....
The forest was still burning with divine traces when Li Yun carried Lian Yue away. The air shimmered around them — folds of reality bending under his power as he stepped through the boundary between worlds.
When they emerged, they stood atop a mountain bathed in twilight. The mortal world stretched endlessly below, quiet and unaware that gods had just descended among them.
Lian Yue swayed, gripping his arm. "Where… where are we?"
"A fragment of my domain," Li Yun replied. His tone was calm, but his eyes never left the sky. "Hidden from the heavens. For now."
He waved a hand, and the scorched air softened — golden light wove itself into a gentle cottage surrounded by celestial blossoms. It was simple, peaceful, and almost human.
Lian Yue stared in wonder. "You can… create worlds?"
He turned to her, a flicker of warmth in his eyes. "You once could too."
Her breath caught. "What do you mean?"
Li Yun hesitated. He wasn't supposed to say it — not yet. The prophecy warned him: If the Moon remembers before the seventh sunrise, the worlds will shatter anew.
But how could he look into her eyes and lie?
"You are not a mortal," he said quietly. "You are the Moon's light — reborn among men."
She blinked, shaking her head. "That's impossible. I was born in Baiyan Village. I've never even left before today."
"Your soul has," he said, stepping closer. "It remembers even when your mind does not."
He raised a hand — and the golden glow in his palm illuminated the air around her. The light bent, swirling into symbols of ancient celestial script. They danced around her like memories given shape.
And suddenly, her head throbbed.
Images burst through her mind — a palace carved from moonstone, rivers of silver light, her laughter echoing beside a throne of fire. A man standing before her, sunlight caught in his hair.
"Lian Yue," his voice echoed through the memory.
"If the stars ever fall, I will find you again — even if you no longer remember my name."
Her knees gave way. Li Yun caught her instantly, his hands warm against her trembling form.
"Easy," he murmured. "The light awakens slowly. Don't fight it."
Tears burned her eyes. "Who are you really?"
He looked down at her — at the same face he'd watched disappear into the mortal realm thousands of years ago.
"I am the one who broke the sky for you," he said softly.
"The Sun that refused to set."
For a heartbeat, silence hung between them. Then a streak of blue fire shot across the clouds — another celestial arrow, tearing open the boundary of his domain.
Lian Yue gasped. "They found us again!"
Li Yun's jaw tightened. "They're faster than I thought."
Golden flames flared around his shoulders, brighter, fiercer — no longer hidden. "Stay behind me."
But before he could summon his full power, Lian Yue stood. Her hand trembled, yet when she raised it, a faint glow pulsed from her fingertips — silver light curling around her palm like a forgotten song.
Li Yun froze.
Even sealed, her power still answered him — the light of the Moon responding to the call of the Sun.
The arrow dissolved before reaching them.
She blinked at her glowing hand, shocked. "I… did that?"
He smiled faintly — the first real smile since he'd descended. "Yes. The heavens may have sealed your memories, but not your heart."
The mountains echoed with the hum of divine energy. For the first time in ages, the Sun and Moon stood side by side again.
And somewhere high above, unseen by either of them, the stars trembled — bowing, ever so slightly.
Would you like me to continue with Chapter 4 — "The Palace of Falling Stars", where they journey to a forbidden celestial ruin to recover Lian Yue's memory crystal — and where Li Yun's secret vow is revealed