Yang. Xu Yang froze where he stood. His heart seemed to stop for a second. The dust shifted, and two dim, red-brown eyes appeared in the darkness. They were not bright. They did not flash. They simply stared at him without blinking. Xu Yang's ears slowly moved back. Why is it looking at me? ...He wanted to step back, but his paws would not move.
The thing inside the shrine had not looked at anyone else.Yhey were only looking at Xu Yang. Xu Yang did not run. Instead, he lowered his head slightly, ears angled back in a posture any village cat might show when faced with something much larger than itself. He kept his body small and still. Inside, his heart was beating so hard that he could almost hear it. It remembers me...But that was impossible....This life had not reached that point... His claws pressed into the grass. He forced himself not to look directly into those eyes for too long. If he reacted strangely, Shen Lian would notice. If the villagers saw him move, they would panic. And if that thing really remembered him, running might only make things worse.
The dust continued falling from the broken shrine doors. Slowly, the shape became clearer. Xu Yang saw part of a long arm, a hard piece of something that looked like bone, and one shoulder hidden beneath the old robes and dust. Nothing about it moved like a living person. It stood too still. One villager took a shaky step backward. "What... what is that?" Another man grabbed his sleeve. "Don't go closer." A child whimpered behind them. "Mother..." Shen Lian lifted one hand without looking back. "Quiet." The child's mother quickly covered his mouth and pulled him against her. The clearing became so quiet that Xu Yang could hear the small shake in the woman's breathing. Yan Luo's fingers hovered near the hilt at his side, but he did not draw.
For once, there was no lazy smile on his face. His eyes moved from the shrine to Xu Yang. "It noticed him," he said quietly. Qing Li stood slightly behind him, his silver hair moving as the faint pressure passed through the clearing. He tilted his head. "Curious," he murmured. "It wakes and chooses a cat." Xu Yang glanced at him for half a second. I know. You don't have to say that. I really wish I could pretend I don't understand... Qing Li caught the look and gave him the smallest smile. "Don't worry. I won't tell them."
Xu Yang's eyes narrowed. "That's not reassuring." Qing Li's smile faded as the shape inside the shrine shifted again. "I wasn't trying to reassure you." Yan Luo's hand finally closed around his sword hilt. He did not pull it free. "Both of you," he said quietly. "Enough." Qing Li raised one hand. "I am being quiet." Yan Luo looked at him. "For once." Qing Li gave him an offended look but said nothing. Shen Lian stepped forward. She moved between the villagers and the shrine, placing herself directly in the path of whatever was inside. "You've slept long enough," she said calmly. "This place is not yours to reclaim."
The eyes did not move from Xu Yang. The shape inside the dust slowly lifted its head. Then it exhaled again. This time, everyone heard it. A cold breath moved through the clearing. Several villagers gasped and covered their mouths. One lantern went out. Another shook so badly in the man's hand that the flame nearly died. The smell reached them a moment later. Old incense. Wet stone. And something faintly metallic, like the smell left on iron after blood has dried. "What is that smell?" someone whispered. "Don't speak." another villager answered quickly.
Xu Yang's claws sank deeper into the soil. The smell reached Xu Yang, and suddenly a scene flashed through his mind. He saw snow everywhere. He was standing there, but his body would not move. A tall figure stood in front of him. He could not see its face, but he could feel it looking at him. Then pain shot through his chest. For a moment, he saw a strange mark glowing on his skin. A voice came from somewhere far away, but he could not understand the words. Then the scene disappeared. Xu Yang blinked and found himself back in the shrine. His claws were still pressed into the soil. What was that...
It's not time for this...Not here. Not in front of her...She just needs an excuse to stare at me...Xu Yang slowly lifted his eyes. Shen Lian's gaze had already moved toward him for a second. He immediately looked away. Great. She noticed...Shen Lian turned back toward the shrine. "You are bound." she continued. "The seal remains. Return to stillness." Her voice stayed calm, but her fingers slowly tightened at her side. The eyes finally moved. They shifted from Xu Yang to Yan Luo. Yan Luo's expression hardened. "Don't!" he said quietly.
The eyes moved again. This time toward Qing Li. Qing Li's tail stopped moving. His usual smile disappeared completely. "That is rude." he murmured. "At least pretend I'm interesting." Yan Luo glanced at him. "Not now." Qing Li's eyes remained fixed on the shrine. "I know." The eyes turned again. Slowly. Inevitably. Back to Xu Yang. Xu Yang's body went stiff. He could feel Shen Lian watching him from the corner of her eye. He wanted to move. He wanted to hide behind Yan Luo. He wanted to turn into an ordinary cat and disappear under someone's bed. Instead, he stayed where he was.
The thing inside the shrine took one slow step forward. Dust slid from its body and fell onto the stone. Yan Luo's grip tightened around his sword. "If it's bound," he said quietly, "it shouldn't be able to look." Qing Li's tail flicked once behind him, betraying agitation he would never admit aloud. "If it can look," he replied just as softly, "the seal is already broken."Shen Lian took another step forward. "Do not test me," she said. Her fingers tightened around the compass, and her voice became lower. "Whatever this is..."
The bell rope suddenly jerked by itself. Shen Lian stopped for a second, then took another step. "I will uncover the truth." The ground shook lightly under her feet, but she did not move back. "No matter how deep it was buried." She raised the compass slightly. "And I will not let it go. Not again." The shape inside the shrine moved. A rough scraping sound came from the darkness. Stone rubbed against stone. Dust fell from the broken roof and covered the steps. Then something slowly appeared through the dust. A hand. It was pale and thin, but it did not look fully human. The fingers were too long, and the joints bent in strange ways. Thin lines covered the skin like old marks. The fingers touched the broken doorframe. The wood cracked under them. One piece broke off and fell to the ground.
