Walford grunted as he eased himself onto the smooth grass beside the lake, his breath still ragged. Blood trickled slowly from the tear in his chest, staining the side of his tunic. Jaya, shaking but determined, dropped to her knees beside him and immediately began tending his wounds.
From her pocket storage, she drew out bandages and began wrapping the worst of it. Her hands trembled, but her focus didn't waver. Walford winced but didn't protest. She retrieved a small pouch from her belt and pulled out two luminous green pills.
"Here," she whispered, pressing them into his palm. "Swallow these. They'll help the healing process."
He obeyed, crunching the pills between his teeth. Warm energy pulsed through his veins, steadying his breath and easing the ache behind his eyes.
Jaya exhaled, sweaty and exhausted, then glanced toward the large boulder where Jalen lay. He hadn't moved. His body was stretched out like a shadow—arms folded behind his head, eyes closed—as if howls of wolves and the scent of blood hadn't stirred him at all.
After a moment's hesitation, she stood and walked toward him. Walford made no effort to stop her.
Jaya approached slowly, boots crunching lightly on the earth. She crossed her arms and stared down at him. He didn't react.
"Thank you… for helping us just now," she said.
No response.
"I know we've been bothering you. But we never meant to offend."
Still silence.
"I just wanted you to know why we're here. You must think we're foolish, rushing into danger with so little strength. But we didn't have a choice."
Jaya's voice softened. "I'm part of the WangChester royal family of Bellini State's royal capital. One of Emperor Raynaud's fifty children born within two centuries."
Jalen's eyes opened slightly, then closed again.
"I'm the youngest. The weakest. My siblings—all talented and powerful—see me as a stain. My mother was just a lowly servant to the emperor. I was never meant to succeed."
Her voice faltered, but she pressed on. "But I want to change that. And the royal competition announced last year is my only chance at that. Each heir must complete three tasks. The first was to keep a royal token safe for three months off-continent and return with it. We barely survived. But we made it. And you helped us that time on that ship."
She knelt a little closer. "The second task is here on Mystic Ground. If we find five high grade treasures and return with them within a year's time, we move to the final round. But if we find one of Mystic Treasures buried here and take it back home, we win the entire competition."
"Whoever wins," she continued, "enters the Land of Royals and receives the Sky Limit Realm blessing left by our ancestor. With that, the heir has a much better chance of achieving that realm that many cultivators aspire to achieve—and becomes emperor or empress automatically."
Jalen shifted slightly but remained silent.
Jaya added, "There are rewards for those who assist a royal heir in winning. Not just titles—they can enter the Spirit Realm and inherit high level skills and techniques of Sky Limit cultivators."
Still no answer.
Jaya's expression tightened. "Can't you at least say something?"
Jalen finally spoke—his voice low and disinterested. "You talk too much."
Before she could respond, he raised his hand and flicked his fingers. A soft glow pulsed from his fingertips.
Jaya blinked—and then collapsed instantly into sleep.
Walford bolted upright. "What did you do?!"
Jalen didn't look at him. "Sleep spell. The same one I use on my baby brother when he's too loud or straight-up annoying."
Walford rushed to Jaya's side, checking her pulse and expression. Her breathing was steady, her face calm. No sign of pain. He exhaled.
"She really is asleep," he said, amazed.
"I said she was," Jalen replied, closing his eyes again. "You people worry too much."
Walford gently laid Jaya on a soft patch of moss near the lake. He folded his cloak into a pillow and covered her with a blanket. Then he returned to Jalen and knelt beside him.
"I don't like asking for help," Walford admitted. "But I'll set my pride aside if it means giving her a chance."
Jalen opened one eye, amused. "Let me guess—you want me involved in this royal succession competition?"
"Yes," Walford said, firm and unapologetic.
Jalen sat up slowly, brushing dust from his robe. "Why would I?" Sure, the Sky Limit Realm cultivation method is tempting. But if it was that special, the Origin Shard would've dragged me straight to it—unless it's buried somewhere like the Vault Realm on the Reign Continent.
Walford didn't flinch. "There are forty-nine other competitors—all stronger, smarter, and backed by elite squads and sects. Princess Jaya has only me. Though she showed the greatest potential among her siblings, reaching the Enlightened Realm by thirty. The court never gave her proper training because of her mother's status. And the emperor—a Sage Realm expert—pays little attention to his wives or children."
He looked down. "I've guarded her since she was a child. She studies, trains, and strategizes. She doesn't complain—even when injured. But this competition requires her to survive three escalating tasks. You've seen her. She won't last without help."
Jalen didn't reply, but he didn't leave either.
Walford added, "You're strong. Maybe the strongest teen in the cultivation world. And you don't strike me as someone who wastes time on weaklings. But she's different. She doesn't want power—she wants to belong."
Jalen's gaze shifted toward the lake, where the drifting embers shimmered over the dark water.
"She thinks you're her miracle," Walford said quietly. "Even if you ignore her."
A long pause. Then Jalen replied, almost to himself:
"She's still talking… even in her sleep."
Walford blinked.
Jalen smirked faintly. "I can hear it. Determination woven into dreams."
He stood slowly, eyes scanning the cliffs beyond.
"I'll think about it," he said.
Then, without another word, he walked toward the distant cliffs and vanished into the wind.