A golden shimmer highlighted his wound, the torn flesh slowly mending, closing as if time were rewinding.
Long Fei felt a flicker of relief, but it was immediately overshadowed by Shui Yi's sudden exhaustion. He watched as her vision blurred and her body swayed, her strength failing her in an instant.
He caught her effortlessly, his arms steady as he eased her against him.
Her silver hair cascaded over his arm as he brushed it aside, his gaze softening. She was light as a feather in his embrace, her breathing shallow but steady. He glanced down at his arm, where the wound had once been. Now, only smooth skin remained. He flexed his arm, testing the strength returning to him. A small smile tugged at his lips. This mermaid princess is quite a character.
With a quiet exhale, he channeled his qi to her, drying her damp clothes and wrapping her in warmth. The energy she had spent healing him had drained her completely. She needed rest. So did he.
His eyelids grew heavy, and as the stillness of the cavern wrapped around them, he succumbed to the pull of slumber.
***
Shui Yi stirred, her eyes fluttering open to meet Long Fei's gaze. His expression softened as their eyes locked, and for a moment, she thought she saw a hint of warmth in his usually stoic demeanor. Her heart skipped.
His face reddened slightly, and before she could think too much of it, he quickly averted his head and cleared his throat. She was unsure if she had imagined the moment.
Panic gripped her as she pushed against him abruptly, only to remember his injury. She froze, her heart pounding as she scrambled to check his arm. The wound was gone.
Her fingers brushed his unmarked skin, and he didn't flinch. Her thoughts raced, trying to make sense of the sight. How? She stared at him in disbelief.
"You did that," he murmured.
"Me?" her voice barely audible.
He nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. Her chest fluttered at the sight of that smile.
"I have powers?" she repeated to herself in a daze. Her fingers brushed over the smooth skin of his arm, testing the reality of the situation. She rose slowly, her body still light with lingering fatigue, but she was excited.
She couldn't believe it. Powers? Her heart surged.
She squared her shoulders, her determination reigniting. She had to test this—whatever this was. She remembered Ling Yue's powerful pose and her confidence. She mimicked the stance she had seen so many times. With her hands on her hips, she drew a deep breath and let out a mighty roar, ready to summon a sonic wave. The sound that followed wasn't a mighty roar, but an unexpected, resounding burp.
Her face burned with embarrassment as he stifled his laughter, his shoulders shaking. Though he tried to hide it, she noticed the amusement in his eyes.
She scowled, determined to find her power. She recalled Long Fei as he used his Qi Gong in battle, focusing on the slow rise and fall of his breath. The calm way he centered his energy... she mimicked his movements, trying to channel her qi. But nothing happened. Her hands fell to her sides in defeat. Frustration bubbled inside her. Why couldn't she do any of their moves?
"You're not quite ready for that yet," Long Fei's voice broke through her thoughts, steady and reassuring.
She looked at him, surprised. He wasn't mocking her; he was patient, understanding her struggle.
She glanced down at her hands, there was no soft glow, just beaded sweat. Maybe this was all a dream? She rushed back to check his wound. She pinched herself on the cheek and winced. He gently removed her hand, his thumb brushed her wounded cheek.
"There's no need for that. You're not dreaming," he said. He cleared his throat and leaned back.
She noticed a graze on her palm and blew on it, hoping to see her power manifest again. But nothing happened. Why didn't it work this time? Turning to the master for guidance, she found he had already closed his eyes. With something like this, she wished she could run to her father for guidance. For the first time in a long while, doubt crept in. What if her father had kept this secret from her all along? She stood up and paced back and forth. The weight of her father's silence settled on her chest like a stone. Was there something about her he had hidden, something about her powers... about her purpose? For the first time, the idea of being more than a weak tail-less mermaid felt like a possibility rather than a fantasy.
A spark of hope stirred inside her. A glimmer of possibility. Maybe she wasn't the powerless, forgotten daughter of the sea. Maybe there was more to her than she had been told.
"I'm not useless after all..." she murmured, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Before she could think further, an eerie sound cut through the air.
A haunting howl.
The tunnel walls shuddered with the deep, resonating cry, and her spine stiffened, a chill running down her back. Her hand hooked with his arm, her fingers trembling as the shadows seemed to writhe and stretch unnaturally. His muscles tensed beneath her touch.
The howls continued, resounding through the cavern with increasing intensity. Shui Yi's hand tightened around his arm, her pulse quickening. But he remained impassive, eyes calmly scanning the darkness.
A gust of wind swept through the tunnel, sending a chill down her spine. She let out a soft whimper, but he didn't acknowledge it. His gaze remained fixed ahead, his attention unwavering, focused solely on the entrance.
The shadows stretched further, and the air grew thick with tension.
And then—
The darkness stirred.