Hei Long immediately grabbed Qing Li's shoulders before he could lose his balance. "Qing Li!" he called anxiously. "What happened?" Wang Xio stepped closer, his usually calm expression filled with concern. He carefully looked over Qing Li's trembling body before asking in a low voice, "What did you see?" Qing Li didn't answer. His eyes remained fixed on the empty shrine as tears slowly gathered in them. Wang Xio frowned even more. "Why are you shaking?" he asked quietly. "Talk to us."
Hei Long gently tightened his grip on Qing Li's shoulder. "Qing Li... you're frightening us." His voice softened. "Did you remember something?" Qing Li slowly blinked as if finally returning to reality. His breathing gradually steadied, but the pain in his eyes remained. He looked at Hei Long for a long time without saying a word. Then, he slowly turned toward Hei Long. He looked at him for several long seconds before lowering his eyes. "I'm sorry." Hei long blinked, clearly confused. "For what?" Qing Li smiled bitterly and shook his head. "For everything." His voice was calm, but filled with regret. "I forgot you." He looked up again, his eyes slightly red. "I forgot Ling yuan." He let out a quiet laugh at himself. "I forgot all of you." His fingers slowly clenched into fists. "I forgot every promise we made." He paused before continuing in a softer voice. "I forgot our friendship."
Hei Long quietly looked at him before a small smile appeared on his face." Don't say that! It's good thing that you remembered now." Qing Li laughed quietly, but there was no happiness in it. He slowly shook his head. "It's too late."His words echoed softly through the shrine. "Too many things happened while I remembered nothing." He looked away. "You shouldn't have had to wait this long."
Qing Li smiled sadly at himself. "Do you know what's worse?" he asked in a trembling voice. "I smiled... I laughed... I complained every day..." He slowly looked at Hei Long. "...while you remembered everything." His eyes filled with tears. "You remembered our past." He looked toward Wang Xio. "You remembered what happened to Ling Yuan." His voice cracked. "And I remembered nothing."Hei Long remained silent, quietly listening.
Qing Li lowered his head again. "How lonely were you?" he whispered. "Every time you looked at me..." He gave another weak laugh. "...I was just a stranger pretending to be your friend." He clenched his fists even tighter. "You must have wanted to tell me so many times." His shoulders trembled. "But you couldn't." A tear slipped down his cheek. "I'm sorry..." he whispered again. "You carried those memories alone because of me."
Hei Long looked at him quietly before gently placing a hand on Qing Li's head. His voice remained soft and steady. "You came back." Qing Li slowly shook his head. "Too late." Hei Long smiled faintly. "No." He looked directly into Qing Li's eyes. "If you had truly come back too late..." He paused for a moment. "you wouldn't be standing here apologizing." Qing Li stared at him silently.
Wang Xio stepped forward.He looked directly at Qing Li, his expression calm but firm. "Enough." Qing Li slowly looked at him. Wang Xio sighed quietly before speaking. "Stop blaming yourself." Qing Li opened his mouth, but Wang Xio raised a hand, stopping him. "None of this was your choice." His voice remained steady. "You didn't wake up one morning and decide to forget us." He slowly looked toward the shrine behind them. "Someone erased those memories." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Deliberately." Hei Long nodded once in agreement. Wang Xio continued, "The one responsible wanted this to happen." He looked back at Qing Li. "So don't blame yourself for becoming another victim." Qing Li remained silent, carefully listening to every word. Wang Xio placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "If you want someone to blame..." His voice became colder. "...blame the person who stole your memories."
Qing Li's eyes fixed on the cold stone floor of the shrine.His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white, yet he didn't seem to notice the pain.The memories he had just recovered continued flashing through his mind one after another. Ling Yuan's gentle smile. The countless threads wrapping around him. Xu Yang's desperate cries. And finally... Ling Yuan disappearing before anyone could save him. Qing Li's breathing gradually became uneven. His shoulders trembled slightly as he lowered his head. "Ling Yuan..." he whispered hoarsely. "...he just disappeared like that." His voice cracked, and he slowly shook his head as though refusing to believe what he had seen. "We couldn't even reach him." He swallowed hard, but the tightness in his throat refused to ease. "We couldn't save him." He closed his eyes tightly, remembering Ling Yuan's final smile. "He was smiling..." A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "and then he was gone."
