The fire had long since died down.
Dawn crept into the broken temple like a hesitant guest, touching the stone floor with pale fingers, sliding across the faded walls, and finally reaching the tangled robes on the ground.
Lin Xiyan stirred beneath the worn blanket. His body ached, not unpleasantly, but his heart—
His heart felt like it had walked through fire.
He turned his head.
Shen Liufeng sat nearby, fully dressed, staring at the dying embers with an unreadable expression. The first light of day painted the side of his face with quiet melancholy.
"Couldn't sleep?" Lin asked softly.
Shen glanced over, his eyes softening. "Didn't want to wake you."
They both knew sleep had been light, broken by too many memories and unspoken words. The night between them had been tender, desperate, everything they'd denied themselves for years. But now—morning came with its own kind of silence.
Lin sat up slowly, pulling the blanket around his shoulders. His skin still bore faint red marks from Shen's kisses. He traced one absentmindedly.
"Do you regret it?" he asked.
The question hung in the cold air, fragile as frost.
Shen turned fully to face him. "No."
A pause.
"But I'm afraid."
Lin met his eyes. "Of what?"
"That this… is too late."
Lin looked down at his hands. "Then we'll take it slowly," he said. "Even if I've waited too long to forgive you, I haven't stopped missing you."
Shen reached out and gently took his hand. Their fingers laced together like they had seven years ago under the snow.
Before either could say more, a sudden creak sounded from outside.
Lin's gaze sharpened instantly. He was already halfway to his sword before he remembered—he hadn't brought it. It was still with Shen.
But Shen had already moved. In one fluid motion, he retrieved Lin's sword from a satchel, drawing it with reverence.
Lin froze.
"You kept it," he whispered.
Shen didn't look at him. He held the sword as if it were sacred. "Every day. Every battle. Every night I wanted to die, I looked at this sword and remembered why I couldn't."
Their eyes met again, and for a moment, Lin couldn't breathe.
Then—the sound again. Closer this time.
Shen stepped in front of him, body tense. "Someone's here."
Outside, the wind shifted.
A shadow passed the broken door.
And just like that, the peace of the night shattered.