Third party’s PoV

  The world seems to have slowed down to a crawl. The screams, the panic, the running. Everything felt sluggish, dull. Numb.

  Even her.

  There, over the bleachers. She could still make out the traces of the KI used in those talismans. The way it made the Mystical winds between Heaven and Earth, the Everflow, ripple. As if something had been plucked and ripped away only to be thrown somewhere else.

  This was how she felt. Except that it was to her heart.

  The world stayed like that for a long while.

  The sharp sound of clawed feet hitting stones didn’t manage to pull her out of this state of fugue she found herself in.

  { We knew this would have happened. Sooner or later.} A clawed hand rested on her shoulder. It didn’t push or pull at her, nor did it shake Lu Huan. It was there, a gentle and kind reminder.

  Of who she is, who she was. She could feel them bubbling from the place the hand touched; the rage, the grief, and loathing. Yet all of them had an undertone of sheer and fathomless terror.

  As if one witnessed a prophecy that had inevitably taken place.

  Lu Huan’s mind focused back. The feelings that came from her were reflecting her own.

  Oh, how she would have, once upon a time, craved for a moment like this. How she had feared it all the same.

  Yet here it was. Free and unfettered. Wild and unstoppable, running through her body like a herd of wild horses, trampling everything in their path.

  Yet. This present is different from what she had envisioned so many times. No matter how much she guessed how things would have happened. No matter how much her fear had whispered to her it would always be the same.

  How her mind had turned itself against her, whispering self-proclaimed truth to her mind. Making her think, and believing into potential futures that had, once, made so much sense.

  Yet, no matter how much it felt true. Nothing could ever predict the future. If venerable, arch painters and even gods aren’t able of such a feat, why would her own mind be able to?

  ‘ She was making too many waves…’ She let the thought out, to the only person she could converse with at any time.

  { That she did. } The response was much like hers, slow, and determined. With a veneer of composure to hide the rest behind. The wrathful murderous intent, the sorrowful agony, the self-harming loathing. All of it was there. Alongside a dull and overwhelming sense of fatigue.

  She turned around, the whole world around them still going at a snail’s crawl. The creature, once a simple inner demon, now something more, stood there. Black tears running down on a mask of rage, hair flying in all directions like a ghost.

  Yet there was kindness and understanding in the being’s touch and eyes.

  { Things could have been different. } The voice was soft and kind, and just like her mask: true.

  ‘ Indeed. They could have been. Yet, it would have never happened, not like this. ’ Lu Huan put her hand on her, touching it with affection and remorse.

  { And yet, we would have not been hurt, our heart would still be here, with us.}

  ‘ Perhaps, perhaps not. Our heart may just as well never have become ours.’

  { That is false. You… No. I would have once fought you, arguing with everything you would have presented me with. But that time is gone. And you’ve seen to it.} The two looked at each other, anger and disgust waned for a moment.

  The exchange was silent, even between them.

  ‘ Do you regret it?’ Lu Huan took the hand that rested on her shoulder and gripped it with hers, rubbing her thump on its back.

  A sneer cracked the mask of rage.

  { You are devious and cruel to ask me such a question. Would a man dying in a desert hate the devil coming with water and fire in each hand?}

  ‘ I had good mentors.’ The idiotic grin that was plastered on her face soon disappeared when the other rolled her eyes.

  { I know. We know. Yet nothing changes. You’ve given me a taste for things my kind has been barred from. Beings of might, of tyranny and suffering; shown tenderness, empathy, and understanding. If our heart is mad, then you are a lunatic to go along with her plans.} She scoffs, freeing herself of Lu Huan’s grip. Yet the outburst quickly morphed into something else.

  A smile drew itself on her visage, showing her serrated white fangs in all their glory.

  ‘ Then?’ She kept looking at her, the same intensity in her eyes, yet it was just a calm and gentle as before.

  { I regret nothing, you damn devil.} This time, it was Lu Huan’s turn to smile. She had never been one for such things, even if she once had before her masters of this vile craft.

  ‘ Then we make quite the pair, don’t you think, Demon? ‘ She extended her hand to the being, open palm up. And waited.

  The Inner Demon looked at the offered limb, a brow raised in wonder at what would happen.

  { This is it then? You take me back in, dissolve me for what I am, and absorb whatever power you can to go and save Iulia?} She lifts her own hand, examining herself one last time, before moving on to seal the deal.

  ‘ Even if that was the case, I am afraid I would still be too weak to save our heart, wherever she is now.’ The mask that had once plagued the former slave and member of the Blood Demon Cult turned renegade broke into a radiant smile.

  A surprise to both of them, yet one met with laughter and grace unlike the prior one.

  { Then what?} She took the hand, firmly gripping it, her mind already made.

  ‘ The two of us, according to our heart, are one and the same. Yet, in the short time since we became two, we grew in our own way, separate. Independent.’

