Lin Tian woke to an empty bed.
The space beside him was cold, the sheets already smoothed. Su Lan had left without a sound, the good physician returning to her duties. The room held the faint, clean scent of her, a mix of medicinal herbs and warm skin, but it was fading.
He sat up, stretching. His body felt solid, his meridians humming with a stable, dual-toned energy. Ice and fire, coiled together in a quiet truce. For the first time in weeks, there was no background ache, no threat of his foundation cracking. He took a deep breath, and the air felt clear.
A sharp, crystalline chirp broke the silence.
It came from the window. Lin Tian turned, his senses snapping into focus. Perched on the narrow stone sill was a bird the size of his hand. It was not made of flesh and feather, but of condensed spiritual ice, so clear it was almost invisible. Only the pale blue light shimmering within its form gave it shape.
It chirped again, a sound like cracking frost.
Xueya.