He raised one trembling hand to cover them, but it couldn't hide the grief on his face. "How..." he whispered. "How did I forget something like that?" He looked at Hei long with eyes full of guilt and regret. "How could I forget him?" His voice was filled with self-blame. "He was our friend. He was standing right in front of us... and I forgot everything. I forgot his face, his voice, our promises... I even forgot that he disappeared." He lowered his head again, his fingers digging into his own palms. "Every time I laughed... every time I smiled... I didn't even know someone important was missing." His shoulders shook as another painful breath escaped him. "It feels like I betrayed him all over again."
Hei Long quietly walked over and stopped beside him.He didn't speak right away instead, he gently rested a hand on Qing Li's shoulder, letting him know he wasn't alone. After a long moment, he finally spoke in a calm voice. "You didn't forget because you wanted to."Hei Long continued softly, "Someone stole those memories from you." His gaze drifted toward the ancient shrine around them. "Whoever did this wanted us to forget Ling Yuan. They wanted us to believe he had never existed."
Qing Li slowly shook his head. "That doesn't change what happened." His voice was barely above a whisper. "He still disappeared in front of us." He looked at Hei Long again, tears slipping down his face. "He called my name... and I wasn't there for him." Hei Long's own eyes dimmed with sadness, but his voice remained steady. "You were there." Qing Li stared at him in confusion. Hei Long gave a faint, sorrowful smile. "You fought beside him. You searched for him. You cried for him." He gently tightened his hand on Qing Li's shoulder. "Those memories were stolen afterward. They don't erase what you did."
Qing Li lowered his eyes once more. "But we don't know where is he alone all these years." Hei Long looked toward the dark shrine and quietly replied, "Then we'll make sure he won't be alone anymore." Wang Xio, who had been silently listening nearby, stepped forward. His expression remained calm, but there was unmistakable determination in his eyes. "If Ling Yuan truly disappeared because of the Threads..." he said firmly, "then our task isn't to drown in regret." He looked at both of them before continuing. "It's to uncover the truth."
Qing Li slowly wiped away the tears on his face.He took a slow breath and nodded once. "You're right." He looked toward the darkness ahead, his voice becoming steadier. "This time..." He clenched his fists once more."I won't let what happened to Ling Yuan happen to anyone else." His breathing deepened as he took a step forward, looking toward the broken shrine floor as if it still held traces of Ling Yuan's presence. "I'll destroy the Threads," he said quietly at first, then louder, more certain. "I'll destroy every single one of them if that's what it takes." His eyes darkened with resolve. "They took him away from us. They made us forget him. They made him disappear in front of us like he was nothing..." His voice cracked slightly, but he forced himself to continue. "I won't forgive that."
Hei Long's expression changed slightly, concern mixing with understanding. He stepped closer and spoke gently, "Qing Li... revenge won't bring him back." Qing Li shook his head. "I'm not doing this for revenge." His voice tightened. "I'm doing this so no one else has to stand here and feel this emptiness." He looked at Hei Long directly. "You said it yourself. Someone stole our memories. Someone is playing with people's lives like this is nothing." His gaze hardened. "Then I'll find them."
Wang Xio quietly observed him for a moment before speaking in a calm but serious tone. "If you're going to walk that path, you need to understand what you're facing." Qing Li turned toward him. Wang Xio continued, "The Threads are not just something you can cut or burn. They connect memories, fate, emotions... even identity." He paused slightly. "If you destroy them without understanding them fully, you might lose more than just your enemy." Qing Li didn't hesitate. "I've already lost too much." His voice dropped, heavy with emotion. "Ling Yuan is already gone. I don't care what I lose anymore... as long as this stops."
