Location: Qin Estate – Inner City & Elder Council Grounds
Morning arrived, but peace did not.
The rumor spread faster than wildfire—whispered by servants, echoed by guards, and finally spoken aloud by disciples in the training grounds.
"The elders plan to seal the twins."
"Before the Void curse erupts."
"To protect the clan."
By noon, fear had taken root.
🌑 Fear Among the Disciples
At the outer training field, several Qin disciples halted their practice as Fenglan and Meiyue passed by. Some bowed stiffly. Others stepped back unconsciously.
One junior disciple whispered, not knowing Fenglan could hear:
"If they're sealed… maybe the estate will be safe again."
Fenglan stopped walking.
Meiyue felt his anger surge through the Void-Link—hot, sharp, restrained.
"Don't," she whispered. "Please."
He exhaled slowly and continued forward, but the damage was done. For the first time, Meiyue felt what it meant to be feared.
🌌 Elder Council Under Pressure
Inside the Elder Council chamber, the atmosphere was explosive.
Elder Qin Renshu stood rigid.
"The clan is panicking. We must act—temporarily seal the twins' Void-Link until stability returns."
Elder Lanying slammed her palm onto the table.
"Seal them and you confirm the rumors! You turn fear into truth!"
Qin Yong, the Qin family head, remained silent for a long time. His eyes were heavy with conflict.
"They are my children," he said at last.
"And the future of this clan."
But even he felt the pressure—fear from within was more dangerous than enemies outside.
🌠 Yaling's Gentle Poison
In the Lotus Pavilion, Shaw Yaling sat beside Meiyue, her voice low and concerned.
"I heard the elders met in secret last night."
"They discussed… sealing the Void-Link."
Meiyue's face paled.
"Father wouldn't do that."
Yaling sighed softly.
"Power frightens people. Even parents can be forced into terrible choices."
Her words were soft—but each one pressed against Meiyue's heart like a blade wrapped in silk.
🌑 Fenglan Acts Alone
That night, Fenglan slipped away from the estate, tracing the origin of the rumors. Using Echo Fracture Awareness, he followed spiritual disturbances through the city.
In a deserted alley, he found them.
Three figures cloaked in grey—Pei agents.
"Caught," one sneered.
The battle was brief but brutal. Void glyphs tore through the alley, collapsing space itself. When it ended, two agents lay unconscious. The third fled, leaving behind a broken Pei insignia.
Fenglan stared at it grimly.
"So it's you."
🌌 The Bond Strains
Back at the estate, Meiyue suddenly gasped, dropping to her knees.
Her chest burned.
"Fenglan… stop…"
She felt his rage, his violence, his isolation.
The Void-Link pulsed violently—the Second Void Wound flaring again.
Trust will either bind you… or tear you apart