  { But the link is still there.} The disheveled one tilted her head, feeling a familiar tug on the core of her being toward the person in front of her.

  ‘ Yes, it is. But to erase you doesn’t sit well with me. You are part of who I was, just like I am now. And just like from nothing came one.’ The calm one’s smile changed from one of warmth to that of a tyrannical daredevil.

  { From one came two… We… You... Heheheheh} The Demon’s face changed with understanding to sheer and unadulterated laughter, ecstatic and crazed as her eyes began to shine with the same brand of madness as the other’s did.

  { HAHAHAHAH! You! And to think I wanted to corrupt your soul and take everything over. Nay, This is better than I could have thought before… Almost as if… you took…} The Demonic side’s eyes grew wide before snarling in joyful surprise.

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  ‘ You feed on me, and I grew off of you. It seems only fair. What do you think, sister?’ The heavenly side smiled, joining her hand to the other grasping her other half’s.

  { Sister…? I… I like that. Yes, let us offend the heaven themselves. Let us overturn the earthly realm for having ripped our heart away from us my dear sister...} The snarl grew wider as a childlike glee animated the Demon.

  ‘ Yes. But one thing at a time my dear sister. The heavens rage at our choice, look above and see their paltry tribulation.’ The tyrannical composure of the heavenly one remains as she looks up. The wild display of emotion of the insidious counterpart dimmed only to ignite once more when she saw the dark clouds.

  { They dare, don’t they sister? So easily offended, I hope their bite is much worse than their bark.}

  ‘ Yes. I hope they put up a fight. No matter what they do, we will trample these heavens who dare stand in our way. Cast them down onto the red dust of the mortal realm. But for now, we must grow sister.’ A predatory smile tugged a her lips as the two of them looked up.

  { Let’s feed on these pathetic attempts at our lives, dear sister. Our heart beats and awaits our arrival. So let us not make her wait.}

  On the outside, the explosion ceased. But the panic of a disoriented crowd only grew when the dark clouds rippling with lightning gathered above the arena.

  < Get the mortals out of here! Quick! The Clouds of tribulation are growing stronger with every moment! > The Elder of Mount Hua barked orders as her heart was stabbed with guilt at what had happened. She had been at the detonation sites when she saw what had happened. No matter how fast her footwork technique could make her move, this whole thing reeked of a planned and orchestrated attack. The timing of every explosion made to pull her, and everyone at her level of ability away from the arena for them to extradite themselves.

  She still remembers the direction in which that rough spatial technique displaced them.

  < Elder Wenrou! We’ve safely brough the injured civilians to the Jade Flower’s Clinic. What are your next orders?> A squad wearing similar tunics to her own appeared out of thin air, or rather at a slow pace to the woman’s sense, their clothes dirty and covered with blood and dust.

  < I want you all the help empty the arena before making sure the town lord and their family are safe. They weren’t the goal of this attack, but we can’t be too sure.>

  < At once!> They disappear the same way they arrived. Picking off civilians and bringing them far from the stone arena. The clouds of tribulation lightning growing fiercer still.

  < Do I disperse them or not? I already lost one of them today…> She mutters as she steps on and through the air as if she were a plum blossom carried in the wind, wild and unpredictable, before landing at the stone-still woman that had somehow caught Heaven’s gaze and subsequent anger.

  < Lu Huan?> She couldn’t feel anything from the woman. It was as if a corpse had taken her place. No fluctuation whatsoever, not in her heartbeat, breathing, or even in her KI.

  < Yes, it is us. We are still here.> The voice that answered was the same too, calm and serene. Too much so for what had happened. And she knew how much the woman had cared for Iulia since they had first met.

  < Us?> The question tasted wrong on her lips, something that made her hair rise on her neck.

  < We have come to an agreement.> Lu Huan turned around and faced her. Her face was at peace, yet her eyes showed a whole other truth.

  Wrath and cruelty into one, while the other glowed with a staunch and determined desire for vengeance.

  < Only as a whole can we be enough to save our heart, our Iulia. So we made peace. Now leave us, the heavens rage at us for our arrogance. And we desire to strip them of their might to fuel our goal.> The being once known as Lu Huan sat cross-legged, their spear laying across their lap.

  < Worry not about us, we are her. Forgiven and accepted. Desiring to be one once more.> They gave her a last look, a smile of acknowledgment and apology was all she could read on their face.

  < Fine, I will give you this opportunity then. Don’t squander it.>

  < We won’t, our heart calls and we will answer.>

  Lu Huan’s PoV?

  Time had begun feeling weird when the first lightning bolt hit us, my demonic half, whom I left control of our body due to the demonic physique we had developed so long ago, was still asleep. Having taken the first half of our tribulation before tagging out.

  And now, I am not quite sure where we are. Opening my eyes, I can see a foreign ceiling above, a scent of plum blossoms in the air. That somehow did give me a hint of where we are.

