The night air grew colder as the fire burned lower. Wind slipped through the woven door and made the branches rustle. Liang Yue slept lightly, her body tired but her senses half awake. Mo Chen sat near the cave entrance with a small stick in hand, feeding bits of dry grass into the flame.
He listened to the sounds outside — the insects, the leaves, the distant cry of something that did not sound human. He was used to silence. But now, every sound made him turn his head.
A faint movement came from the left side of the cave. He stopped breathing and looked.
Two small lights glimmered between the bushes. They moved — slow, watching.
Mo Chen's hand tightened around the stick. He whispered, "Liang Yue."
She opened her eyes instantly and sat up. "What is it?"
"Eyes," he said. "Outside."
She looked where he pointed. The lights blinked again — not fireflies, but animal eyes reflecting the firelight.
"Keep your voice low," she said quietly. "Stay near the fire."
She picked up a stone from the ground and listened. The rustling grew closer. Something scraped against the rocks.
Mo Chen whispered, "Animal?"
"Maybe," she said. "Or a spirit beast."
He frowned. "What do we do?"
She thought quickly. "Fire keeps most away. If it comes closer, we make noise and throw burning wood. If it still doesn't leave, we run toward the stream."
He nodded. "I will get more wood."
She caught his arm. "Careful. Don't go far."
He nodded again and reached behind the door to pull the pile of extra branches closer. They stacked the fire higher. The light brightened, and for a moment, the eyes disappeared.
But a low growl echoed a second later. The sound was deep and heavy.
Liang Yue's heart pounded. "It's not leaving."
Mo Chen stood beside her. "I will go first."
"No," she said firmly. "We stay together."
Before they could move, a dark shape lunged from the bushes — fast, heavy, and covered in rough fur. It broke through the weak woven door and rolled into the cave.
Liang Yue fell back and saw its shape clearly. It looked like a wolf, but larger, with a row of short horns on its head and glowing eyes. Its teeth shone in the firelight.
"Spirit beast," she said under her breath.
The beast snarled and swiped a claw at her. She rolled aside, her shoulder hitting the rock wall. Pain shot through her arm. Mo Chen grabbed a burning branch from the fire and swung it. The flame flared. The beast jerked back but didn't retreat.
Liang Yue shouted, "Hit its eyes!"
Mo Chen moved forward without hesitation and struck. The branch hit the beast's snout. It screamed, more from anger than pain. It turned on him and bit down on the wood. The flame went out.
Mo Chen stumbled. The beast threw its head, and the branch flew out of his hand. Its claws raked across his sleeve, cutting his arm.
"Mo Chen!" Liang Yue cried. She reached for another burning stick and swung it hard. The flame brushed the beast's fur, making it jump back with a snarl. She moved between it and Mo Chen, holding the stick out like a weapon.
Her heart raced, but her voice stayed steady. "We can't fight long. Aim for the neck when it jumps."
He nodded, breathing hard, blood running down his arm. "I can do that."
The beast paced, growling. Its eyes locked on Liang Yue's face. Then it leaped.
She braced herself. Mo Chen threw his body sideways into its path and grabbed its front leg. The beast twisted, trying to bite him. Liang Yue struck its head with the burning stick. Sparks flew. The fire burned brighter for an instant — and something else flashed with it.
A bright, white light shot from her pendant. It was small but strong enough to make both of them freeze. The light spread around them in a thin circle on the ground. The beast let out a cry and stumbled backward. Smoke rose from its claws as if the air itself burned it.
Mo Chen stared. "What—?"
Liang Yue didn't understand it either. The pendant grew warm in her palm. She lifted it without thinking. The light expanded, surrounding the beast. It howled and turned, crashing out through the doorway and vanishing into the dark.
Silence returned. Only the sound of the fire crackling remained.
Mo Chen sat on the ground, breathing heavily. "It's gone."
Liang Yue looked at the light. It slowly faded until only the normal firelight remained. She felt weak all over, but not hurt.
She turned to him quickly. "Your arm."
He glanced down. "It's fine."
"It's bleeding," she said. "Let me see."
He hesitated, then held it out. The cut wasn't deep, but the blood wouldn't stop easily. She tore a piece from her sleeve and pressed it against the wound.
"Hold it tight," she said. "Keep pressure."
He obeyed. "That light… it came from you."
"Yes," she said quietly. "I think so."
"What was it?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said. "But it felt like… warmth. Like the pendant reacted."
He looked at her pendant closely. "It glowed before?"
"Not like that," she said. "Maybe because I prayed yesterday."
He thought for a moment. "Then keep praying."
She gave a small, tired laugh. "Maybe I will."
She checked his arm again. The bleeding had stopped. The skin looked strange — faintly pink around the edges, as if already healing. She frowned. "That's fast."
