Torches were lit throughout the village, their orange flames flickering in the breeze, illuminating the humble wooden huts and stone paths. Lin Ye stood by the wooden fence at the village entrance. The distant forest was pitch black—like a bottomless, silent sea.
Tomorrow morning, he would leave this place. Having grown up here, he had rarely ventured beyond the forest's edge; Blackstone Village was his entire world. But now, everything had changed.
Footsteps approached from behind. Lin Ye turned his head.
Su Li was walking toward him. The moonlight fell upon her, making her look like a serene painting. She wasn't wearing her combat cloak today, just a simple dark dress. The fabric clung to her form, tracing her long, well-proportioned lines. Her posture was straight and elegant, with a slender waist and sharp, clean shoulders—like a silent blade sheathed in its scabbard.
She stopped beside Lin Ye. "Can't sleep?" she asked softly.
Lin Ye gave a bitter smile. "I'm leaving tomorrow. It all feels... surreal."
Su Li looked toward the distant forest. The wind gently stirred her long hair, and her silver strands shimmered faintly under the moonlight. "The fates of many people change in an instant," she said.
Lin Ye turned to look at her. He had to admit: Su Li was truly beautiful. Her beauty wasn't of the fragile, delicate sort, but rather a cold, crystalline clarity. Her features were exquisite, and her eyes were deep and quiet, like the night sky. Yet, when she occasionally let a trace of a smile show, that coldness would suddenly soften.
Lin Ye suddenly found that he didn't quite dare to keep staring at her. He shifted his gaze away. "Why are you helping me?"
Su Li was silent for a moment before answering, "Because I have seen many users of the Forbidden Books."
Lin Ye frowned. "Then why help me specifically?"
Su Li turned to look him in the eyes. "Because you are different."
Lin Ye froze.
Su Li's voice was calm. "The first thing others do when they obtain power is use it. But you... you are afraid." She paused. "You are afraid that you will hurt people."
Lin Ye lowered his voice. "That's only because I haven't turned into a monster yet."
Su Li shook her head gently. "People who are truly destined to become monsters never think that way."
The air fell silent for a while. Lin Ye suddenly laughed. "You trust me that much?"
Su Li didn't answer immediately. She looked down at their shadows on the ground. In the torchlight, Lin Ye's shadow and hers gently overlapped.
"It's not trust," she said. "It's a gamble."
Lin Ye couldn't help but chuckle. "That's a pretty big stake you're playing with."
Su Li looked up at him, her eyes appearing exceptionally clear in the moonlight. "If you really do lose control," she said softly, "I will kill you with my own hands."
Lin Ye was stunned for a second, then his smile grew wider. "Why do you look so serious when you say things like that?"
Su Li also managed a faint smile. It was a slight movement, yet it was unforgettable.
Lin Ye suddenly felt that if the day ever came when he lost control... perhaps dying by her hand wouldn't be so bad. He quickly shook his head, driving the absurd thought from his mind.
"By the way," Lin Ye said suddenly. "Why are you coming with us?"
Su Li looked into the distance. "Because of the Forbidden Books. The Academy has always been researching them."
Lin Ye nodded. "So I'm a research subject?"
Su Li gave a light laugh. "If you wish to understand it that way, you can."
Lin Ye sighed. "That doesn't sound very pleasant."
Su Li suddenly turned, looking at him with deep sincerity. "But you are not alone."
Lin Ye blinked, startled.
Su Li continued, "Reg will take us to the Demon Hunter Fortress. There are many there who study the Forbidden Books. Perhaps we can find a way to control the power."
Her tone was calm, yet Lin Ye felt a strange sense of peace. It was as if, as long as she was there, things wouldn't be so bad.
The wind blew again. Lin Ye suddenly noticed that Su Li was standing very close to him—close enough that he could smell her faint scent. It wasn't the scent of flowers, but more like the smell of the forest and rainwater.
Lin Ye suddenly felt a bit nervous. He cleared his throat. "Um..."
Su Li looked at him. "Yes?"
Lin Ye suddenly didn't know what to say. In the end, he just scratched his head. "Nothing."
Su Li laughed softly, more noticeably than before. The moonlight bathed her face, making her look extraordinarily beautiful.
Lin Ye suddenly felt that leaving Blackstone Village might not be a bad thing. The world was vast, and he was only just beginning to see it.
Deep in the distant forest, a certain darkness was slowly stirring. But at this moment, there was only the sound of the wind at the village entrance, and two people standing quietly under the moon.
Neither of them knew that many years later, the moonlight of this night would become one of the most unforgettable memories they shared.