Chapter 87 — Departure at Dawn
YiChen lowered his gaze to the girl in his arms.
Her lashes fluttered faintly.
Her complexion was still bloodlessly pale.
Loose strands of hair clung to the damp curve of her neck,
and her lips—
so light in color they were almost translucent.
But her breathing was slow.
Even.
Deep.
She was sleeping soundly.
“…Such a fool.”
The words left him in a whisper, barely there.
His fingertips brushed her temple, gently tucking stray hair behind her ear.
The deeper thorns buried in his Spirit Meridians still throbbed—
but for once, the pain felt distant.
Muted.
Insignificant.
He let out a slow breath and closed his eyes,
resting his chin lightly against the crown of her head.
Her warmth seeped into him like springlight after winter—
quiet, steady, undeniable.
Holding her like this,
it felt as though he were cradling the only refuge capable of anchoring his heart.
A calm so complete
he didn’t want to move.
And without realizing when it happened,
sleep claimed him—gentle, unannounced.
For the first time he could remember,
YiChen fell asleep after purification.
—
Dawn
The first thread of morning slipped past the edge of the curtain,
spilling across the floor like liquid gold.
Elena stirred.
She shifted slightly—
and froze.
She was still wrapped in someone’s arms.
Firm, careful, enclosing her completely.
The back of her head rested against a broad chest.
A heartbeat pulsed beneath her cheek—slow, steady, unmistakably alive.
His scent surrounded her—warm, familiar.
So close it made her lightheaded.
“…YiChen…”
She whispered his name, barely a breath.
The body behind her stiffened.
His breath caught.
Then, slowly, his lashes lifted.
Their eyes met.
A single frozen second stretched between them.
Heat rushed to Elena’s face.
She opened her mouth, scrambling for words—
But YiChen looked away first, voice rough with sleep.
“…Don’t move.”
“Sleep a little longer.”
He knew he shouldn’t.
Knew he shouldn’t allow this closeness.
But for now—
he simply didn’t let go.
—
Later That Day
YiChen stayed home with Elena the entire day.
He watched her curl up on the sofa, knees drawn close,
carefully sipping from a bowl of hot soup.
Only when color returned to her lips,
when the cold sheen finally left her forehead,
did the tight knot in his chest begin to loosen.
I’ll go to the Academy tomorrow.
He sent the message to Leo, cancelling his original schedule.
—
By evening, Elena was visibly better.
She no longer swayed when she stood.
Her voice carried a little strength again.
After a long moment of hesitation,
she looked up at him and asked softly:
“Do you want to…
do a purification?”
YiChen met her eyes.
Then he shook his head.
He reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
“Not today.”
Without another word,
he turned and walked into the bathroom.
—
Bathroom
Cold water crashed down like sleet,
hammering against his skin without mercy.
The black thorns flared violently—
churning through his Spirit Meridians,
gnawing at nerve endings like burning barbed wire.
The pain was blinding.
Sharp enough that his fingers dug into the tile,
knuckles bleaching white.
In the depths of his Spirit Sea,
Shixi whimpered softly, voice trembling with worry.
“When will Elena fully recover…?
YiChen is in so much pain…”
Shadowfang let out a low, cruel snort.
“Serves you right.”
“Idiot.”
“Now you know what it means to hold back.”
——————
Radiance Preparatory Academy · 3:00 PM
Sunlight spilled through the arched glass dome,
casting long, slanted shadows along the corridor.
Elena walked one step behind YiChen.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Without realizing it, her pace slowed.
This was the academy where she had once been bullied.
Where she had hidden inside a freezing bathroom stall,
silent, invisible, waiting for the bell to ring.
YiChen sensed it.
He stopped and turned back.
“Scared?”
Elena shook her head—
yet her fingers tightened around the edge of his sleeve.
“Not scared,”
she whispered.
Because he was here.
—
Leo led them toward the preparatory wing.
Elena kept her head lowered the entire way,
refusing to look left or right.
When they entered the classroom,
twenty-six female cadets stood in neat rows.
Principal Lin Weian and Vice Principal Dufei Zhang were already waiting.
