A Shroud of Secrets
But once they reached Commotio Cottage, Hangfang broke the silence, calmly but firmly. "So, we have arrived. But for a time, I simply will not reveal myself. "You must care for your body, Xiao Tian. The authority of his voice made Xiao Tian shudder. A wave of confusion washed over him as he replied, *"You're not coming out? What do you mean? And what is your past? What does this circle mean? * His tone had a sense of urgency — a frantic need to know.
But Hangfang's response was terse, nearly dismissive. "You ask too many questions. For now, just keep this in mind — you're not yet fit to know my past and you wouldn't be able to fathom what the circle signifies.' His words were like stabs pulling Xiao Tian down into hopelessness, numbing him. He felt frustration boiling underneath but before he can get another word out, Hangfang retreated deep into the recess of his mind, closing it off.
The silence of Commotio Cottage closed in on him. It was a place of silence, of secret truths. The silence wasn't soothing — it was heavy with something unstated, something yet to be excavated. The air around me was dense, oppressive, as if the walls had secrets they would not share. His fists clenched and Xiao Tian gazed at where Hangfang had retreated into thin air, questions digested themselves as ruminating doubts.
A Graveyard of the Past
Back in Commotio Cottage, So Rong walked through the thick jungle, her heart heavy. The earth was charred with devastation—torched crops, crushed earth, and the less-than-human remains of body parts. The smell of rot hung in the humid air, and the echoes of ruin scratched at her brain. It wasn't just a jungle — it was a graveyard of memory, of previous battles fought, of lives lost and interred under the ground.
Among the shards she spotted something—a torn cloth, bloodied and near-black. She gasped, breathless in her throat.
"Hangfang..."
For a moment she froze. The possibility clawed at her and twisted her insides. Was this all that was left of him? But had she devoted all those years to mourning something that she never could have known for sure? The silence surrounding her was oppressive, the burden of grief stifling. Her hand trembled when she extended it, yet before she could even come into contacto, her sect's talisman dimmed with a sudden message.
The words made her heart pound — "Return to the sect's meeting hall immediately. We have got a breaking story about Hangfang."
Her breath hitched. A chill ran down her spine. "Hangfang?" Just the name alone had stirred something within her — shock, disbelief, fear … and something else she didn't dare name. Why would there news of him? He was dead... wasn't he?
A Hall of Heavy Truths
In no time at all, she crashed through the realms to come before the grand hall of this sect. The atmosphere inside was thick with unease. The elders were silent and grim, their faces unreadable. In the middle, Sect Leader Xiao Xia's expression was cold, her voice carried an icy tone. *"We have received a report from Empower City. Someone has used our sect's name to register."
So Rong frowned. "So what? It could be anyone."
Xiao Xia's next words landed like a thunderclap. "No, So Rong. That's the issue. Aside from Hangfang… there are no other disciples of our sect in the wider world."
A shiver coursed through her veins. The world became blurry around the edges. "No way… Hangfang is dead. He has to be."
But under her denial, something flared — a brittle, dangerous hope. The truth pressed her, diaper blood road panic, onto the carpet. The chamber was as vacant as a hallway, with its empty echoes filling the area like the hole in her soul. The silence wasn't just the lack of an answer—it was the presence of an unspokenness that hadn't yet found a form.
With no more words, she turned, ripped through space again and out into the cold night air.
A Sky of Hope and Agony
The wind screamed around her, but she felt nothing. One name consumed her mind as her heart raced in her chest.
Hangfang's voice, Hangfang's presence, Hangfang's absence. And if he really was alive, where had he been all along? Was he in hiding, or had he...(no) longer existed?
The dark, endless sky stretched above her, vast and empty as she cast about in the uncertainty. The stars remained silent, just like her heart, only this silence was filled with longing and fear. It was open, yet building, just like the possibility of Hangfang still being alive. It was almost the candy behind the glass, with a hint of terror.
Most of all, it was the fists clenched, body quivering — not out of fear, but out of unshakable resolve. "If you're out there, Hangfang," she said to the night, her voice tinged with both hope and pain, "I will find you."