A villager shouted and stepped back. "It's coming out!" another man shouted. "Run!" Someone quickly grabbed his arm. "Don't run!" he whispered. "You'll make it notice us!" The hand tightened around the wood. More cracks spread across the doorframe. Xu Yang stayed completely still. If I run now, it will follow. ... He knew it without knowing why. His ears pressed back against his head. Just stay where you are. ...The hand slowly pulled back into the darkness. The shape did not come outside. The two eyes stayed there for another moment, then became dimmer, as if something had covered them. No one moved.
A child started crying again. His mother quickly pulled him close. "Please..." she whispered. "Don't cry. Please." Then the bell rang. But it did not come from the bell tower. The sound came from inside the shrine. One deep note shook the whole clearing. Several villagers covered their ears. One man dropped to his knees. "That came from inside..." he whispered. "There is no bell in there." Xu Yang's vision suddenly became blurry. The village disappeared. For one second, he was somewhere else. He stood inside a huge hall. Tall pillars stood around him, covered in strange marks. He somehow knew they were judging something, but he did not know what. At the far end stood a figure in bright robes. Its face was hidden.
Xu Yang tried to move, but his body would not move. Then the vision disappeared. He staggered slightly and quickly lowered himself before anyone could notice. To the villagers, he was still only a cat shifting his paws. But Shen Lian saw him. Her eyes narrowed. Yan Luo noticed too. He took half a step forward and stood between Xu Yang and the shrine. "You're done." he said to the darkness, his voice low and firm. "Go back to sleep." The eyes inside the shrine suddenly became brighter.
For a moment, the pressure in the clearing became so heavy that several villagers struggled to breathe. "I can't breathe..." one man gasped. Another dropped his lantern and grabbed his chest. Qing Li's hand quickly caught Yan Luo's sleeve. "Don't provoke it," he murmured. Yan Luo did not look at him. "It already knows we're here." "That's exactly why you shouldn't provoke it." Qing Li kept his eyes on the shrine. "It's deciding." Yan Luo finally looked at him. "Deciding what?" Qing Li's eyes slowly moved toward Xu Yang. "Whether to remember." he said.
Xu Yang's stomach dropped. He quickly lifted one paw and started grooming it, trying to look bored. His tongue moved slowly over his fur even though his body was tense. If it remembers, Heaven will notice.If Heaven notices, the correction will come sooner... Don't react. Just look like a cat... Shen Lian watched him for a moment. Then she slowly raised her hand. "Enough for now." she said. A soft pink light appeared around her fingers. Tiny pink sparks moved through the air and gathered around her palm. The villagers stepped back as the light grew brighter. "What is she doing?" someone whispered. "I don't know." another answered. "Just stay behind her." Shen Lian moved her hand down.
The pink light spread across the ground like a thin net. The earth shook and the eyes inside the shrine flickered once. Then again and pressure suddenly became weaker. A villager let out a shaky breath. "It's gone..." Another quickly shook his head. "Don't say that." The hand did not come out again. The shape moved back into the darkness. The dust slowly settled. And the shrine, broken doors hanging like a split jaw, became silent. Xu Yang watched it. Silence did not mean defeat. It meant postponement... Shen Lian lowered her hand. For a long moment, she stood still, listening to something none of the others could hear. Then she turned to xu yang. "You're a very strange cat." she said softly. Xu Yang blinked up at her. Xu Yang's ears twitched once. Strange cat?That's not new information. That's just commentary... He kept his expression deliberately blank. At this point I've been called worse by more dangerous things.... She's still looking at me like I'm… something readable....He let his tail flick lazily, as if bored by the attention. Shen Lian smiled faintly. "So it understands me," she said.
Xu Yang paused. I understand words ...Not whatever conclusion you're arriving at... Her smile didn't fade. Xu Yang froze for half a beat. Shen Lian tilted her head slightly. Behind her, the shrine creaked not with movement with breath. That night, no one in the village slept. Doors remained barred. Lanterns burned until dawn. Parents kept children close, whispering prayers to gods they had not spoken to in years. The elders argued in hushed voices about whether to abandon the place their ancestors had built. Fear had found a home.
Xu Yang sat on the roof beam above the main hall, tail curled around his paws, watching the lantern light tremble below. Yan Luo leaned against the outer wall, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the dark line of the forest. Qing Li sat beside him and sighed. "Well, that was inconvenient." Yan Luo shot him a flat look. "You call an ancient bound thing trying to remember the world inconvenient?" Qing Li's lips curved faintly. "I prefer understatement. It helps me cope." Yan Luo's gaze flicked upward, to where Xu Yang sat in shadow. "It looked at him." Qing Li nodded."It knew him." Yan Luo's jaw tightened. "Why?" Qing Li's eyes reflected lantern light, gold and unreadable. "That," he said, "is the question that will get us all killed."
On the roof, Xu Yang closed his eyes. Below, Shen Lian stepped out into the courtyard, alone. She looked up at the roof beam where a black cat pretended to sleep. "You don't belong to this life." she murmured, too quiet for human ears. Xu Yang's eyes opened. " What is she doing now?Can't I sleep now?... What she meant by "You don't belong to this life?"...What she knows about me?...