Chapter Text
The Shackling Prison's frigid air enveloped the room, sending shivers down the spines of even the most hardened criminals. Designed to extract confessions, the cold seemed to penetrate their bones and chill their very souls. Yet, for the newest prisoner, the biting cold felt strangely comforting, a familiar embrace after enduring solitude for far too long.
Standing in the interrogation hall in this freezing place were the famed general himself, Jing Yuan, and his disciple, Yanqing, although the latter’s attendance was a bit out of the plan. The general immediately dropped all matters once he found out that one of the Stellaron Hunters was caught, resulting in his sudden appearance at the prison.
Stellaron Hunters are a group of fearless people, notorious for their goals. Whenever people hear of a Stellaron, they immediately try to vacate the premises or seal it. But this group is different. Instead of cowering in fear, they face the cancer head-on and even collect them for unknown reasons. However, what they’re doing is still illegal according to the terms of IPC, so should anyone spot any of the Stellaron Hunters, they must be reported to the Cloud Knights.
After the incident of a Stellaron sprouting out of nowhere in the Xianzhou Luofu, the hunt for the infamous Stellaron Hunters became a priority. Normally, Jing Yuan would treat them like any other criminal. When news got to him about who they captured… it became a different matter entirely.
The general vividly recalled how his heart seemed to pause for an instant upon laying eyes on the familiar face plastered on the IPC's wanted posters.
The heavy doors creaked open, allowing a sliver of light to pierce the gloom. Through that narrow aperture, a warmer breeze wafted into the room, bringing a semblance of relief to both the general and his apprentice. Jing Yuan knew then that his esteemed guest had arrived. He straightened his posture, awaiting the entrance of his friend, comrade, and now, the criminal.
"Yanqing, watch closely." His voice leaves no complaints when he calls his prodigy just lounging behind him.
With a quick 'Yes, general,' from the boy behind him, Jing Yuan nodded the tiniest bit and waited for the Stellaron Hunter to come forward. As the criminal stepped closer, and closer, flanked by the guards, the indifference in Jing Yuan's heart gave way to a bit of fondness and nostalgia. How long has it been since he had last seen him?
His old friend still looks the same. Despite being away for so long, he still presents the same image he had in his past life: an image of elegance, gracefulness, and coldness that he had come to associate with a man like Dan Feng.
"Or was it Dan Heng?" Jing Yuan found himself speaking, when the dear friend stepped forward, just a few meters away from his place.
Dan Heng looked up, and with the tiniest bit of a smile on his face, replied. Horns glowed with a bit of light, bordering on translucence.
"General Jing Yuan. It’s pleasant to see you.”
♪♪
The first thing that jolted his senses was the biting cold. It seeped into every fiber of his being, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. As he struggled to regain his bearings, the second thing that registered was the enveloping darkness. It engulfed him, leaving him disoriented and vulnerable.
It was a very long time ago since he awoke to nothing but forests. On this desolate planet, the landscape was dominated by towering trees, lush grasses, and an abundance of wildlife. There was an abandoned city nearby, but it remained devoid of any signs of life. This place could have been a paradise if only he hadn't been all alone, plagued by fear and isolation.
That place was enough to sustain a person for a lifetime. When he broke out of the shell that he had stayed in for almost a year, the first thing he did was look around in his tiny body, and all he saw was a few clothes and a bracer too large for his small arms. As he continued to roam around the place, he found himself thinking: where are the other people? Why is he alone?
His search for answers proved futile. He scoured the forest floor for hours on end, crawling and traversing the verdant landscape in desperate pursuit of any signs of human presence. Yet, the harsh reality became increasingly apparent—there was no one else here but him. Alone in this vast expanse, he grappled with the cruel realization that he had been placed in this forsaken realm to exist in solitude, from birth until death.
Overwhelmed by despair, he wept himself into a fitful slumber, seeking solace in the realm of dreams. It was during one such night that he experienced his first vivid dream, a haunting vision of a past life. He found that out rather quickly. Leaves haphazardly thrown on the forest floor to serve as a cushion, he laid his head on the hard ground, as it always is. He closed his eyes and dreamt for the first time in his life.
(He sees himself surrounded by people, watching his every move. He hears their whispers, feels their judgmental stares, and suddenly, this dream looks more like a nightmare. "Be careful. Wielding a spear incorrectly may injure another person. You must learn how to protect our people, as it is the job of the Yinyue Jun." A Preceptor said, eyes piercing into his soul as if criticizing him.
This memory was from when he was young.
It was bright and hot. He could feel himself sweating with the temperature, as well as the exhaustion that was stirring deep within his body. Still, he couldn't stop. As the Yinyue Jun, he is the protector and the next-in-line to be the leader of the Vidyadhara. The responsibility rests on his shoulders. He’ll prove them wrong.
Taking a deep breath, he made another practice strike.)
