Ruo Yan was quiet a while longer, then said slowly, "I once trusted an Awakened. I spent so much time crafting puppets for him, and I believed that if I just tried a little harder, sooner or later I could become useful. In the end, he only calculated how many resources I needed, how long it would take me to grow stronger, and concluded that keeping me was an investment not worth making."
Ruo Yan’s voice was very calm, but the hand holding the cloth had tightened.
"Laira is much stronger than me. She’s Ethan’s first Partner, and she’s been through things with him that I know nothing about. I know Ethan is different from the one before, and I know he’s never seen me as a burden... but sometimes a thought still crosses my mind."
Vesna turned to her.
Ruo Yan looked at the water’s surface, the corners of her lips pressing together. "What if one day he doesn’t need me anymore?"
"You’re still afraid of being left behind."
Ruo Yan didn’t answer.
The silence answered for her.
Right then, the two thin structures at Vesna’s temples suddenly trembled more intensely. The smile on her face disappeared, and her gaze turned distant, as though straining to hear something from very far away.
Ruo Yan noticed immediately. "Vesna?"
Vesna raised a hand, signaling her to wait.
A few seconds passed.
When the silver eyes refocused, Vesna slowly let out a breath. "It happened again."
"What did?"
"I don’t even know what to call it." Vesna frowned, her expression a mix of puzzlement and thought. "Lately, whenever I’m near you, I sometimes hear sounds that have never existed in this place. Very loud thunder, the sound of fire burning, and a gate... an enormous one. Behind it seems to be an entirely different sky."
Ruo Yan sat up straight.
Vesna looked at her, her voice dropping lower. "I don’t know if it’s the future, a possibility, or just something my ability creates on its own. But in those sounds, I heard you."
"Me?"
"Yes." Vesna nodded, her gaze resting on Ruo Yan’s face. "And I heard something else very clearly. You weren’t left behind."
Ruo Yan’s hand slowly loosened.
She looked at Vesna for a long time, as though trying to determine whether the other woman was just trying to comfort her.
But Vesna simply looked back with calm certainty.
Ruo Yan pressed her lips together, and in the end couldn’t help asking, "What about Laira?"
Vesna laughed softly.
"Also there."
Ruo Yan blinked. "Both of us?"
Vesna tilted her head, the thin wings at her temples fluttering again. "I’ve already said I don’t see the future. I only catch a few very vague things. But perhaps... the question was never about you or Laira having to leave."
Ruo Yan looked down at the cloth in her hands.
After a while, the corner of her mouth slowly curved upward.
’Maybe I’ve been overthinking.’
She dipped the cloth back into the water.
But this time, the tension in her eyes was gone.
...
Late that afternoon, Ethan sat on the porch of the small house.
The outer layer of the Primordial Armor on his left arm had been partially opened, revealing the dark purple lines still flickering on and off beneath. The Void Flame wasn’t flaring as badly as the night before, but the burning sensation still smoldered in the missing section of his hand.
Laira sat pressed close to his right.
One of her legs was nearly flush against Ethan’s thigh, her left hand resting on his shoulder, Solar Flame flowing gently from her palm to keep the Void Flame stable. Her other arm was wrapped around his waist, her whole body leaning into him as if that spot had always belonged to her.
She studied his complexion and narrowed her eyes. "How bad is the pain?"
"Not much."
"I asked how much."
Ethan thought for a moment. "Three out of ten."
Laira looked at him with undisguised skepticism. "I’d say at least five. You’re lowballing it again."
"Then why bother asking me?"
"To see whether my man will be good and tell the truth."
Laira spoke while leaning her head against his shoulder, the arm around his waist squeezing a little tighter.
Right then, Ruo Yan walked over from the narrow path.
She looked at the two of them practically glued together, but this time her steps didn’t slow at all.
Ruo Yan sat down directly on Ethan’s left.
Close enough that her thigh touched his, her shoulder leaning fully against his arm.
Ethan turned to look.
Ruo Yan immediately raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing. You just seem a bit different today."
"Different how?"
Before Ethan could answer, Ruo Yan had already taken hold of his left arm on her own. Her fingers traced lightly over the Primordial Armor, her gaze shifting to the dark purple lines beneath. "Does it still hurt?"
"A little."
Ruo Yan frowned at once. "Yesterday you also said ’a little,’ and then it got so bad your right hand was shaking. That line has lost all credibility."
Laira immediately nodded from the other side. "I agree."
Ethan looked left, then right. "You two really are on the same side now?"
Laira smiled, tilted her head, and kissed the side of his neck. "When it comes to taking care of you, yes."
Ruo Yan looked at the spot Laira had just kissed.
After the conversation with Vesna, she no longer felt the need to avoid or yield.
She leaned down and pressed her lips softly against Ethan’s collarbone.
Ethan went still.
Ruo Yan lifted her head, her dark eyes looking straight at him. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Good."
She naturally rested her head on his left shoulder.
Laira, on the other side, saw it and let her smile widen, but this time didn’t tease.
Ethan sat between them for a while and finally relaxed. His right arm wrapped around Laira’s waist, pulling her closer. Then he looked at Ruo Yan, his hand moving to her side and settling on her waist.
Ruo Yan’s body stiffened for a beat.
Ethan felt it. He was about to pull his hand back when she shifted closer on her own.
