The moon hung low in the sky, swollen and pale like an ancient eye watching from beyond the clouds.
Mist crawled along the forest floor, clinging to roots and rocks like memories that refused to die. It was here, at the edge of the Spirit Willow Grove, that fate arranged for three hearts to unravel.
Lin Fan stood under the willow's arching branches, breath fogging in the night air. His hands trembled—not from fear, but from desperation.
Across from him, illuminated by the moonlight and the gentle bioluminescence of spirit petals, stood Mu Lanyue.
Her hair danced on the wind, silver strands glowing like starlight. She was dressed in an elegant azure robe embroidered with phoenix feathers, her back straight, her gaze distant.
And beside her… stood Hei Long.