Vidyadhara. Yinyue Jun. These words kept on repeating inside his head even as he woke up. Those words may have something to do with his past, with his unanswered questions. With renewed vigor, he stood up from his makeshift home and went planning. He yearned to escape this desolate place, to traverse the unknown in search of his true identity and the possibility of finding others like himself.
His mind made up, he packed a few foods (some fruits, meat, and those canned foods that he saw in the abandoned city nearby) and some of the clothes that he also stole. Just as he was about to depart, his gaze fell upon the discarded bracer in the corner of his vision. There was an inexplicable allure about it, a beckoning that compelled him to take it along on his journey.
The bracer hums when he wears it as if it's alive.
Not long after, a strange train arrived near the planet, and one small dragon stowed away on the vehicle, unbeknownst to the conductors.
♪♪
Years passed since he last left that place. Years passed since he had started looking.
The train stopped by numerous planets, yet none of them were the ones he was talking about. No one knew what 'Vidyadhara' is, nor 'Yinyue Jun'. Perhaps it was because his speech is slurry? Did no one understand him? He wasn’t taught speech, after all. He only learned through his fleeting memories and the books around the train.
As he grew older and came to understand more about the endless galaxy, he could no longer disguise himself on the train, his tall and lanky form easily noticeable. So when he reached the age where he couldn't be passed off as a bump in the corner, he left the train.
He refused the offer of the conductor to stay on the train. Not now, at least.
But perhaps it was for the better, as he wants to explore the galaxy by himself. Using the skills he learned as he grew up, he secretly stowed away on numerous spaceships that he saw, looking for a glimpse of his past.
Then one day, as his eyes shut tight and his breaths even, another memory flashed itself before him— this time, it was clearer.
("Dan Feng! Reading again?" A Foxian lady murmured as she peered over his shoulder to read. Normally, people would be annoyed by this gesture, but he knew that this is just how she is. She placed her hands on his shoulders to further accentuate her inquisitiveness, her silver hair drooping over his shoulders, her green eyes peering through words.
He appears to be sitting near a round table, alongside 4 other people. Numerous desserts and beverages are spread out on the wooden furniture. He sees himself take another sip of the tea on the table as he answers the Foxian’s question. "Yes, Baiheng," He flipped to another page. "I read the summary and it interested me." She hummed before leaving him alone, grabbing a cupcake along the way.
"That's our Dan Feng," A man spoke from where he was seated in front of him. He lifted his head to see a large man— he was large compared to himself. He looks like a prince: animals are seen perching on his shoulders. Perhaps he was just that charming? This man placed his chin on his hands, staring at Dan Feng in what seemed to be fondness and mischief. "We need a smart one in the team to rein us all in."
A woman soon appeared and sat beside him. "I'm glad you didn't include yourself as one of the 'smart' ones, Jing Yuan." She said, a smirk on her lips as she grabbed a snack from a table in front of her. She also has the same hair color as Jing Yuan—the man from earlier—yet her ruby eyes distinguish themselves from Jing Yuan’s gold ones. He feels cold whenever she’s around, but it’s a different kind of cold, a familiar and comforting one.
"Don't be mean, Master Jingliu!" Jing Yuan snickered and grabbed a whole bowl of snacks on the table when Jingliu was about to grab some more, which escalated into a fight between the two for food.
Dan Feng ignored them and kept on flipping through the pages of his book. And the next page. And the next page. Sometimes Baiheng talks to him. Sometimes a stray food from Jing Yuan and Jingliu’s fight almost hits him, which he dodges with terrifying speed, without breaking his concentration on his book.
He was so enamored in the story that unfurls in the book that he didn't notice a man sneaking up from behind him, which ended up in getting his book stolen from his hands. He huffed.
"Hey, gege."
Ah, the fourth person. Dan Feng was about to question where he was, as he only saw the other three, yet he remembered that there were four of them. Releasing a sigh of relief, he looked up to where the fourth guy was standing behind him and saw nothing.
No, not nothing. Only a black mass of what used to be a person stood behind him, holding his book. Who was he? This wasn’t what he looked like. Is the last member just a blob of black goo? The others didn't seem to notice that a stranger was in their midst, which made Dan Feng disregard the idea.
Who is he?
Curiosity overtaking him, he whipped his head to look behind him and leaned forward, closer to the face of the black mass, and closer, and closer… until his gaze meets the other’s gentle red eyes, piercing at him, as if they knew him for who he is, for what he is, and for everything that he is. His face is only a small distance from the black mass, staring intently at the disfigured body. He was beautiful, in a way.
A name slipped from his lips. He doesn’t know whose it was, yet just one look at those gentle red eyes prompted his brain to say a word that seemed to etch itself for all eternity in Dan Feng’s brain, no matter how many times he might die.
"Yingxing.")
"Hello?"
Startled out of his reverie by a voice, he looked up from the book he had acquired during his current space voyage. It was a ship that had been more accommodating to strangers, allowing him to continue his pursuit of the past. His gaze met the inquisitive purple eyes of a man, brimming with curiosity.
