The Messenger from the Clan
The figure stopped just a few paces away from the lifeless body of Ren Zhaoyang, glancing down at his frozen corpse with an air of indifference. Then, slowly, their gaze turned toward Indrali, who stood trembling, barely holding herself upright.
"I see you've killed Ren Zhaoyang," the figure said, their voice calm, but laced with something sinister. "Do you realize what you've just done?"
Indrali's chest tightened. She could barely speak, her throat dry and her body shaking from exhaustion. "Who… who are you?"
The figure stepped forward, their face still obscured by the hood. "I am but a messenger. One sent to observe. Ren Zhaoyang was a fool, but he was still blood of the Zhaoyang family. His death will not go unanswered. The clan will not be pleased."
"I did what I had to," Indrali growled, forcing strength into her voice. "The boy is innocent. His constitution is cursed, but that doesn't mean he deserves to die."
The figure chuckled, low and menacing. "Innocence? That boy carries a power that will unravel the world if left unchecked. You think you've saved him, but all you've done is delay the inevitable."
Indrali's eyes flickered with fury. "I'll fight anyone who comes for him. Even your clan."
The hooded figure tilted their head, as though amused by her defiance. "I admire your spirit, but the Zhaoyang clan is not something you can simply stand against. They will come, and they will come in force. And you? You are already hanging by a thread."
The figure's eyes shifted toward Bhoumik, still unconscious, still cradled by Maya. "You think this serpent will protect him forever? You don't understand the curse that runs through that boy's veins. It's not something you can simply fight. It devours. It consumes. The Infernal Void is an abyss, and once it awakens fully, not even you will be able to stop it."
Indrali clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "Leave. Now."
The figure did not move for a moment. Then, without another word, they turned and walked away, disappearing into the blizzard as quietly as they had come. Indrali could still feel the weight of their presence, a coldness that lingered long after they had gone.
A Moment of Silence
Indrali sank to her knees in the snow, the weight of everything crashing down on her all at once. Her injuries were severe—her body screamed for rest—but she couldn't afford to fall now. Not with Bhoumik lying there, not with the threat of the Zhaoyang clan looming over them like a shadow.
She glanced at the boy, still unconscious, his chest rising and falling ever so faintly. His cursed constitution stirred beneath the surface, an unimaginable power locked away, waiting to awaken. If what the messenger said was true, protecting him would become an even greater challenge than defeating Ren.
Maya, the serpent, hissed softly, her glowing eyes locked on Indrali, sensing her unease. The bond between them was deep, and Maya's strength had been vital in keeping Bhoumik safe. But even Maya couldn't hold back the full might of the Zhaoyang clan.
"I need to move… we need to leave…" Indrali muttered, barely able to think clearly.
She struggled to her feet, her vision blurring as she leaned heavily on Maya for support. There was no time to waste. She had to find a place where they could hide, where they could recover before the Zhaoyang clan arrived. But where could they possibly go that the clan wouldn't find them?
As Indrali tried to gather her strength, something shifted in the air once more—this time, not a presence from an enemy, but something darker, more primal.
Bhoumik stirred.
At first, it was subtle—a twitch of his fingers, a faint movement beneath his closed eyelids. Then, the cursed energy within him surged. His body convulsed, and a deep, dark aura began to leak from his skin, black and violent like the void itself. The cursed constitution, the Lotus Devouring of Infernal Void, was awakening.
"No… not now…" Indrali whispered, fear creeping into her voice. She could feel the oppressive energy emanating from the boy, as though the very air around him was being swallowed by darkness.
Maya coiled tighter around Bhoumik, but even the mighty serpent hissed in unease, her scales rippling as the cursed energy grew stronger, more chaotic.
The boy's eyes shot open, glowing with an eerie crimson light. The snow beneath him began to melt, steam rising from the ground as the temperature dropped unnaturally. The curse was trying to consume everything around it, pulling in life, warmth, and light itself.
Indrali staggered back, her heart racing. The boy was on the edge of something disastrous, and if she didn't act now…
She had saved Bhoumik from one battle, but this? This was a war she hadn't prepared for.
