Xu Tian didn't sleep.
He kept listening.
Watching.
Thinking.
After a while, he felt it again.
That faint presence.
Outside.
Not moving.
Just there.
Xu Tian's body tensed.
"…If you're out there," he said-
The wind didn't stop.
Xu Tian stood where he was for a moment, watching the place where the beasts had disappeared. Snow kept falling, slowly covering their tracks until nothing was left.
Everything went quiet again.
Too quiet.
He looked down at the children in his arms. Their breathing was weak, but steady.
"…We need somewhere to stay," he said softly.
Standing here wouldn't work.
The cold alone would kill them.
Xu Tian adjusted the cloak around them and started walking again.
This time, he moved more carefully.
Not because of the path.
Because of everything else.
The mountain didn't feel empty anymore.
There was something here.
He could feel it faintly, like a presence hidden beneath the silence.
Xu Tian frowned.
"…Was it always like this?"
A strong gust of wind hit him from the side, forcing him to stop. Snow rushed across his face, making it hard to see.
He turned slightly, shielding the children with his body.
When the wind passed, something caught his attention.
A dark shape between the rocks.
Xu Tian stepped closer.
It was a cave.
Small, but enough.
"…This will do."
He stepped inside.
The difference was immediate.
The wind was gone.
The cold was still there, but it felt less harsh.
Xu Tian let out a slow breath and leaned against the wall.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then he looked at his hands.
"…What happened earlier?" he murmured.
He tried to recall it.
The movement.
The impact.
None of it made sense.
Xu Tian clenched his hand.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
"…So I can't control it."
A soft cry broke the silence.
The boy stirred.
Xu Tian looked down quickly.
"It's alright," he said quietly.
He adjusted the cloth again.
The girl opened her eyes.
Calm.
Watching.
Xu Tian paused.
"…You're not scared?" he asked.
She didn't respond.
Xu Tian let out a quiet breath.
"…Then I won't be either."
He slowly sat down against the cave wall, holding them close.
The storm continued outside.
Inside, it was still.
quietly, "stay out."
No response came.
The feeling stayed for a few moments.
Then it faded.
Xu Tian didn't relax.
"…This place isn't safe either."
But it would have to do.
For now.