Feng Lihan flew through the dark sky, his red wings slicing through the cold mountain wind. Below him, endless ridges and valleys passed one after another, but none held the presence he was desperately searching for. His heart was tight with worry. He had searched everywhere—clan borders, abandoned paths, forbidden forests—calling Lin Yue's name into the wind, only to be answered by silence.
Where are you…
Just as doubt began to creep in, a faint scent brushed against his senses.
His wings stilled midair.
That scent—soft, familiar, etched deep into his instincts—was Lin Yue's.
Feng Lihan turned sharply, following it without hesitation. The trail led him toward a narrow mountain pass hidden between steep cliffs. There, half-concealed by jagged rocks, stood a dark cave.
He landed at once and stepped inside.
Firelight flickered against the stone walls, and the sight before him made his breath catch.
Lin Yue was there.
He looked tired, thinner than before, but alive. Beside him stood Mo Shan of the Snake Clan, his posture guarded yet calm. Feng Lihan's gaze swept over Lin Yue quickly, searching for injuries. When he saw that Lin Yue was unharmed, the tension crushing his chest finally cracked.
Before anyone could speak, Feng Lihan crossed the cave in long strides and pulled Lin Yue into his arms.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Feng Lihan said hoarsely, his grip tightening as if afraid Lin Yue might disappear again. "I searched everywhere. There isn't a place I didn't look."
Lin Yue froze for a heartbeat. Then his body trembled.
"You… you really came for me?" Lin Yue whispered.
"I was terrified," Feng Lihan admitted quietly. "I thought I'd lost you."
Tears welled up in Lin Yue's eyes. He clutched Feng Lihan's clothes tightly and pressed his face against his chest. The fear and loneliness he had endured finally spilled over, and he began to cry.
"I thought you wouldn't find me," Lin Yue sobbed. "I thought you'd stopped looking."
Feng Lihan's heart twisted painfully. He wrapped his wings slightly around Lin Yue, shielding him from the cold cave air.
"Never," he said firmly. "If you disappear, I'll search until I find you. If you fall, I'll come after you. You are not alone."
Lin Yue nodded weakly, tears soaking Feng Lihan's shoulder, but his grip never loosened.
From the side, Mo Shan watched in silence. For the first time since his exile, something warm stirred in his chest—not bitterness, but hope. He had lived too long believing he was destined to be abandoned.
Feng Lihan finally lifted his head and looked at Mo Shan, his expression serious but respectful. "You protected him."
Mo Shan inclined his head slightly. "I did what I could."
Feng Lihan nodded. "Then you have my gratitude."
He looked back down at Lin Yue, brushing his hair gently. "Let's go home," he said softly.
Lin Yue lifted his tear-streaked face and managed a small smile.
But before going there is something i want to say...
Outside, the mountain wind howled, but inside, warmth, relief, and the promise of standing together replaced the darkness.