The nights at Sky Abyss Sect were always quiet—but tonight, a strange kind of peace lingered in the training courtyard. Moonlight spilled across the stone tiles like flowing silver. The stars above shimmered faintly, mirroring the glint in Lin Qingxue's eyes.
An Yun sat cross-legged, shirt stained with sweat and minor blood from sparring. Across from him, Qingxue silently wiped her sword, her expression unreadable.
They had been training like this for nearly two weeks now. No words beyond technique, no emotion beyond discipline. But tonight felt different.
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A Pause in the Storm
She suddenly spoke.
> "You don't use a sword."
An Yun opened one eye. "Not yet."
> "Then why learn mine?"
He smirked. "You're beautiful when you move. The sword listens to you. I want to know how that works."
She looked away. "Always with the clever lines."
He leaned back, gazing at the moon.
> "You ever wonder… what your life would be like if you weren't born into a sect elder's family?"
Her fingers tightened around her sheath slightly. "All the time."
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Opening Up
She was quiet for a moment. Then, softly:
> "My mother wasn't from a sect. She was a healer. A mortal."
An Yun sat up a little.
> "She died when I was seven. Poisoned… by someone who didn't like her presence near my father."
> "They said she was weak. That she 'dirtied the bloodline.'"
He watched her eyes—not icy now, but distant. Clouded by old pain.
> "I remember… her smile when she gave me my first wooden sword. I still have it."
She paused.
> "She taught me to care before I was taught to kill."
An Yun didn't respond for a long time. Then he said quietly:
> "My mother died screaming."
Her eyes widened slightly.
> "My father covered me with his blood to make them think I was already dead. I was seven too."
Qingxue didn't move. Didn't breathe.
> "I remember her holding my face… even as the flames reached the walls."
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Two Souls Under Moonlight
The silence stretched.
Then, slowly, Qingxue reached into her pouch and pulled out a small, wooden charm. A delicate carving of a lotus flower.
> "She made this for me. When I feel cold… I hold it."
She hesitated, then offered it to him.
> "Not forever. Just for tonight."
An Yun took it in both hands, as if it were made of glass. The air between them changed—no longer cold, no longer sharp.
> "Your mother… must've been kind."
> "She was everything the sect isn't," Qingxue whispered.
He looked up at her, really looked.
> "You're not like them."
She smiled—just a little.
> "Neither are you."
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