The frigid winds howled outside as a snowstorm raged across the mountain range. Inside a dimly lit cave, warmth radiated from a small fire, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. The battle had ended, and the world outside lay buried under a blanket of fresh snow, but the toll of the fight still lingered in the air. Blood had been spilled—some of it still staining the snow-covered paths. The bodies had been left behind, but the scars remained fresh in the minds of those who survived.
Bhoumik Pal lay motionless on a stone slab, his breath slow and shallow. His skin had an unnatural pallor, the effects of the cursed Lotus Devouring of Infernal Void constitution that had only just awakened within him. It was not a gift but a curse that threatened to destroy everything around him. Yet, here in the safety of the cave, he had found a brief respite. Coiled at the entrance of the cave, her dark scales gleaming in the firelight, was Maya, the rank-5 serpent who had protected him from certain death. Her eyes, glowing faintly in the shadows, were focused on the world outside, ever watchful for any threats that might come.
Further inside the cave, Indrali lay propped against the cold stone wall. Her once-beautiful white robes were stained with blood, and her body bore the brutal evidence of the battle with Ren Zhaoyang. Her breathing was uneven, and though her wounds had been tended to, the pain was still overwhelming. The air in the cave was thick with tension, a momentary calm after a storm that had almost claimed their lives.
Bhoumik's fingers twitched. His eyelids fluttered as consciousness slowly returned to him. He stirred, feeling the numbness in his limbs fade as he blinked, his vision gradually sharpening. As his senses returned, the first thing he saw was the enormous figure of Maya, her serpentine form coiled protectively around the cave entrance. The cold air nipped at his skin, and he could hear the faint howl of the wind outside.
"Maya…" he murmured, his voice hoarse and weak. His mind was hazy, struggling to recall what had happened.
The serpent turned her massive head toward him, her eyes narrowing with recognition. "Bhoumik," she said in a low, almost soothing tone. "You've awakened. Good."
Bhoumik struggled to sit up, his body still weak from the violent awakening of his cursed constitution. As he did, his gaze fell upon Indrali, lying injured at the far side of the cave. Her face was pale, her breathing labored, and bandages wrapped around her wounds, stained with blood.
"What happened to her?" Bhoumik asked, his voice full of concern. His heart tightened at the sight of her battered form. She had protected him—fought for him. He could feel the weight of guilt beginning to press down on his chest.
Maya's large form shifted slightly as she looked at Indrali, then back at Bhoumik. "She fought for you. Ren Zhaoyang came to kill you, to end the threat of your constitution before it could fully awaken. Indrali stood against him, refusing to let him harm you. She risked her life for your sake, Bhoumik. She was badly wounded in the battle, but she prevailed."
Bhoumik clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he processed Maya's words. Indrali had thrown herself into a battle against a far more powerful enemy to protect him—a boy with a cursed body. No one had ever fought for him like this before. In his previous life, before being transmigrated into this world, Bhoumik had been alone. No one had cared enough to put their life on the line for him. And now, here in this strange world, a woman he barely knew had been willing to sacrifice everything for his sake.
His eyes softened with sorrow as he looked at her. "Because of me… she got hurt," he muttered, his voice trembling. "If I wasn't cursed… if I wasn't so dangerous, none of this would've happened."
Maya remained silent, her gaze unwavering. Bhoumik's guilt hung heavily in the air, and the cold cave seemed even more oppressive now.
As if sensing his distress, Indrali stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, weakly at first, but then focused as they landed on Bhoumik. She managed a small, pained smile. "You're awake," she said softly, her voice strained from exhaustion.
Bhoumik immediately moved closer to her, his eyes full of concern. "Indrali… I…" He struggled to find the right words. "Are you alright? Maya told me everything. I… I don't know how to thank you. I—" His voice cracked as he continued, "You fought to protect me, and now you're like this because of me. I feel… I feel so guilty."
Indrali shook her head slowly, her smile faint but genuine. "No, Bhoumik. Don't say that. It's my duty to protect you."
Bhoumik furrowed his brow. "Your duty?"
Indrali's eyes softened as she explained, "As the guide of the Frozen Sun Sect inheritance, it is my duty to ensure that the successor is protected. You inherited the legacy of the previous owner of our sect, and even though the sect no longer exists in this world, I will carry out my responsibility to its last successor. That's why I fought for you, and that's why I will continue to do so. You don't need to thank me."