AN: So sorry, one chapter today. I really needed a break. Happy reading!
Jian Ci had no idea he had a fever and he was trapped in a nightmare.
In his dream, chains bit into Yu Xi's wrists, cold and unrelenting, slick with blood and sweat. His arms hung limp above his head, his knees barely holding him up.
The cell was just as he remembered—stone walls slick with condensation, the air thick with rot and iron. The only light came from a single flickering bulb overhead, casting long, twitching shadows across the floor..And in front of him stood Gander, his father.
Clad in black, his expression unreadable, Gander paced slowly, the echo of his boots a metronome of dread. In his hand, he held a thin rod of psychic steel, humming faintly with suppressed energy.
"You are pathetic," Gander said, voice low and smooth. "Still pretending you're strong. Still clinging to that brittle pride."
Yu Xi didn't answer. His throat was raw, his lips cracked. He could barely lift his head.
