Chapter 19 – Echoes of the Living
The crimson dawn had already faded from the sky.
Only the quiet shimmer of Emberfall Lake remained — calm, gentle ripples breaking the reflection of two silhouettes sitting by the water.
Alicia sat cross-legged on a flat stone, hands resting on her knees. Her cloak fluttered slightly in the morning breeze. Across from her, Vaibhav leaned back, staring at the wavering horizon with tired eyes. The faint green glow that had pulsed in his chest last night was gone, leaving behind nothing but ache and questions.
For a long while, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the soft hum of the water and Shin's light snoring somewhere behind them, sprawled near the dying campfire.
Alicia broke the silence first.
> "When you fight," she said quietly, "do you ever feel afraid?"
Vaibhav turned toward her, blinking as if pulled from a trance. "Afraid?"
He thought for a moment, staring at his hands. There were still faint scars on his knuckles, small reminders of something far larger that had happened through them.
Finally, he exhaled.
> "Always," he admitted. "But the fear burns away first. Then everything else."
Alicia tilted her head slightly, watching him. A faint smile touched her lips — small, real, and strangely sad.
> "Then you're still human," she said softly.
Vaibhav looked at her, puzzled. "Still human?"
> "People who stop being afraid," she said, eyes drifting toward the lake, "stop being people."
Her tone was warm but carried something bittersweet, The sunlight caught her hair, scattering gold across the surface of the lake. For a moment, he almost forgot to answer.
He smiled faintly. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Alicia didn't reply, but her lips curved just enough for him to know she'd heard.
By noon, the air shimmered again. A vertical line of silver light opened above the lake, expanding into a gate of swirling radiance — Nexus Gate.
The distortion pulsed once, humming with deep, resonant power.
Shin jolted awake. "Oh great, the silver washing machine's back."
Vaibhav stood, brushing dust off his clothes. "Looks like the vacation's over."
Alicia gathered her satchel, glancing one last time at the water. "Let's go home."
The three of them stepped into the rift — the world twisting into a tunnel of mirrored light. The sensation was weightless and cold, like falling through memory.
[United Earth: Lin Xuan's home]
They emerged into the familiar quiet of Lin Xuan's home — the air thick with incense and ozone. Crystalline arrays hummed softly on the walls, marking the barrier between realms.
Lin Xuan was already waiting, sitting cross-legged by a hovering projection table, his fingers weaving through lines of energy. The jet-haired master looked up the moment they appeared.
> "You've taken your time," he said lightly. "I was beginning to think the Crimson Realm had adopted you."
Shin dropped his backpack with a grunt. "Trust me, we'd have sent a postcard."
Vaibhav took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Master… there's something I need to show you."
Lin Xuan's gaze sharpened slightly. "Go on."
Vaibhav explained everything — the green light that appeared after each kill, how it pulsed through his chest, how Alicia felt it but Shin saw nothing. As he spoke, Lin Xuan didn't interrupt. He only listened — quietly, intently — the way a surgeon studies a heartbeat before cutting.
When Vaibhav finished, silence filled the room. Then Lin Xuan stood.
Without a word, he walked toward one of the side tables, picked up a small glass container, and vanished in a blur of silver light.
He reappeared seconds later, holding a small cage — a trembling white mouse inside.
> "Observe carefully."
Lin Xuan extended a finger. A tiny spark of silver energy flickered — and the mouse went still. Its body slumped, lifeless.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then a thin mist began to rise from the corpse — faint, green, and shimmering like liquid emerald.
The mist coiled upward, twisting between Lin Xuan's fingers. He held it in his palm, the glow casting pale reflections across the chamber.
> "This," he said softly, "is Life Force. Essence of living will."
Vaibhav's breath caught. The light reflected in his eyes — the same shade that had burned inside him.
He watched as Lin Xuan absorbed it; the glow sank into his hand, disappearing into his veins like ink fading into water.
Shin frowned. "What the hell are you doing? I… didn't see anything."
Alicia looked equally confused. "Yes… brother, I didn't see either. There was only… air."
Lin Xuan exhaled quietly, almost wistfully.
> "Of course you didn't."
He turned to Vaibhav.
> "Only my lineage can absorb Life Force. But a few can sense it — rare ones. And those tied to the Severed Unity."
Vaibhav stiffened. "Your lineage?"
Lin Xuan smiled faintly, but there was no humor in it.
> "You'll understand once you stop fearing what you carry inside, boy."
Vaibhav met his gaze, unsure whether he was being comforted or warned.
Hours later, Lin Xuan gestured for Vaibhav to follow him through the corridor that led beneath the house — a path lined with rune-etched metal and humming crystals. Alicia and Shin were left behind, the door sliding shut behind them with a hiss.
The temperature dropped as they descended. The air thickened, vibrating faintly with spiritual energy. At the end of the corridor stood a black gate — its surface rippling like liquid shadow.
Lin Xuan pressed his palm against it.
The gate opened with a deep, echoing sound. Darkness spilled out, swallowing the light.
Vaibhav followed cautiously, every step muffled by the void beneath his feet. The inside wasn't a room — it was an endless expanse of smoke and shifting lights, as if they stood inside a storm of dreams.
Then, something moved.
From the mist ahead, a small figure emerged — a little girl, barefoot, her hair drifting like strands of shadow. She couldn't have been more than eight years old. Her skin was pale as moonlight, her eyes black with white pupils that glowed faintly in the dark.
She blinked once, tilted her head, and smiled softly.
> "Dad."
Vaibhav froze mid-step. His mind blanked. He looked from the girl to Lin Xuan, then back to the girl.
> "Master… when did you… get married?"
Lin Xuan's hand met his face with a quiet thud.
He exhaled deeply through his nose. "I didn't. She's adopted."
Vaibhav scratched his neck awkwardly. "Oh. Sorry for the misunderstanding… but—"
He leaned closer, lowering his voice, "She… doesn't exactly look human."
Lin Xuan smiled faintly, glancing at the girl with something between pride and sorrow.
> "Because she isn't."
The girl stepped closer, studying Vaibhav with wide, curious eyes. There was no malice in them — only strange, quiet understanding.
Her voice was soft, almost musical.
> "You have Dad's eyes," she said.
Vaibhav blinked. "What?"
She smiled, tilting her head again.
> "But broken."
Her words echoed through the void, rippling like glass across the air.
Lin Xuan watched him carefully, then placed a hand on his shoulder.
> "Don't be afraid of her. Not a monster."
Vaibhav glanced down at the girl again. "Not a monster?"
The girl only smiled wider.
Finally, Lin Xuan turned away. "That's enough for today."
As they stepped back through the dark gate, Vaibhav looked over his shoulder one last time. The girl was still there, smiling, waving softly.
> "Goodbye, Broken Eyes."
The gate sealed with a sigh.
When Lin Xuan returned to the surface, the sunlight spilling through the windows felt too bright, too ordinary. Shin was asleep on the couch, Alicia reading something quietly beside him.
Lin Xuan headed straight for his study without another word.