  As I was to sit up, a hand appeared to the side to force me to stay down.

  < You are still badly wounded. Even with that body of yours, I still wouldn’t recommend getting up at the moment.>

  Looking to my right, I can see Elder Wenrou looking at me with soft eyes, with something else shining through, something that disgusts me. No, us.

  < Do not pity us, woman. If you care about our plight, then be sad. But show us pity once more, and I will rip your lips from your face.> My sister, who had been asleep up until now awoke the moment she felt my own emotional fluctuation. Taking my place in our body and lashing out with a very fierce contempt.

  < Ah. Yes, my apologies. It wasn’t my intent to rub your loss in, nor was it to make you feel lesser than you are.> She pulls back her arm only to gawk as my sister is directly making us of our Eternal Demon rebirth physique, mending everything back in working order, making us stronger along the way.

  ‘ Hey, let me do the speaking for now.’ I poke at our body's forehead, getting an annoyed eye roll followed by a nod.

  < While my sister can be harsh with her words. I advise you to not do it again, especially since you were supposed to maintain the safety of the event. Of which you failed in quite a spectacular way.> The woman's face stiffened in a bemused look.

  < I think I preferred your… “Sister’s “ way with words. But I understand, I failed you. And therefore the entirety of Mount Hua as well, and thus we owe you a debt. A debt we are already working on repaying, we have found individuals who have been made aware of this attack. And have already started questioning them. We are also working with Fengshou’s town Lord and his spies, trying to locate where exactly to the north that spatial technique took them.>

  She had produced a parchment paper, on it was a list of names, some crossed, others circled. Giving it to me. Before lifting a bag from the floor.

  < When you collapsed after successfully attaining the core sublimation stage, we had come to a decision that Fengshou town wasn’t safe enough to protect you. And so we’ve moved you, alongside all of Iulia’s and your possession to our sect on Mount Hua itself. But since we arrived one week ago, this bag had started rocking back and forth. We didn’t open it, for fear that it was something painter Iulia had trapped with one of her hexes.> I recognized the bag in an instant. This was where Iulia was storing the crystal ball that contained her tree home.

  Opening the bag, I could the reason. it was indeed the crystal sphere with the miniature tree home and garden. Except this time, a familiar shape made of sunlight was hitting the crystalline membrane of the globe.

  Repeating what I did nearly a month ago, I touched the mystical object with my KI, my surroundings flashing around me as I got pulled into the globe.

  { FINALY! A WEEK! A WHOLE FUCKING WEEK! I spent a whole week bashing my head on this containment sphere. I may be a spirit, but hitting things that are magic still hurts.

  < Capash? What—> Before I could say anything I felt the presence of the other people appearing at my side.

  One of them made sense, that being Elder Wenrou. The other not so much.

  < Sister?>

  < What are you doing here?>

  { Lu Huan?}

  < Yes?> < Yes?> We both answer as we turn to face the large rodent made of light.

  He looked at us and took a deep breath despite not needing to, before sighing.

  { Great, there are two of them now…}

  Shaking his head, he looked at us with narrowed eyes.

  { Hey, you there. I do not know who you are, but you are really rude with your shitty aura management. And stop poking around, you weren’t invited here, so don’t go damning your soul over some pretty flowers} he points his limb at the Elder, who looks at him as she is crouched over a peculiar purple flower in the garden to the side of the tree home.

  < So, Capash… Why were you knocking—> < Beating!> < Right you are sister. Why were you beating on the crystal wall?> We sit down as my demonic half hides behind me, her last interaction with the rodent spirit of light and nature being less than ideal.

  { That’s because of Iulia.} The words caught the attention of the three of us.

  < Go on.> My sister says as she moves up to be at my side. Glaring at the spirit with her black eyes and red irises. Her clawed hand held onto mine tight.

  { She is alive. That much is certain. Being bound to her by a pact of allyship allows me that much. I can also tell where she is, and also how she is. And that’s where the issue is. Iulia did something. Something extreme like she has the bad habit of doing.}

  < What did she do?> Ask the elder as she sits at our side cross-legged, her eyes scanning the spirit with intense curiosity. I could feel that if we weren’t speaking about Iulia and safety, she would have probably jumped on him to try observing him and how his kind works.

  { I had given her the advice of embracing the connection that was created upon receiving those rebounds she kept.}

  < You mean the eyes, huge mane of quills-like hair, and wolf features?> I ask, to Elder Wenrou's puzzled gaze.

  < You mean she wasn’t like that, to begin with…?>

  {No, she wasn’t. Seriously, who are you? No matter, if they don’t have a problem with you being here, I won’t argue. Iulia, instead of going at it gradually decided to jump through the “gate” so to say. Connecting directly with the thing on the other side. I do not know what made her do something that drastic, but all I can say is that she is alive for now. Changed, but alive.}