Droplets of dew cuddle within the slightly cupped leaves of an elm tree, perfectly balanced and unmoving. A gentle breeze, untouched by the warmth of the sun, shifts the balance as it passes by, sending the dew sliding off the leaves and onto the sundered earth beneath.
In the grand continent, everyone knows that rumors travel fast. A particular rumor regarding the night before proves this to be true, spreading faster than any before it. With the light of dawn guiding their steps, people begin to pour through the town to confirm the rumor with their own eyes.
A party of three men wearing simple clothes keeps their gazes low, hidden beneath the shadows of their round woven hats, as they make their way north through the damp soil. Upon seeing the wall of spectators in the distance, they hasten their steps towards the crowd.
“Hey! Watch it!” A spectator exclaims as the three men shove him aside.
Standing in front of the crowd, their hearts pause at the sight of the impossible destruction before them. Instead of the lush green valley that many are familiar with, they are greeted with the sight of a dark and seemingly bottomless rupture. The massive abyss spans from the western edge of the valley all the way to the eastern edge, separating the once connected sea of green known as the Viridian Valley.
Recovering from the initial shock, they focus their gaze towards the center of the rupture. A small island, housing an elm tree, remains intact amidst the destruction. One of the men squints his eyes, trying to identify the object lodged within the trunk of the tree. His heart begins to race as thin rays of light pass through the leaves, illuminating parts of the object.
He bends his knees and kicks forth, blurring as he gaps the divide between him and the island in a single leap. Upon landing, a feeling of uneasiness sweeps over him as he confirms the worst-case scenario. The other two land beside him, feeling the same uneasiness upon setting eyes on the sheath embedded in the tree.
“They failed…” One of them mutters. “Just who are we up against? Who could possi-”
“That’s not important right now.” The man in front cuts his subordinate off as he steps towards the sheath. He lifts his hand and wraps his fingers around the sheath, preparing to yank it from the tree. “We need to report back to the Order. Now.”
“The Order? And here I thought you were rats of the Blood Moon Sect.”
All three men feel a cold chill shoot down their spines upon hearing the unfamiliar voice. Their hands snap towards the handles of their swords, drawing them towards the voice behind them.
“Woah! Take it easy.” The owner of the voice lifts his open palms to express his surrender. “I’m just a simple coachman.”
“Who are you?!” One of the men screams as he hovers the tip of his blade before the unidentified man.
The two parties stare at each other, neither wanting to make the first move. The coachman’s eyes drift towards his nose, glancing at the tip of the blade centimeters from his face. His gaze trails the blade towards the man’s arm, noting the layer of black clothes beneath his simple robe. Meanwhile, the three men wearing straw hats scan the coachman’s body, looking for clues to reveal his affiliation. Upon seeing the Academy emblem stitching on his chest, the three men lift their swords and strike towards the coachman’s neck.
As the blades tear through the brisk morning air, the coachman’s lips curl into a smile. His aura-infused palm blurs as it weaves through the openings between the three blades, aiming straight for the hands wielding them. The three men wince in unison as their sword hands separate from their arms. As they open their mouths to scream, three swift strikes to the back of their necks cause their eyes to roll backward, snuffing out the screams before they even escape their chests.
Stolen novel; please report.
[https://i.ibb.co/R36t1Vr/Swordand-Crownseparator.png]
At the top of the Resting Crane Tree, in an area reserved for only the most honored and important figures of the grand continent, a man sits cross-legged at the edge of the luxurious balcony. Beneath him, a mixture of mud and blood stain the balcony's wood, remnants from the events that transpired the night before. The first rays of dawn peek above the horizon, painting Jing City in hues of gold and marking the end of that tumultuous night.
His lashes flutter against the brisk breeze as he opens his eyes, hoping to hear good news.
“How are they?” He inquires upon hearing the set of footsteps behind him, his tone a mix of concern and anticipation.
“Stable.” The lady replies as she steps onto the balcony before seating herself beside him, ignoring the puddle of mud and blood. “How are you?”
“Anning… How is she?” The man ignores the lady’s question, posing another of his own.
“It’s complicated…” Her voice trails off as she tries to make sense of Anning’s physical state. “Her aura is erratic, constantly bleeding dry only to be replenished immediately after. Somewhere around the third or fourth cycle… her body was completely healed. Every cut, every torn muscle, every broken bone- all of it, completely healed.”
“Thank you, Lianyi. She’ll be fine then?”
“That’s the complicated part.” Lianyi sighs, unsure how to explain the next part. “She’s fine for now, the pill is helping stabilize the Azure Glimmerroot aura within her, but… the effects won’t last forever. Three or four days at most. If she doesn’t wake before then to circulate the aura out of her body… it will likely tear her apart from the inside out.”
“Can’t we get more?” Sun asks with furrowed brows, feeling increasingly worried about the tone in Lianyi’s voice.
“Sun.” Her voice trembles slightly, hesitating to tell him the bad news. She takes a deep breath before continuing. “That pill- it’s the first and only of its kind… It’s not even a direct cure for her condition. All it’s doing is stabilizing her aura to contain the Azure Glimmerroot. Once the effects wear off and her aura falls dormant… I d-”
“You can just make it… Right?”
“I can tr- I-” Lianyi stutters, unconfident in her abilities based on recent attempts. “I don’t know…”
The man sighs, lifting his eyes towards the clear sky above.
“Sun, it’s not your fault.” The lady places her hands onto the back of his fist, trying to comfort his troubled eyes. “Whatever happened- none of it matters anymore. All that matters is that they’re safe. Everyone is safe thanks to you.”
Sun breaks his eyes from the tranquil blues, turning his head to meet Lianyi’s gaze. Her pale glazy eyes reflect the sky behind him, a silent plea for a solution from the Heavens. He had seen this gaze once before when Yuyu fell ill. Seeing it now once again, he is suddenly reminded of a soothing voice.
“Things happen… Just keep it together. This is the Mister that Yuyu needs you to be.”
Her voice washes the wrinkle from between his brows, bringing his lips curling into a soft smile.
“Thank you, Lianyi.” Sun says as he softens the fist beneath her hands, turning his palm upwards to meet her slender fingers. “Thanks to you, everyone will be okay.”
Sun rises to his feet, gently lifting Lianyi’s hands up along with him. As she stands beside him, Lianyi suddenly realizes how gentle his eyes are- a drastic difference from the terrifying gaze she saw two nights ago. As he places his hands on her shoulders, she realizes that it’s not just his eyes that changed- but his entire existence. A different aura. A different presence.
“Anning will be okay because of you.”
Hearing his voice, Lianyi suddenly feels as if his words were decrees from the Heavens. It almost seems as if his words were declaring war against fate, refusing to accept anything less than what he demands. And right now, he demands that doubt leave her so she can do her part to save Anning.
“I can’t do much, but I will do everything I can to support you.”
A soft smile sweeps across her face as her doubts leave her.
“For Anning.” Sun declares as he lifts his hand from her shoulder.
Lianyi smiles, laughing internally at the strange sight before her. The man who stands at the pinnacle–an existence straight from the stories she heard as a kid–is extending his pinky towards her. Although it was a childish gesture, Lianyi feels that it strangely fits him quite well. Without any further hesitation, she extends her pinky and hooks it around his.
“For Anning."