The Sky Sect's grand hall shook from the storm outside.
Thunder rolled above the mountain, lighting up the blue banners that hung from the ceiling.
Inside, the elders sat in silence.
The light from the crystal sphere flickered.
It showed the aftermath of the battle, Jian Wu standing in a crater, his body burned, the Seraph retreating into the clouds.
The image faded.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then Elder Mei Han slammed her palm on the table.
"Enough silence! He faced Tian Ye Zun, and lived!"
Her voice cracked through the hall. The younger disciples flinched.
Ren Kaien leaned forward, eyes sharp. "Heaven bleeds, Mei Han. And that means the balance is collapsing."
"Balance?" Elder Yue Shanrong scoffed, his tone cold. "What balance? The Vessel was never meant to exist. He should have died with the others."
"He didn't," Ren snapped back. "And you saw what that meant! If he falls, the Void collapses with him!"
Yue Shanrong stood, robes brushing the marble floor. "Then let it. Heaven will rebuild."
"Rebuild?" Mei Han turned on him, eyes blazing. "How many times has Heaven 'rebuilt' this world, Elder? How many cities, lives, and sects burned for their balance?"
"Watch your tone," Yue Shanrong growled. "You forget your place."
"Try me," she hissed.
---
A sharp crack of thunder interrupted them.
The crystal sphere flared again, showing a figure descending through the clouds, wings made of pure flame.
Ren's breath hitched. "That's not Tian Ye Zun…"
A disciple stumbled into the hall, face pale. "E.. Elders! A messenger from the Divine Council has arrived!"
Before anyone could respond, the great doors slammed open.
A tall man walked in, wrapped in silver armor that reflected the lightning. His eyes glowed faint blue, and on his chest burned the sigil of the Seraph Order.
Every elder stood at once.
He stopped at the center of the hall, gaze sweeping across them.
"By decree of the Heavenly Council," he said, voice echoing like steel striking stone, "the Sky Sect is now under observation."
Yue Shanrong's jaw tightened. "Observation? We serve the Council!"
The messenger's gaze was cold. "Then you will prove your loyalty, by delivering the Vessel."
---
The air turned heavy.
Mei Han stepped forward. "You mean Jian Wu."
"His name is irrelevant," the messenger said. "He carries the Void Mark. Heaven demands its return."
Ren Kaien clenched his fists. "Return? It was never Heaven's to take!"
The messenger tilted his head slightly. "Do you question the will of the Divine?"
Ren's lips curled. "I question anyone who hides behind it."
In a blink, the messenger's hand moved.
A flash of light struck Ren's cheek, leaving a thin burn across his skin.
Ren froze, eyes wide. "Tch… bastard."
The messenger lowered his arm again, calm as ever. "The Council has spoken. You have three days."
"And if we refuse?" Mei Han demanded.
"Then," he said, voice flat, "your sect will cease to exist."
---
The doors shut behind him, leaving silence.
Ren wiped the blood from his cheek and hissed, "Brengsek…"
Mei Han slammed her fist on the table. "We can't just hand him over!"
Yue Shanrong sat down slowly, his expression unreadable. "And if we don't… Heaven will erase us all."
Ren spun toward him. "So you'll bow, like always?"
"Better to bow than burn."
Ren's jaw tightened. "Maybe you've forgotten what it means to fight for something!"
Mei Han grabbed Ren's arm before he could say more. "Enough! This is what they want—division. If we break now, the Sky Sect is finished before the war even begins."
Ren tore his arm free. "Then we find Jian Wu first."
"Why?" Yue Shanrong asked.
Ren's eyes hardened. "Because if Heaven wants him dead… he's the only one worth keeping alive."
---
Outside, the storm raged over the Sky Sect.
Lightning carved the clouds in half, thunder rumbling like the roar of gods.
Far to the south, on a lonely road, Jian Wu limped through the rain beside Yue Shan.
Each step left a trail of blood on the dirt.
"Ugh…" Jian Wu pressed a hand to his ribs. "That bastard nearly carved me in two."
"Stop talking," Yue Shan said. "You're bleeding again."
"Yeah? Then maybe Heaven's aim isn't that good."
Yue Shan shot him a look. "You joke too damn much for someone half-dead."
Jian Wu chuckled weakly. "If I stop joking, I'll fall over."
He stumbled. Yue Shan caught him before he hit the ground.
"Brengsek…" Yue Shan muttered. "You're heavier than you look."
"Too much heroism," Jian Wu whispered.
"Too much stupidity," Yue Shan snapped, half-dragging him toward a cave up ahead.
---
Rain poured harder.
They ducked inside the cave, dripping and exhausted.
Jian Wu collapsed against the wall, groaning. "Aaargh…" He pressed his hand to the scorched mark on his chest. The glow had faded, but it still burned beneath the skin.
Yue Shan tore a strip from his robe and wrapped it around Jian's arm. "You move again, I'll break your legs myself."
"Heh… You're starting to sound like an elder."
"Shut up and bleed quietly."
Jian Wu smirked through the pain. "Can't promise that."
---
Outside, lightning lit the horizon again, and in that flash, a shadow moved across the ridge above the cave.
A single figure watched them from afar, cloak fluttering in the storm.
He turned away and whispered, voice low and cold.
"Found him."