“Captain Caelestis,”
Lin Weian said, presenting a stack of files with both hands,
“These are their personnel records…”
His tone was respectful.
The unease behind his smile was not.
YiChen accepted the files but didn’t open them at once.
Instead, he turned slightly toward Elena.
His voice was calm, deliberate.
“What do you think?”
Elena hesitated.
Then slowly lifted her head.
Her gaze moved across the room—
steady, unhurried.
She recognized several faces.
Medical rotations.
Field hospitals.
Shared nights of exhaustion and blood.
Then her eyes stopped.
—Cecilia Ilena.
The girl who had saved her in the hospital.
Elena walked over, voice soft.
“Sister.”
Cecilia blinked.
Then smiled—quiet, sincere.
“Mm.”
YiChen watched from where he stood.
No speeches.
No grand gestures.
Just a small, real warmth exchanged between two people who had protected each other.
He nodded once.
“Her.”
—
His gaze returned to the files.
It paused again.
—Hidaea Cole.
A name from a life he remembered too well.
Quiet. Stubborn. Unyielding.
She had fought beside Elena in the Greenleaf Valley campaign.
In time, she would become one of her closest teammates.
Right now, she was sixteen.
He scanned the data:
Spirit Force: white mist interwoven with pale green threads.
Stable. Clean. Highly compatible.
YiChen tapped the page.
“Her.”
—
The final two names were Cheng Ran and Gemma.
Both in their mid-twenties.
Both nurses during the hospital siege.
They weren’t the strongest.
But they were steady.
And more importantly—reliable.
YiChen had seen them hold the line when others faltered.
He closed the file.
That made five.
Tomorrow morning, they would depart for Blackpine Forest.
And this time, beside Elena—
would be companions she could truly trust.
—
In the depths of the Consciousness Sea,
Shadowfang snorted with open contempt.
“Tch.
That soft-hearted girl let three pieces of trash walk away.
No clean break.
No decisive strike.
No spine.”
YiChen ignored the venom.
He looked back at Elena.
She was leaning close to Cecilia, speaking in a low voice,
amber eyes curved into gentle crescents.
That was enough.
Her kindness—
he would protect.
Her hatred—
he would carry for her.
As long as she could still smile like that…
…that was enough.
——————
No. 112 Azure Radiance Street · Departure Day, Before Dawn
Elena hadn’t slept all night.
She turned beneath the blankets again and again,
YiChen’s pallid face and tightly drawn brows lingering in her thoughts.
—The black thorns must be flaring again.
—And yet he hadn’t let her purify him for two whole days.
She bit down on the corner of her blanket, eyes stinging.
Was it because she’d collapsed during the remote purification?
Or was it because…
he didn’t want her touching him anymore?
“Why am I so useless…”
Before dawn had even broken,
she slipped out of bed and padded quietly to YiChen’s door.
She hesitated.
Her fingers hovered against the frame.
Then—finally—she knocked.
“Come in.”
His voice was low, hoarse—
as if he hadn’t slept either.
She eased the door open.
Pale morning light filtered through the gauze curtains,
casting soft shadows across the room.
YiChen sat at the edge of the bed, collar slightly undone,
the faint golden glow of the Pact Mark glimmering at the nape of his neck.
Elena clenched the hem of her shirt, her voice barely audible.
“I… I’m okay now.”
“Before we leave… let me purify you, alright?”
She couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes.
Her lashes trembled.
“I’ll try not to touch you too much…”
Before she could finish,
his hand reached out and caught her wrist.
A sharp stab of guilt pierced YiChen’s chest.
So this is what she thought.
He drew her closer,
guiding her palm gently to his chest.
The moment skin met skin,
she felt his heartbeat—heavy, rapid,
beating like distant war drums beneath her hand.
Heat rushed to her face.
“Do it like before.”
His voice was low and rough—
but steady.
“I was wrong,” he said quietly.
“I’m sorry.”
Elena’s nose prickled.
She nodded once.
“Mm.”
—
Rose-gold Spiritflame bloomed at her fingertips,
slipping into his Spirit Meridians with practiced familiarity.
