It was a long time before Steelmind returned from the hilltop, tear stains still somewhat visible on his cheeks. He wiped them even as he came down and found Shen Yaojia standing in wait for him.
He watched her from a distance and stopped when he arrived before her.
"How were his final days?" he asked.
"Peaceful," she said. "He didn't want me to see him pass away, so he entered closed cultivation during the last two days. That letter was written around five days before he died."
"You got to spend time with him during those other days?" he asked.
Shen Yaojia nodded.
"That's good. I would've hated the thought of my brother passing away without getting to say his goodbyes," he said. "How are you holding up?"
Shen Yaojia smiled faintly. "It's been many years now. I've more or less found peace with his death. It still stings to remember he's not around any longer, but I've accepted that he's moved on to better places."
