Yangyang's home. The study.
"So they really are... that extraordinary."
Having uncovered the truth buried in the old texts, having all but confirmed who MRover and FRover were, Yangyang felt the strength drain from her legs. She stumbled back until her shoulders hit the wall, then slid down to the floor.
She couldn't name what she was feeling. Heroes who should have existed only in legend had walked beside her today, had fought through a life-or-death battle at her side.
Across the city, Baizhi had arrived at the same conclusion through her own trail of records. It felt equally unreal.
Both women tried to calm themselves and found, with no small frustration, that they couldn't. Every time they closed their eyes, the same two figures filled their thoughts. Tonight, sleep was out of the question.
They weren't the only ones.
An unusual number of people in Jinzhou had no intention of sleeping tonight.
...
"These people. They never quit."
"More of them outside the window. The presence just got stronger."
The bed was soft and not especially large, but it fit two people with room to spare. The two of them lay side by side, heads on adjacent pillows, staring at the ceiling with twitching eyelids.
They were exhausted. Under normal circumstances, either of them could have been asleep in three seconds flat.
Not tonight. Not with that many eyes watching from outside.
A shared sigh. Then, moving in perfect sync, both turned onto their sides to face each other.
Golden irises glowed faintly even in the dark. Looking at each other's face, the restless irritation gnawing at them both began to settle. So...
She shifted closer.
He did the same.
Until only a breath separated them, until one filled the other's entire field of vision.
Much better. And... she's really pretty.
Much better. And... he's really handsome.
Even this close, neither felt a shred of embarrassment. No racing pulse, no flushed cheeks. Only comfort, calm, and the quiet pull to be closer still.
In truth, they'd turned to face each other so they could whisper about the stalkers outside.
"Didn't expect them to follow us all the way here and skip sleep over it."
"Two new presences joined. Both feel dangerous."
"I'm so tired. We've got a mountain of things to do tomorrow."
"Let's go out there and beat them all senseless."
She'd already summoned her Sword from the Tacet Mark, ready to vault through the window and deal with every last one of them.
He shook his head. She didn't know who the two newcomers were, but he did. Two Fractsidus Overseers, both formidable and both dangerous.
Phrolova. And Scar.
Picking a fight now would be reckless. Not because they couldn't win, but because this was Jinzhou. If Resonators of that caliber clashed here, civilians would pay the price.
As for the rest of the watchers outside, a butterfly, a camellia, and a blade of cold steel, none of them were enemies. No reason to fight.
"Still, we need to do something about this," he said, checking the time. "Otherwise neither of us is sleeping tonight."
The other three were harmless enough to ignore. Phrolova and Scar were not. With those two lurking out there, letting their guard down was impossible.
He was still turning solutions over in his mind when she spoke up.
"I've got it. We take shifts. Watch over each other."
His eyes lit up. "You mean stand guard? Done. You sleep first. I'll keep eyes on them until you wake."
"All right. I'm counting on you." She smiled and nodded, grateful once more for his presence.
The last sliver of distance between them vanished. He drew her into his arms, and she placed her Sword in his hand before settling into the curve of his shoulder and closing her eyes.
Steady breathing followed within moments. He looked down at her, curled against him like a black cat, and a smile crept across his face unbidden. Then his arms tightened, and a wave of pressure radiated outward.
One hand cradled her head. The other rested against her back. Both hands gripped a Swift Blade. Brilliant golden eyes fixed on the window with razor focus.
A silent warning to every hostile presence outside.
I'm watching. Don't disturb her again.
And the girl wrapped inside that pressure?
She had never slept so soundly.
...
"Ha! Now this is interesting. Two Rovers!"
"So the intelligence was real. Color me surprised."
Not far from Yangyang's home, a man and a woman in crimson stood watching the house with naked fascination. They could feel the twin presences inside, identical in signature, and the surprise showed plainly on both their faces.
When the report about two Rovers first reached them, they'd killed the messenger on the spot, certain it was the raving of a lunatic. Turns out it wasn't.
The intelligence officer, somewhere in the afterlife: So... I died for nothing?!
"This complicates things." The woman held a vivid red Spider Lily between her fingers, her tone cool. "Even she alone was an unpredictable variable for our plans. Now there's a him as well. That makes things entirely uncontrollable."
Her gaze drifted toward the room where the two Rovers rested.
Something bitter and aching flickered in her mismatched eyes, one blue, one red.
"No matter. How far they can go is something we'll only know through direct contact. Tomorrow I'll..." The man paused, then grinned. "Well. Seems we've been noticed."
"My, my. Discovered already."
"Ha ha ha! Wonderful! That killing intent is no joke!"
The man's face bore the unmistakable texture of old burns. Excitement blazed in his eyes as a pitch-black card materialized in his hand, spinning between his fingers like a knife. He was already coiling to strike.
"Show me what you've got, right here, right n..."
"Stop. This isn't the time for your tantrums."
A Spider Lily pressed against the back of his skull. The woman glared at the lunatic before her with open contempt. If he caused a scene now, what happened to the rest of their plan?
Besides, this was Jinzhou. Weakened as it was, provoke the city and they'd have a serious problem on their hands.
"You're no fun, Phrolova. Stop obsessing over your perfect symphony. We're Fractsidus. Why not live a little?"
"Scar. Don't lump me in with you."
"Fine, fine. I'll play nice. For now." A dark smile spread across his face. "The longer the wait, the sweeter the kill."
He slid a loaded glance at the woman beside him, then turned that feverish stare back toward the bedroom window.
The warning pressure from inside washed over him.
He licked his lips.
The night stretched on like an abyss, dark currents churning beneath the surface.
Rover didn't care about any of it. He held a Sword in each hand and kept silent vigil over the girl in his arms.
Hours later, golden eyes opened.
Every trace of fatigue had burned away.
Except...
"I overslept. You didn't wake me."
The warmth of his arms, the comfort of that shoulder. She'd slept far longer than intended. A glance at the clock told her dawn wasn't far off.
"On purpose," he said, voice soft and indulgent. A yawn escaped him despite his best efforts.
She was quiet for a moment. "Thank you. My turn now." She took both Swords from his hands.
"No 'thank you' between us. I'm leaving it to you."
Then, mirroring what he'd done for her, she pulled him down against her chest. The difference in build meant his arms had wrapped around her torso, while hers could only cradle his head.
It didn't matter. Gender was the only thing that separated them. Watching him sleep against her like a black cat of his own, she guarded him with everything she had.
And looking at his face, something strange and certain settled inside her.
This person is a gift that fate placed in my path.
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Note: Guys, this is so peak, I don't care what anyone says... I'm dropping like… hmm, 10 chapters tomorrow. Maybe more. (Hopefully)