As Yuyan saw the shock on Mei's face, she smiled faintly and let the small flame continue to dance in her palm. The golden light flickered softly, casting warm shadows across the room.
Mei could only stare, her mouth slightly open, eyes wide with disbelief. "H–how did you do that?" she stammered, her voice shaking. She had never seen anything like it before.
Her innocent reaction made Yuyan chuckle quietly. Then, with a gentle motion, Yuyan closed her fingers, and the flame vanished on its own, leaving only a faint trace of warmth in the air.
Without thinking, Mei rushed forward and grabbed Yuyan's hand, turning it over anxiously. Her brows furrowed as she searched for burns or scars. "You… you're not hurt?" she whispered.
Yuyan smiled softly, her voice calm. "No, Mei. Fire listens to me. It doesn't harm me."
Mei blinked, staring at her in shock. Before she could find her voice, Yuyan gently placed a hand on her shoulder. In an instant, the world around them changed, the next thing Mei knew, they were standing in the forest, far from the capital.
"What...?" Mei gasped, spinning around in circles, trying to make sense of what just happened. "How did you even do that?" she asked in disbelief.
"Sit down, Mei," Yuyan said softly, guiding her to a small stone. Mei blinked again, wide-eyed like a lost child, her confusion only making Yuyan chuckle.
"Listen to me, Mei," Yuyan said, her tone turning serious. Mei blinked harder, sensing the change in her voice.
"Mei," Yuyan called again, drawing her attention. "I am a witch," she said firmly, her expression calm and sincere. "Like Leng Yue, my brother. And Tian Yu is a vampire."
Mei's eyes widened. She jumped up as if the stone beneath her had caught fire. "No! That can't be! We grew up together with Leng Yue, I've never seen you fly! And your husband, he's too handsome to be a vampire. Vampires have fangs and red eyes!" she said quickly, her voice trembling between fear and amazement.
Yuyan smiled faintly and gestured for her to sit again. "If my husband has no family, no relatives at all, what do you think?" she asked gently.
Mei was silent for a moment, staring at her in confusion. "But… have you always been a witch?" she finally asked.
Yuyan nodded, her smile soft. "I recalled my past life as a witch, and I remembered my past life with Tian Yu. The moment I regained those memories, my powers returned too."
"That means you were reborn or something?" Mei asked, almost whispering, as if she was trying to convince herself.
Yuyan nodded again, her smile patient.
"What about Tian Yu? Was he reborn too?" Mei pressed on, struggling to understand.
"No," Yuyan said calmly. "He had been sleeping."
"Sleeping?" Mei repeated, blinking in disbelief. Yuyan's lips curved into a smile; she found her friend's reactions both adorable and amusing.
"How long did he sleep… to be reunited with you?" Mei asked, eyes searching Yuyan's face for the truth.
"Five hundred years," Yuyan replied, her voice steady, almost proud.
Mei's lips parted in awe. "How is that even possible…" she whispered.
She blinked rapidly, trying to process everything. "I… I know angels and devils exist," she stammered. "But witches and vampires? I thought those were just fairytales." Her voice trembled, her disbelief fighting with the truth in Yuyan's calm eyes.
"But you… you are you," she added softly, almost as if she was trying to convince herself that the person sitting in front of her was still her friend, the same Yuyan she'd always known. "What are vampires really? And how… how was Tian Yu able to sleep for that long?"
Yuyan's gaze softened as she studied Mei's face, the confusion, the fear, and the innocent curiosity all tangled together. She took a quiet breath and said gently, "Let me tell you everything, just as my mother told me in my past life."
Mei's eyes widened with anticipation. She sat still, barely breathing, afraid to interrupt even a single word.
"You see," Yuyan began, her voice low and steady, "before God created mankind, He had already created the angels and the devil. The angels were formed from light, and the devil, who was once among the angels, was created from smokeless fire."
Her eyes flickered as she spoke, remembering her mother words.
"The devil lived among the angels because of his service and devotion to God. He praised God with the purest of voices and fought against evil beside the angels. But everything changed the day God announced His intention, to create a vicegerent, a being of the earth."
Yuyan paused, her tone deepening. "Jealousy crept into the devil's heart. He couldn't bear the thought of another creation being favored above him."
Mei's brows furrowed, listening with full attention.
"When God created the first human," Yuyan continued, "before breathing life into him, the devil approached. He circled the lifeless form with disdain and curiosity. 'Is this what God claim will be better than me?' he said arrogantly. Out of pride, he touched the lifeless form, trying to enter him, through the nose, the ears, the mouth, but every time, he came out through another part, mocking the lifeless figure. 'So weak and full of holes,' he said, 'is this the one God call superior?'"
Yuyan's voice softened, carrying sorrow and warning. "When God finally breathed life into the first human, He commanded the angels to bow before him. They all obeyed, except the devil. Pride consumed him. He refused to bow."
Her tone grew cold. "And so, God cursed him. Instead of repenting, the devil asked for time, until the day the trumpet is blown, to deceive mankind. He swore he would follow humans from every direction, leading them astray."
"And God," she whispered, "granted him that time, but warned that he would never mislead the sincere servants of God."
Silence fell between them. Only the rustling of the trees and the soft whisper of the wind filled the space. Mei's eyes were wide, her lips parted slightly.
"So that's… how it all began?" she asked in awe.