YiChen sat perfectly still,
every muscle wound tight beneath his skin.
His fingers dug into the edge of the mattress.
Don’t lose control.
Don’t hurt her again.
Behind his closed eyes, memory flared—
her pale body crumpling,
the bitten edge of her lip,
the whisper so faint it barely reached him:
“Did I… not clean it completely…?”
When the flame pierced the black thorns,
relief struck him like lightning up the spine.
A muffled sound escaped his throat.
His ears burned red.
His Adam’s apple jerked as he forced his breath back into order.
“That’s enough.”
His voice came out hoarse.
“Go get ready,” he said.
“We leave after breakfast.”
Elena nodded obediently and turned away.
When the door clicked shut behind her,
YiChen dropped his face into his hands, breath shallow and heavy.
There was no other way.
If he wanted to protect her—
then he would have to restrain himself even harder.
—————
7:00 AM · Rear Plaza, Aurora City Hall
The fog hadn’t lifted.
The sky lay washed in cold hues—deep blue bleeding into ash-gray.
Streetlights still burned faintly, their glow smeared across rain-damp pavement.
The wind cut sharp, carrying frost that tugged at the straps of every tactical vest.
Six black transport trucks lined the edge of the plaza, tailgates down—
crates of purification units, tactical bows, axes, and fresh magazines stacked neatly inside.
The thin metallic scent of oil and steel hung in the air.
Logan hauled a crate of rounds into a truck bed and shot Han Yue a grin.
“Perfect weather,” he said.
“First time dragging kids into the field—try not to embarrass yourself.”
Han Yue didn’t even look up.
“You first.”
—
Thirty-five cadets stood in formation, clad in black tactical gear.
Tents and harvesting kits were strapped tight across their backs.
A few stifled yawns.
Others flexed gloved fingers, restless under the early cold.
“Stop fidgeting,” Ryan muttered as he passed one cadet,
adjusting a loose harness in a single, practiced motion.
—
Toward the rear stood five medical officers.
Dark-gray combat suits designed for mobility.
Lighter gear. Sharper eyes.
The wind stirred loose strands of hair as they waited in silence.
Cecilia leaned slightly toward Elena and whispered,
“Didn’t sleep?”
Elena shook her head and drew in a slow breath of frost-bitten air.
“I’m alright. Thank you.”
But her gaze kept drifting across the plaza—
searching.
—
The moment YiChen appeared,
the air changed.
Silence rippled through the formation like falling snow.
His black coat shifted lightly in the wind.
Boots struck wet stone—
tap.
tap.
tap.
He walked toward the assembled teams with quiet intent,
the pale dawn sharpening every line of his profile.
Logan saluted first.
Han Yue followed.
Then everyone else—
a single, rustling wave of movement.
YiChen’s gaze swept the formation.
He said nothing.
Yet the stillness in his dark eyes carried weight—
unspoken, unyielding.
Every cadet straightened instinctively.
—
“Five minutes.”
That was all.
The low tone cut clean through wind and fog.
His gaze moved from face to face—
then paused.
Elena.
He remembered how her hands had trembled against his chest that morning.
His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing by the barest degree.
Only for a heartbeat.
Then he turned away and boarded the first truck.
—
Logan pivoted back to the cadets.
“From here on out,” he said, voice sharp,
“you’re not fighting for yourselves.
You’re fighting for Aurora City.”
Xu Wei let out a quiet breath.
“…Or just trying not to die.”
Inside the truck, YiChen’s gloved hand curled against the metal rail.
“Then stay alive.”
—
Engines ignited one by one.
Low thunder rolled across the plaza.
A single droplet slid from the roof of the lead truck,
shattering as the wheels began to turn.
The first vehicle pulled out, headlights cutting through fog like a drawn blade.
Then the second.
The third.
One by one, all six trucks departed—
tires hissing over wet stone, mist thrown into the air.
—
In the rearview mirror,
Aurora’s lights faded into the haze.
Ahead, the forest loomed.
Dark.
Silent.
Waiting.
The road led straight toward the edge of the Spirit Realm—
and into the slumbering black abyss of Blackpine Forest.