Hei Long looked at Qing li for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "Then we don't fight blindly," he said quietly. "We fight together." Qing li gave a small nod in return. "Together." Wang Xio exhaled softly and looked toward the dark path ahead. "Then our next step is clear." He tightened his grip slightly. "We find the source of the Threads... and we start from there."
Back to present they reached village.Lin Chen exhaled while glancing back at the fading shrine above the mist. "So...we're really just leaving it like that?" he asked softly. Chen yu tightened his grip on his staff, his expression tense but controlled. "We don't have a choice tonight. The old man said every moment we stay, something gets closer to despair." Zhao Ming nodded slowly, his eyes still distant as if replaying the warning about memories breaking into reality. "We're not ready to face something like that in the dark." Yan Luo walked slightly ahead, his voice low and firm without turning back. "Rest first. If the world is going to collapse, we'll need steady hands tomorrow."
That night, they gathered in a small resting house at the edge of the mountain village.
Xu Yang sat near the window, staring at the dark horizon where the shrine stood hidden, his mind replaying the old man's final warning about "which part answers."Chen Yu broke the silence first, his voice low as he adjusted his grip on his staff. "We're really going back there tomorrow, right?" he asked, glancing toward Xu Yang. Xu Yang didn't turn, but his voice came quietly. "We don't have another direction."
Chen Yu frowned slightly. "That place didn't feel like it was warning us to return." Yan Luo, sitting near the door with his arms folded, replied flatly, "Warnings don't matter. Only timing does." Zhao Ming exhaled slowly as he leaned back against the wall. "If the barrier between memory and reality is truly breaking… then delaying won't help either way." Lin Chen shifted uncomfortably on the floor, pulling his cloak tighter around himself. "Why does every answer we get make things worse instead of clearer?" he muttered. No one responded to that.Xu Yang spoke after a pause. "Because we're not being given answers." His gaze remained fixed on the distant darkness. "We're being shown consequences before choices."
After few minutes one by one, the others finally drifted into sleep. Chen Yu leaned against the wall with his staff beside him, breathing steady but tired. Zhao Ming had already fallen asleep with talismans still loosely held in his hand. Lin Chen lay on his side, his expression relaxed after hours of unease. Even Yan Luo,who had resisted sleep the longest, eventually closed his eyes in silence. Soon only Xu Yang remained awake, the faint wind brushing against the wooden window frame.
He leaned back slightly, his eyes still open as thoughts pressed in heavily. Why is this world like this…? Why is everything always so complicated? he thought bitterly. His gaze lowered to his hand. When can I return home? Is every story like this, or am I just unlucky enough to be inside one that never lets go?Then his attention shifted to the rose mark on his wrist.Xu Yang frowned deeply.
This mark… again. he thought. Why does it react when I think about certain things? Or when I get close to… that shrine? His fingers slowly brushed over it, and for a brief moment, a faint warmth spread through his arm. It's like something is responding inside me… like it's listening. Or marking me.
Am I even fully myself in this world? he wondered. Or am I just a piece being moved without knowing the board? His eyes narrowed slightly. The old man said the barrier is breaking… memory and reality mixing… then what am I? Memory? Reality? Or something in between?The glow of the mark flickered once more.Xu Yang's breath slowed. And why does it feel like… I've seen that shrine before? Not as Xu Yang here… but somewhere deeper. A faint pressure built in his chest. Like I've forgotten something important on purpose. His hand curled slightly over the mark.If I keep going like this… will I still be me at the end?
His expression tightened as another thought about Shou Heng and Yue Ning. He remembered the old man's words about separation born from different natures one demon, one human, two paths that could never fully align. His fingers curled slightly.
Does it really hurt this much to be different? he thought quietly. Is this what heaven allows? Or does heaven even care at all?
Demon and human… why does that alone become a sentence? he wondered. They didn't choose what they were born as. They didn't choose their nature. So why is love the first thing the world tries to punish?If a demon can feel love… if a human can feel it too… then what makes it wrong? His brows tightened slightly. Is it because it threatens order? Or because it proves that "order" was never fair to begin with?
