Heaven felt different.
Colder.
Quieter.
Lin Mo stood at the edge of the celestial platform, his white robes moving gently with the wind that carried no warmth.
Everything looked the same.
The sky.
The light.
The endless stillness.
And yet
Something had changed.
Or maybe,
He had.
"…You're distracted."
The voice came from behind him.
Lin Mo didn't turn immediately.
"I'm fine."
"…You don't look fine."
A pause.
"…And you don't feel fine either."
That made Lin Mo shift slightly.
Slowly
He turned.
One of the heavenly officials stood a few steps away, his gaze sharp, observant.
Watching too closely.
"…You're imagining things," Lin Mo said calmly.
"…Am I?"
Silence.
The official took a step closer.
"There was a disturbance in the lower realm."
Lin Mo's expression didn't change.
"I handled it."
"…Did you?"
A pause.
"…Because what we sensed wasn't just corrupted energy."
Lin Mo said nothing.
The air between them tightened.
"…It felt like something else."
The official's gaze sharpened.
"Something… darker."
Still
Lin Mo didn't respond.
Because he knew exactly what they had felt.
And he also knew
He couldn't say it.
"…If you're hiding something"
"I'm not."
The answer came immediately.
Too quickly.
Even he noticed it.
A brief silence followed.
"…Be careful, Lin Mo."
The tone shifted slightly.
Not just suspicion,
But warning.
"Heaven does not tolerate… irregularities."
The word lingered.
Heavy.
Lin Mo held his gaze.
"I understand."
But did he?
The official studied him for a moment longer.
Then finally stepped back.
"…See that you do."
And just like that
He was gone.
The space felt emptier.
Quieter.
But not peaceful.
Lin Mo exhaled slowly.
His hand moved slightly
Unconsciously
Touching the place where the wound had been.
It had healed.
Almost completely.
But
The memory hadn't.
"…You're still here."
The words slipped out softly.
Barely audible.
But they weren't meant for anyone in Heaven.
Far below,
Hidden beyond sight,
A shadow shifted.
Watching.
Mo Ran stood in silence, his gaze fixed on the figure above.
He hadn't left.
Not since bringing him back.
Not even for a moment.
"…You went back anyway."
His voice was low.
Unamused.
But there was something else beneath it.
Something quieter.
Something he refused to name.
"…You really don't listen."
His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Lin Mo stand there,
Untouched by the world around him.
Too calm.
Too distant.
"…You look like you belong there."
A pause.
"…But you don't."
The darkness around him shifted faintly, responding to the thought.
Restless.
Unsettled.
For a moment
He considered leaving.
Turning away.
Letting the distance stay.
But.
He didn't.
Instead
He stayed where he was.
Watching.
Waiting.
Above
Lin Mo closed his eyes briefly.
And for a second,
He felt it.
That presence.
Familiar.
Close.
Too close.
His eyes opened again.
But there was nothing.
Only light.
Only silence.
"…You're still here," he whispered again.
This time
There was no doubt in his voice.
Below,
Mo Ran stilled.
For just a moment.
"…You can feel me?"
The question was quiet.
Almost surprised.
But Lin Mo couldn't hear him.
And yet
He didn't move.
Didn't step away.
Didn't deny it.
The distance between them remained.
Worlds apart.
And still
Connected.
Unseen.
Unspoken.
Unbroken.
Mo Ran's gaze softened
Just slightly.
"…Don't disappear again."
The words were quieter this time.
Almost a whisper.
But they carried the same weight.
The same fear.
The same truth.
And far above
Lin Mo stood in silence.
As if
He had heard it.
To be continued… 🖤🔥