"Ren-Ren~ You need to talk more~ Live! Laugh!"
"…"
Diào Rén didn't glance up from the path ahead. His boots crunched softly against the cobblestones. Dark layers of his clothing shifted with his movement, the ropes along his torso tracing subtle, almost unconscious patterns. The lone triangle earring caught the faint light, and the charms dangling from his belt jingled softly with each step.
"Why speak if words are unnecessary?" He thought.
"I prefer Hang," he muttered, voice low, eyes fixed on the ground. His expression remained pensive, melancholic as ever.
Lian bounced lightly on her feet, eyes bright in the lantern glow. "Not even a smile? For me? Ah, you make it so hard sometimes."
"I am smiling," Hang said, almost without conviction.
Her laughter rang out, light and teasing. "Sure you are. That's why your face is so serious."
Hang sighed softly, running a hand through his smoky-black hair streaked with navy blue. "You talk too much."
"And you talk too little," Lian shot back, grinning. "Balance, Ren-Ren. You need balance in your life."
They walked in silence for a few moments, the lantern light stretching across wet cobblestones. Lian kicked at a pebble, sending it skittering.
"You know," she said, nudging him lightly, "people don't just notice words. They notice how you feel. Your silence… it tells a story. Not everyone understands that."
Hang's heterochromatic eyes—one deep brown, one pale blue—flicked toward her. Faint silver rings shimmered at the edges, subtle as thought. "And?"
"And," she leaned closer, conspiratorial grin in place, "if you never show a little of yourself, people might think you don't care. Even if you do. Sometimes… letting yourself care is enough. You can't carry everyone else's hearts without showing your own."
He was quiet for a long moment, absorbing her words, letting the weight of them settle in the stillness around him. The streets held their breath; not a soul stirred.
Eventually, they reached a fork in the road. Lian tugged gently at his sleeve. "I have something to do. It'll take a while. Long, long time. You… take the right path. I won't be there to guide you~"
"Okay," Hang said bluntly, eyes fixed on the ground.
"Even though you should," she added with a wink, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, "don't worry about me. I'll be back before you smile. And hey… remember what I said. Don't just hide inside yourself, Ren-Ren. The world's full of people. You don't have to carry it alone."
With that, she disappeared down the left path, her laughter fading into the mist.
Alone, Hang slowed his pace. The reflections in the puddles rippled strangely, though no wind stirred. One pool shimmered faintly, almost alive, drawing his gaze.
He crouched closer. The water's surface rippled again, stretching upward into a faint doorway of light.
Hang froze. The brilliance was blinding, yet impossibly inviting. Without fully thinking, he stepped forward.
Before he could blink, the familiar streets had vanished.
Blinking, Hang found himself in a wide courtyard unlike anything he had ever seen. Buildings rose in all directions, rooftops curved and painted in vivid colors.
Between the structures floated bridges and platforms that defied gravity. Lanterns drifted slowly through the air. Shadows impossible angles, distant laughter echoed from unseen corners. Birds—or something like birds, feathers glimmering—darted overhead, leaving trails of light as they carried boxes to unknown destinations.
He tensed. Beautiful, yes—but alien. Nothing resembled the world he had known.
"Bright. I hate bright."
A soft rustle drew his attention away from his thoughts.
"Hey!" a melodic, curious voice called. "You look… lost."
Hang turned to see a young girl on a raised platform. Fox ears twitched atop her head, a long, silvery-orange tail flicked behind her. She wore flowing robes patterned with constellations; her eyes glimmered amber, sunlight caught in crystal.
"Demi-Humans. Violent. Not very intelligent." He notes. But, they should be capable of giving locations at the very least.
"Demi-Human?" Hang asked cautiously, voice low. "Where am I?"
The fox-girl tilted her head, studying him. "Demi-Human? I'm a Foxian, actually."
"Not a Demi-Human."
She paused thoughtfully, then smiled. "And as for where you are… hmm…" She stepped gracefully down into the courtyard. "You don't look like you're from around here. Your clothes… your stance… unusual. A tourist, perhaps?"
Hang pauses, shoulders slightly hunched. "I don't know. I just appeared here."
Her eyes widened, amusement flickering across her features. "Appeared? That's… rare. Most wander knowing exactly where they're going, or at least where they came from."
He glanced at the floating bridges, lanterns, and impossible architecture. "This place… it doesn't feel real. Is this… a city?"
The Foxian laughed softly, warm and tinkling. "Perhaps. You're in the Xianzhou Luofu, to be precise."
Hang's heterochromatic eyes scanned the elegant, gravity-defying landscape. "Xianzhou Luofu… and you live here?"
"I do," she said, curling her tail around her legs as she perched lightly on a nearby ledge. "Well, most of the time. There's a lot to see, if you're curious. And I think you are, aren't you?"
Curiosity and unease twisted in his chest, yet for the first time since leaving the streets behind, a small thread of possibility tugged at him.
The Foxian grinned knowingly. "Come on, then. I'll show you around. Call me Yunmei. But no funny business, okay? The Luofu can be tricky for strangers."
"Following." Hang looks around at the buildings. The citizens, the technology, everything. This place was much brighter than his own world. "Nothing bad should happen."
Hang nods slowly, heterochromatic eyes alert, and followed—cautious, observant, still very much suspended between curiosity and hesitation. However, he has to ask.
"This place is too peaceful. Something bad will happen soon."
Yunmei turned around to look at him, her eyes giving him a look of exasperation.
"Nothing bad has happened to us for a long, long time. You seem like a downer, don't you? Hm. Why don't we stop by and get some Immortal's Delight first, then?"
"Immortality. More a curse than blessing. Delightful..?"
Hang nods slowly yet again.
"Okay," he agrees monotonously. "Is it death?"
"Maybe if you drink too much!"
"Isn't that everything..?"