The bell kept ringing, that old copper bell that only moved when Old Gran pulled the rope every morning. But no one was pulling it now. It swung slow, like something was nudging it with a finger made of mist. The sound echoed weird, like it went too far, like it traveled past the fields and the river and into somewhere it shouldn't go.

Yun stood there, chest still burning from the thing that had happened inside him. He felt like he had swallowed the sun, but only a tiny piece of it, and now the heat didn't know where to go. Shen Yu held his shoulder, holding him like Yun might just fall apart if he let go even a little bit.

The villagers began coming out of their homes, doors creaking one by one. But they didn't step far. Everyone stopped on their doorsteps like they knew something was wrong but didn't want to say it. Like the air told them to hush.

Auntie Lin whispered, "Why… why the bell rings? Who touched it?"

No one answered. Because no one could.

Then the sky dimmed, but the sun was still up. Like a cloud passed, but no cloud passed. It was like the sunlight got scared.

Yun's mother saw Yun and rushed forward, pulling him in her arms so tight his ribs almost cracked, "Where have you been? Why are you covered in dirt? Why"

Shen Yu shook his head very slowly. She stopped talking. Her face went pale pale like flour.

Then something stepped into the village.

Not running. Not charging. Just walking. Slow, like it had all the time in the world. The same wrong-body creature from the woods, or maybe not the same one, maybe another one, but they looked the same, like copies with bad printing. Its legs bent weird, its neck hung loose, its eyes like moons dipped in milk. The children started crying right away. Some of the men reached for farming tools, hoes, sticks, axes—but even holding them looked stupid, like bringing straw to fight thunder.

The creature's mouth opened, and a sound came out not really sound, more like someone speaking underwater inside a dream. The words didn't make sense, but Yun felt them inside his chest like they were speaking straight to the thing that woke up inside him earlier.

He felt his heart stutter. Like the thing inside him wanted to answer.

Shen Yu grabbed Yun again, fingers digging into his arm, "Don't—don't let it in. Don't listen."

Yun clenched his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. The humming in his chest started up again, the white light behind his ribs flickering like a candle that didn't know if it wanted to live or die.

The villagers backed up. Some people screamed. Someone shouted, "Monster!" and threw a stone. It hit the creature in the shoulder. The creature didn't react, not even a flinch. The stone fell to the ground like it hit a wall that didn't care.

Shen Yu stepped forward again, but this time Yun grabbed him back.

"No. You'll die."

Shen Yu laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh. It sounded like someone remembering a funeral they never cried at. "I've died before, Yun. Or close enough. Doesn't matter now."

The creature moved its head sideways, too far sideways, like bones didn't exist. Then it pointed. Not at the village. Not at Shen Yu.

At Yun.

Villagers gasped. Yun's mother grabbed him tighter. But Yun felt something inside him push, like he was the one stepping forward even though his feet didn't move.

His mother cried out, "No—No don't go—Yun—YUN—"

But Yun's body didn't listen. His heart felt like the forest was still inside it. He saw images, flashes: tall mountains made of clouds, golden halls, shadows crawling over stars, someone calling his name from a place that wasn't earth or sky.

He didn't understand. He didn't want to understand.

The creature took one more step toward him.

The ground under Yun's feet cracked. A small crack. A hairline break. But it wasn't normal ground crack. It glowed faint white.

Shen Yu swore under his breath, real fear in his voice now, "No—no no no. Not here. Not now. Not in front of them"

He shoved Yun backward, like throwing him away from the world.

But the crack in the ground spread.

The creature shrieked again, louder this time, and more wrong, like the world hated the sound and tried to silence it. Some villagers fainted. Others fell to their knees. Yun's mother screamed his name, voice hoarse and terrified.

Yun saw light again no, he became light. His vision blurred white and gold and something sharp like starlight cutting glass. He heard whispers, voices, ancient and familiar, like lullabies sung before he had a body to sleep in.

He remembered something.

But before it could form

A spear of blue-white flame slammed into the creature from above.

The creature exploded not with blood but with dust that smelled like cold air and broken memories.

Everyone froze.

Everyone stared.

And standing at the village gate…

A figure.

Tall. Wrapped in traveling cloak dark as storm clouds. A long weapon crackling like lightning held loosely in one hand.

Shen Yu's face went still, almost empty, like surprise and dread mixed together too strong to show.

"…You," Shen Yu whispered.

The figure lifted their head, hood sliding back just a bit.

A woman.

Hair silver like fresh frost. Eyes like stars drowning in deep water.

She looked at Yun.

She did not smile.

She said, voice soft but carrying through the whole silent village:

"We finally found you."

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