His fingers pressed lightly against his palm.
Maybe it's not about good or evil at all, he thought more slowly now. Maybe it's just about labels. Demon. Human. As if names decide who gets to stay together and who gets torn apart. A faint memory of Shou Heng and Yue Ning's separation crossed his mind again, sharper this time.If they were truly meant to be separate… why did they meet at all? Why give something real just to destroy it later?His expression darkened.Or was it never about destiny… he thought, but about someone making sure they couldn't exist peacefully?
His grip loosened slightly.If I ever stand in front of something like that… would I choose rules… or people? A pause followed in his mind. And if I choose people… does that make me wrong in this world?The lantern flickered softly.Xu Yang exhaled slowly.
Maybe demons aren't the real problem, he thought finally. Maybe the real problem is a world that decides who deserves love before they even try to give it.
Choice... Xu Yang repeated inwardly. The old man had spoken that word so simply, yet now it felt heavier than any weapon Xu Yang had ever carried. Every disaster begins with a choice... and every miracle begins with one too. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his lips. That's easy to say when you're not the one who has to make it. He lowered his gaze to the wooden floor, his thoughts growing heavier with every passing moment. If Shou Heng really still has a choice... then tomorrow we'll have one too.
He fell silent for a moment. Do we try to save him... even if he attacks us? The question lingered painfully in his mind. Or do we kill him before he becomes something even worse? Neither answer felt right. One could cost a life. The other could destroy the last hope that remained. Xu Yang slowly closed his eyes and let out a quiet breath. And what if we're already too late? If Shou Heng had already lost himself completely... if the man they wanted to save no longer existed... then what would tomorrow become? A rescue... or an execution?
He slowly closed his eyes.The flickering lantern blurred before his eyes.Before he realized it, Xu Yang finally fell asleep.After few minutes he slowly opened his eyes and found himself standing in a wide grassy field beneath a bright blue sky. Laughter echoed nearby. "Xu Yang!" someone called happily. "Over here!" He turned instinctively. A young boy stood several steps away, waving at him with a bright smile.That young boy was Ling yuan. Before Xu Yang could react, another boy ran past him laughing loudly. "Hurry up!" Qing Li shouted. "Wang Xiao is losing again!" "I'm not losing!" Wang Xiao yelled as he chased after him with a wooden sword in his hand. "You cheated!" Qing Li laughed even harder. "You always say that!"
Nearby, Yan Luo stood with his arms folded, watching the two with an expression that tried very hard to stay serious. "You're both too noisy!" he muttered. "Then come catch us!" Qing Li laughed before running away again. Yan Luo sighed but eventually chased after them. Xu Yang could only stare.Then a quiet voice suddenly spoke beside him. "Here." Xu Yang turned his head. Hei Long stood there holding a freshly picked white flower. Without saying anything else, he gently placed it into Xu Yang's hand. "It suits you," Hei Long said with a small smile. Xu Yang looked down at the flower before looking back up in confusion. "For me?" Hei Long nodded. "Mm." Before Xu Yang could ask another question, Ling Yuan walked over with an easy smile and casually draped an arm across his shoulders. "You've been standing there forever," he laughed. "What are you thinking about this time?"
Xu Yang blinked. "I..." Ling Yuan chuckled. "See? You're making that face again." Qing Li pointed toward them and burst into laughter. "Look! Xu Yang always freezes whenever Ling Yuan talks to him!" Wang Xiao laughed so hard he nearly dropped his wooden sword. Even Yan Luo looked away to hide a faint smile. Xu Yang felt strangely embarrassed. "Stop laughing." "Then stop making that face," Qing Li teased. Before long, even Xu Yang found himself smiling. Somehow... it all felt natural.
