Sheng Long stood in An Li's private library, silent as he scanned the ancient scrolls she'd so casually flaunted before him. Her estate was filled with old things—artifacts, histories, and secrets. She was careful with her words, a master at dancing between honesty and manipulation.
But she had slipped once.
"The foxfires of Xiulan still burn, Marshal. You should remember what happens when they do."
He hadn't responded then, but those words had festered in his mind ever since. Why would she reference a fire buried in history? A fire no one but those closest to the old royal bloodlines would know of?
He dug deeper, rifling through old records, until he found a scroll sealed with a broken emblem—half-sun, half-dragon. Inside, a tale long forgotten: the Sunborn Flame, a power held by a lineage of fox spirits tied to the ancient protectors of the Empire. A flame that could purify Zerg corruption, but one that was thought to be extinguished in the Purge of Sacred Bloodlines.
But it hadn't died.
It had lived in Xiao Lin.
***
Back at their estate, Xiao Lin was in the garden, red hair damp with dew and moonlight. He heard the soft footfall behind him and didn't need to turn.
"You found something," he said, his voice quieter now, carrying weight.
Sheng Long stopped beside him, the scroll still in his hand. "You're the Sunborn Flame."
Xiao Lin turned to him, eyes wide. "I… I felt it. In the temple. But I didn't understand it fully."
"Your mother protected you from the purge. She hid you, and your power. That pendant you wear… it's a key, not just a symbol."
Xiao Lin swallowed, fingers brushing the jade fox around his neck. "Everything makes sense now. Why I can heal Zerg energy. Why the Empire is afraid of me."
They stood in the silence, the garden glowing around them.
"You are dangerous," Sheng Long said.
Xiao Lin smiled, the sadness in his eyes soft. "And yet you still won't run from me."
Sheng Long reached out slowly, his fingers brushing Xiao Lin's cheek. "I would die for you."
"Please don't."
And then, as naturally as breathing, their lips met—a quiet kiss under starlight. Awkward, soft, trembling with everything unsaid. Sheng Long pulled back first, his forehead resting against Xiao Lin's.
"When the war ends, when it's safe… I won't hold back anymore."
"Then I'll wait for you," Xiao Lin whispered, voice thick with emotion.
The garden held their promise, the sun and the flame finally beginning to burn as one.