He touched it carefully. "Doesn't hurt much now."
She stared at the pendant again. "It's the light."
He tilted his head. "You can heal?"
"I don't know yet," she said. "Maybe a little."
He looked impressed. "That's not normal cultivation."
"I can't cultivate," she said. "The poison blocks it."
"Then this is different," he said. "It's yours."
She nodded. "Maybe it's faith."
"Faith?" he repeated, not sure of the word.
"Belief," she said. "In God. In strength that isn't from this world."
He looked thoughtful. "Does it listen?"
"Sometimes," she said. "But you have to believe first."
He looked at the glowing pendant again and nodded slowly. "Then I believe."
She blinked at him. "Just like that?"
"You prayed. Light came. The beast left," he said simply. "That's enough."
She smiled faintly. "You think simple."
"It keeps me alive," he said.
"Fair," she said.
They both sat quietly, letting their breathing return to normal. The smell of burned fur still lingered. Liang Yue fed more wood into the fire. She wiped the dust from her hands.
Mo Chen broke the silence. "You said it was faith. Can you teach me?"
She looked surprised. "Teach you to pray?"
He nodded. "Maybe it can help me too."
She thought for a moment, then said, "All right. Sit straight. Close your eyes. Don't think about the beast. Don't think about fear. Just be still."
He did as she said.
She closed her eyes too. "Now, breathe in. Feel your chest move. Think of what you want — not power, not revenge. Just peace."
He nodded slightly. "Peace."
"Now say it in your heart," she said. "If God hears you, it doesn't need to be loud."
They sat like that for a while. The air grew calm. The fire steadied. A faint warmth spread in the cave again, softer than before but gentle.
Mo Chen opened his eyes first. "I feel… quiet."
"That's good," she said. "It means it worked a little."
He smiled faintly. "Not bad."
She leaned back against the wall. "Maybe that's how I survived all this time. That calm."
"You prayed before?" he asked.
"In my past life," she said. "Different world."
He didn't react to the strangeness of her words. He just asked, "Did it help?"
"Yes," she said. "It gave me strength to face people who wanted me gone."
He nodded again. "Then you'll do it again here."
"Yes," she said. "And this time, I'll protect what's mine."
He looked at her with new respect. "You're not afraid of them anymore."
"No," she said. "Fear feeds them. I'm done feeding anyone."
He smiled — a real one this time. "Good."
Liang Yue glanced at the door. The woven branches were broken, but still standing enough to block most of the wind. "Tomorrow we fix that."
He nodded. "And get stronger."
She looked at his injured arm. "You need to rest."
"So do you," he said. "You used power."
"I'll be fine," she said. "Just tired."
He moved closer to the fire. "Can I ask something?"
"Ask," she said.
"When the light came, you didn't look scared," he said. "Why?"
"Because it felt safe," she said. "Like someone was watching over us."
He considered that. "Then maybe you're not alone."
She looked at him. "Maybe neither are you."
He looked away, hiding a small smile.
They rebuilt part of the door using unburned pieces of the old one and more branches. When they finished, the fire had turned to glowing embers. The cave felt a little warmer.
Liang Yue leaned against the wall. Her body ached, but her mind felt clearer. The pendant lay cool against her skin. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the flash of light again.
Mo Chen's voice broke the silence. "You said the poison blocks your strength. If that light heals, maybe it can fix that too."
She opened her eyes. "You think so?"
He nodded. "You healed me. Why not yourself?"
"I can try," she said. "But it may hurt."
He looked at her firmly. "Then I'll stay awake."
She smiled faintly. "You trust too easily."
He shrugged. "You saved me. That's enough for now."
She lifted the pendant and pressed it against her heart. The warmth grew again. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly. A dull ache spread through her chest, then her stomach. It wasn't unbearable, but it was heavy.
Mo Chen watched quietly. The air in the cave shimmered faintly. For a moment, a thin thread of white light ran along her arm. When she opened her eyes again, her breathing was easier. The gray color around her fingernails had lightened.
"It worked a little," she said softly.
Mo Chen looked relieved. "Good."
She nodded, exhausted. "We'll keep trying."
He shifted closer. "Sleep. I'll watch again."
"You'll fall asleep on your feet," she said.
"I won't," he said. "I'll stay until morning."
She sighed, too tired to argue. "Wake me if anything moves."
"I will," he said.
She lay down near the fire. The ground was still hard, but she didn't care. Her eyes closed almost immediately. The last thing she heard was Mo Chen humming softly under his breath — a broken tune, maybe something he remembered from before his mind was damaged.
Outside, the wind moved the leaves again, but the beasts did not return. The faint glow of her pendant pulsed once, then went still.