Time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. The six children sat together beneath a large tree while sharing fruit. Qing Li secretly reached for another peach, only for Ling Yuan to lightly tap the back of his hand. "That's your third one." Qing Li immediately shook his head. "Second." Ling Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Fourth." Wang Xiao burst into laughter. "Caught again!" Qing Li sighed dramatically. "You always notice everything." Ling Yuan smiled. "Someone has to." Hei Long quietly began weaving flower crowns from the white blossoms beside him. A few moments later, he gently placed one on Xu Yang's head. "Now it really suits you." Xu Yang reached up and touched it awkwardly. "Does it?" Ling Yuan looked at him for a moment before smiling warmly. "It does." Xu Yang rubbed the back of his neck. "You two are making fun of me." "We're not!" Ling Yuan replied with a soft laugh.
As evening arrived, the six children climbed onto a grassy hill overlooking the valley. The golden sunset slowly faded until a full moon rose above the mountains.They sat side by side beneath the moonlight without speaking.After a while,Qing Li smiled brightly. "Let's always stay together." Wang Xiao immediately nodded. "Forever." Hei Long quietly echoed, "Forever." Yan Luo looked away. "I guess that's fine." Everyone laughed. Ling Yuan then turned toward Xu Yang. "What about you?" Xu Yang looked at each of them before smiling without hesitation. "Yeah." His voice was gentle."Let's stay together forever." Ling Yuan's smile became even warmer. He slowly held out his little finger. "Promise?" Xu yang smiled and hooked his own little finger around Ling yuan's."Promise."
The moment their fingers touched, the entire world suddenly trembled. The laughter became distant and cracks spread across the sky.Everything around them began breaking apart like shattered glass.Xu Yang's eyes flew open. He sat upright so quickly that his breathing became uneven. "Ling Yuan..." he whispered before he even realized he had spoken. The room remained dark and silent. Everyone else was still asleep.
Xu Yang stared blankly ahead while his heart pounded violently. Then he felt pain inside his head. "Ah...!" He grabbed both sides of his head as countless fragments rushed into his mind. Children running through the village. The six of them training together. Eating together. Laughing together. Ling Yuan protecting Qing Li from falling into the river. Yan Luo quietly helping Wang Xiao practice swordsmanship. Hei Long placing flowers into Xu Yang's hands every spring. They weren't just friends. They were family.
Xu Yang's pupils trembled. "So..." he whispered shakily. "The original Xu yang was connected with everyone." He clenched his fists. "They... were childhood friends." His breathing grew heavier. "That's why..." He lowered his head in disbelief. "That's why everything feels so familiar." He felt dizzy then he remembered another past memories in this he saw beautiful flower-shaped crystal glowing beneath the sunlight.Qing Li smiling innocently as he reached toward it. "It's beautiful..." Ling Yuan shouted, "Don't touch it!" But it was too late. The moment Qing Li's fingers touched the crystal, countless colorful Threads burst into the sky. The earth shook violently. Children screamed. Then he remembered how threads started attacking and Ling Yuan was coughing blood and next he disappeared in endless darkness.
Xu Yang's breathing became ragged. "What the hell...?" he whispered, staring into the darkness of the room. "So we no...I meant they used to be happy." His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white. "And those Threads..." He lowered his head. "...changed all of our lives." His thoughts became even more chaotic. "Then why am I here?" he murmured. "Am I here to finish what the original Xu Yang couldn't? To take revenge?" He immediately shook his head. "No... that doesn't feel right."
Another question surfaced. "Then why don't Qing Li and Yan Luo remember me?" His brows drew tightly together. "They looked at me like I was a complete stranger." He froze as another possibility entered his mind. "Were their memories erased?" A chill ran through his body. "Or..." His eyes slowly widened. "Did Heaven erase them?" "Was it the Threads... or Heaven?" Suddenly another wave of pain surged through his head. "Ah...!" Xu Yang squeezed his eyes shut as his vision blurred. "Why... why is my head spinning?" His breathing became uneven. "Is this because..." He gritted his teeth through the pain. "...I'm remembering the original Xu Yang's memories?" The pain continued for several moments before gradually fading. Xu Yang slowly lay back down on the bed, still breathing heavily. "Ahhh! My head! I can't think now!" he whispered tiredly. "I'll think about everything later.Let me sleep for second!"