Half her body, soft and warm, leaned fully against him.
Ruo Yan even reached down and held Ethan’s hand on her waist, clearly not letting him withdraw it.
Ethan looked at her.
Ruo Yan kept her eyes forward, but the corner of her mouth had curved up.
The three of them sat pressed together, watching the sun sink slowly behind the hills.
No one needed to say anything more.
...
That evening, after returning to the small house, Laira claimed the right side of the bed outright.
She lay on her side, propped her head on one hand, and patted the spot beside her. "Ethan, come here."
Ethan looked at her but didn’t ask questions. He lay down.
Ruo Yan was still standing near the door. Her own house was only a short walk away, and there was really no reason for her to stay the night.
Laira immediately looked over. "Ruo Yan, you’re staying too."
Ruo Yan raised an eyebrow. "I have a house."
"I know." Laira glanced at Ethan and continued matter-of-factly. "The Void Flame could flare up at night. Taking care of him alone is a hassle. It’ll be easier with you here."
Ruo Yan looked at the smile playing at the corner of Laira’s mouth and clearly knew that reason was only half true.
But she had no intention of calling it out.
"Fine. I’m staying because of the Void Flame."
Ethan, lying between them, let out a quiet laugh at that. "I haven’t even said anything."
Ruo Yan pulled the blanket up and lay down on his left. "Then it’s best you don’t."
At first there was still a bit of space between her and Ethan.
But it wasn’t long before Ruo Yan shifted closer on her own, her head resting against his chest, one arm draped across his waist. Laira saw it and immediately pulled Ethan’s right arm over herself, then wrapped around him from the other side.
Ethan was pressed between them, warmth from their bodies seeping through the thin layers of clothing.
Laira lifted her head, her red hair spilling across Ethan’s chest. "Comfortable?"
"Quite comfortable."
"Good enough."
She braced a hand against his chest and leaned down to kiss him.
This time Ethan didn’t let her take the lead alone. His hand slid behind Laira’s back, pulled her soft body tight against his chest, and returned the kiss.
The two of them stayed like that for quite a while.
When Laira finally pulled back, her breathing had quickened slightly, but her orange-red eyes were full of warmth. The tip of her nose still nearly touched his.
On the other side, Ruo Yan was watching.
Ethan turned to her.
Their eyes met.
Ruo Yan didn’t wait for him to ask. She braced a hand against his chest, leaned down, and pressed her lips to his.
At first it was just a gentle touch, but after a few seconds, it was Ruo Yan who moved closer. The fingers resting on Ethan’s chest slowly gathered a fistful of his shirt, and the kiss lasted longer.
Ethan wrapped his arm around her waist.
Ruo Yan didn’t pull away. She pressed closer instead.
A while later, she finally separated. Her breathing was slightly uneven, her cheeks faintly warm, but her eyes were brighter than usual.
Laira, lying right beside them, couldn’t hold back in the end. "So? How was it?"
Ruo Yan turned, and her gaze immediately cooled a few degrees. "What happens between me and him has nothing to do with you."
"I’m just curious. Your ears are red."
Ruo Yan narrowed her eyes. "Laira, if you say one more word, I’ll have the Necromancer stand next to the bed and watch you sleep tonight."
The smile on Laira’s face stiffened slightly.
Ethan couldn’t help laughing.
Both of them immediately turned to look at him.
Laira pinched his right side, while Ruo Yan reached up and squeezed his cheek. Almost simultaneously, both said, "What are you laughing at?"
Ethan closed his eyes at once. "Nothing."
The room went quiet for a while.
But before long, the familiar burning sensation suddenly flared in his left arm.
Ethan was immediately alert.
His body only tensed slightly, but both people lying close on either side noticed at once.
Laira opened her eyes. She was about to sit up when Ruo Yan had already taken hold of Ethan’s right hand.
She wasn’t fully awake yet, her eyes only half open, but her grip was already tight.
"The pain again?"
Ethan slowed his breathing. "Yeah. But it’s not strong yet."
Ruo Yan didn’t ask further. She pressed close against him, her forehead resting on his shoulder, her fingers lacing through his and squeezing gently.
"Then bear it for a bit. I’m here."
On the other side, Laira also placed her hand on Ethan’s left shoulder. Solar Flame seeped slowly into the Primordial Armor, helping the stirring Void Flame gradually settle.
She leaned down and kissed his shoulder softly, her voice free of any teasing now. "I’m here too. If it hurts, just say so. Don’t try to tough it out."
Ethan looked at Ruo Yan gripping his hand tight, then at Laira nestled close beside him.
The pain was still there.
The Void Flame still smoldered, as if reminding him that the things waiting outside hadn’t ended.
But this time Ethan didn’t have to clench his teeth through it alone.
He squeezed Ruo Yan’s hand, then pulled Laira tighter against his chest.
"Yeah. I know."
Ruo Yan closed her eyes but didn’t let go.
Laira also lay down, her head resting on his right shoulder, her hand maintaining the Solar Flame on his left.
Ethan lay between them, listening to their breathing slowly return to normal.
Outside the window, Spring Village had gone completely quiet.
Ethan also closed his eyes.
’Maybe staying here a few more days wouldn’t be so bad.’
This time, he fell asleep quickly.
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