The seventh dawn rose quietly over the Fire Clan, painting the sky in warm hues of flame and sunrise. The courtyard where Little Fire rested was wrapped in an unusual stillness — the kind that even the blazing mountains respected. The silver-red glow surrounding his unconscious body pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat forged from fire and spirit.
Spirit Fairy sat beside him again, her fingers gently brushing his forehead.
"You said flames remember," she whispered, voice trembling. "Then remember… that I stayed."
Her eyes carried exhaustion. For seven days she had barely slept, guarding him like a flame guarding its last spark of life.
She didn't know that far outside the Fire Clan, a ripple of wind qi swept through the region. It was cold, ancient, and sorrowful.
A woman had arrived.
---
A Sudden Stir in the Clan
It happened just an hour before Little Fire was expected to wake up.
Disciples at the front gate were tending to their morning duties when a pressure — soft yet suffocating — descended from above. The wind spiraled downward, dark as nightstorm and carrying a majestic aura.
A woman clad in white and grey stood at the gate, her long hair flowing like ink in the wind. Her eyes were sharp, filled with longing and determination.
"Wind… aura?" a disciple stuttered. "Is she… from the Wind Clan?"
Another whispered nervously, "Why would the Wind Clan appear here? Are we in trouble?"
But she ignored their fear. She raised her head, her voice ringing clear:
"I request entry into the Fire Clan."
Her tone was cold, but beneath it trembled a deep ache.
The gate guards exchanged glances.
"May we ask who you are, senior?"
Her gaze softened only slightly.
"I am Shuye."
The name struck like thunder.
Every disciple stiffened. Many had heard rumors… a woman who once moved the winds themselves. A woman whose husband vanished without trace. A woman who carried ancient half-awakened wind of level nine.
And she stood here now, at their gates.
The clan guards hurried to report to the Clan Leader, and soon after—
The Fire Clan gates opened for her.
---
When Wind Meets Fire
In the healing courtyard, Spirit Fairy lifted her head as she sensed an unfamiliar aura approaching — cold, with the faint melancholy of drifting leaves.
A moment later, the clan leader arrived with a solemn expression.
"Spirit Fairy," he said, "a guest from the Wind Clan wishes to meet Little Fire."
She blinked. "Little Fire? Why him?"
The clan leader shook his head. "I do not know. But she insisted… and her aura is not something we can reject easily."
Spirit Fairy felt unease twist in her chest.
Why would someone from Wind Clan seek Little Fire?
Before she could ask more, soft footsteps approached. A silhouette entered the courtyard, her presence like a cold gust slipping into a warm room.
Shuye's eyes fell instantly on the unconscious Little Fire… then softened with disbelief.
He did not recognize her, but she recognized something else.
A trace… faint but undeniable.
A scent of someone she loved.
Her voice cracked.
"…You… are you Little Wind?"
Spirit Fairy froze.
Little Fire, still lying unconscious, obviously couldn't answer. But in that moment—
Her heart dropped.
Little Wind? Husband? Wind Clan? Why… why is she asking Little Fire this?
Confusion tangled with sudden jealousy and something sharper: fear.
Before Spirit Fairy could voice her thoughts, a ripple of flame stirred.
Little Fire's eyelids twitched.
He woke.
---
A Meeting Heavy With Memories
His vision blurred at first. The world tilted. His body felt like molten metal cooling too slowly.
But then he saw —
a woman standing over him, eyes trembling with desperate hope.
"You…" Little Fire whispered hoarsely.
Shuye stepped closer.
"You carry his aura… his trace… tell me, are you Little Wind?"
Little Fire froze.
Spirit Fairy's breath hitched as she stood behind him.
He slowly sat up, pain shooting through his limbs, and replied with a forced smile:
"Senior… I think you are mistaken. I am not who you think."
Shuye's brows knitted. "Then why… why do I sense his wind? Why can't I feel him anywhere else? His aura should be bright, but it's vanished… except for a trace inside you!"
Spirit Fairy's heart twisted painfully.
Shuye's voice trembled now.
"Please… answer me. I searched for him for so long."
Little Fire closed his eyes for a long moment.
He couldn't lie — not to someone who carried loyalty deep enough to move heavens.
He also couldn't reveal the truth — because his brother had forbidden interference.
Finally… he changed the question.
"Senior… how did you meet my brother?"
Spirit Fairy's eyes widened in shock.
He—he admitted a connection?!
Shuye's breath hitched. "Your brother… then he…?"
Little Fire nodded slowly.
"You were not wrong. My brother is connected to me. But he is not here."
Spirit Fairy felt a strange mixture of relief and guilt.
Shuye clenched her fists.
"Then where is he? Why can't I sense him anymore?"
Her voice cracked.
Little Fire's gaze softened, but he shook his head.
"I cannot tell you."
"Why?!"
"Because if I do… I will be punished by him."
The courtyard fell silent.
Shuye's knees trembled. Her eyes reddened, tears threatening to spill. Spirit Fairy stepped forward and gently caught her shoulders.
"…I know the pain of losing someone," she whispered. "Maybe he truly cannot say. Maybe there is a reason."
Shuye stared at Little Fire through tears.
"I don't care about punishment. I just want to know if he's alive."
Little Fire took a deep breath.
"I can show you," he said softly. "But you must promise — swear an oath — that you will not go to him until he comes to you."
The wind around Shuye stilled.
Then she placed her hand over her heart.
"I swear."
Spirit Fairy wiped her own eyes, then nodded. "Then show her."
Little Fire stood slowly — his body still weak — and led them toward the Grand Hall.
---
The Forbidden Showing
He stood before the great furnace, cutting his palm slightly. His blood fell into the lava below, and the scarlet pool rippled like a mirror of molten sky.
He performed the Bloodline Sense Art.
Images flashed.
Little Earth sitting on a warm boulder.
Shift.
Little Life sleeping peacefully beneath a blooming tree.
Shift.
Little Dark seated in a palace-like room, shadows dancing around him.
Shift—
A cold aura poured out.
Little Water.
He was in a hot water bath, steam rising around him. His head leaned back, eyes half-closed, his expression unreadable and dangerously calm.
But then—
He opened his eyes.
And stared directly at them.
His eyes were blood-red.
Spirit Fairy gasped.
Shuye's breath broke.
Little Fire trembled.
Little Water's aura surged — cold, murderous, absolute.
A frozen light burst from the bloodline mirror.
The blazing lava turned to ice in one instant.
A chilling wind swept the entire hall, freezing even the walls.
Little Fire paled immediately and fell to his knees.
"I—I told you," he whispered, voice shaking. "We shouldn't have done that…"
Spirit Fairy caught him before he collapsed again.
Shuye covered her lips, tears flowing silently.
The clan leader and grandfather rushed in, stunned at the frozen lava and chilling aura.
Little Fire managed one last breath before fainting:
"Shuye… stay here.
He will come for you… when his heart allows."
And the hall fell silent.
---Waiting---