"Yes?" he responded, intrigued by the sudden inquiry.
The man hesitated for a few seconds before steeling himself. "What's your name?" The man blurted out. A few seconds later, his cheeks blushed a bright red, sputtering a thousand apologies.
He couldn't help but smile, experiencing a genuine happiness he had rarely encountered. It was the first time someone had shown interest in knowing his name. Throughout his extensive travels across the galaxy, no one had bothered to delve into his story, often resorting to quick battles that ended with their defeat. In a cruel twist of irony, he had finally settled on a name for himself that bore a striking resemblance to his original one.
With a courteous bow and a smile, he introduced himself to the blushing man, his horns gently glowing—an enchanting sight that further flustered his newfound acquaintance.
"Call me Dan Heng."
The dreams never stop after that, and Dan Heng was thankful.
He sees himself in multiple scenarios, drinking tea, sparring across falling maple leaves, and reading endless books. He sees the elegance of Baiheng. The mischief of Jing Yuan. The cold yet firm guidance of Jingliu. Whenever he sees them in his dreams, his heart aches in nostalgia and yearning. Oh, how he misses them.
But other than those glimpses, he can't seem to remember anything else. Why was he reborn? Where are they? If he was reborn, it means his past life has been in danger, and if it was in danger before, then his friends…
There was also another variable that he couldn't determine in his dreams. Of 5 people, he could only see 3. He could never see this person the others call ‘Yingxing’. Dan Heng only knows him by name, as his brain always supplies it whenever he catches a glimpse of the hunk of black mass in his memories. He appears everywhere, drinking tea with him, sparring with him, reading with him. He was always floating menacingly and creepily, yet all Dan Heng feels towards 'Yingxing' is comfort, safety, and reassurance.
With every dream, his list of unanswered questions grew, fueling a frustration born of his ceaseless journey through the cosmos. He loathed the absence of answers, wondering what he had done to warrant such enduring suffering.
♪♪
(“Gege.”
Dan Feng jolts from his sleep at the sudden call, his hair tangling after being stuck in an uncomfortable position for so long. He huffs in annoyance, about to fix his hair when the other does it for him. He feels rough yet gentle hands rearrange the mess his hair was in, slowly removing it from the twisted way it wrapped around his horns. When it was done, he looked behind with a barely concealed smile. He felt Yingxing’s hands! Maybe he could see what he looks like?
“Gege, what’s wrong?”
Your form, that’s what. Dan Feng wants to say, his smiling face now a stony one, staring at Yingxing’s hulky-black-mass figure with a disappointed stare. This feels stupid. For some reason, his brain doesn’t want him to see Yingxing’s true appearance, even though his memories seem to suggest otherwise. Every time he tries to focus on Yingxing in his dreams, his features blur and distort, making it impossible for Dan Feng to discern any details.
“Nothing, Yingxing,” Dan Feng replies, his voice tinged with a mix of longing and frustration. “Just lost in thought.”
But Yingxing doesn’t seem satisfied with the answer. His dark form lingers closer, towering over Dan Feng. “You can tell me, gege,” he says, his voice deep and resonant. “I can sense your unease.”
Dan Feng sighs and leans back, resting against Yingxing’s incorporeal presence. “It’s just... I can’t see your true form,” he confesses, his voice barely above a whisper. “In my dreams, you're always there, but your appearance is obscured. I can't help but wonder why. What are you hiding?”
Yingxing remains silent for a moment as if contemplating his response. Dan Feng thinks he might be going crazy. Why is he even talking to a person only in his dreams? Finally, the other speaks, his voice filled with a mixture of sadness and longing. “I wish I could show you, gege. But there are forces at play that prevent me from revealing myself fully. It pains me, but I am bound by these limitations.”
Dan Feng’s heart sinks at Yingxing’s words. He reaches out and places a hand on Yingxing’s dark mass, trying to offer some form of comfort.
A soft warmth emanates from Yingxing, enveloping Dan Feng in a comforting embrace. It feels like Yingxing’s way of expressing gratitude and affection. Despite the lack of a visible face or physical body, Yingxing manages to convey emotions through his touch and presence alone.
The two sit there in silence, basking in the quiet comfort of their bond.
“What’s that behind you, gege?”
Behind me? Dan Feng turned back and saw a pair of armguards—bracers, his mind supplied—that looked familiar for some reason. It was resting on a piece of cloth set in front of him, one with still untied rope, unfinished for some reason, as if the owner accidentally fell asleep while making this.
“Ah, this…” He finds himself speaking. He has no control of his body after that, letting his past self do what happened in this exact memory. Dan Feng grabbed one of the bracers—the unfinished one—and showed it to Yingxing. “This is for you, Yingxing.”
He swore he saw it, but for a split second, he could see Yingxing’s ever-gentle red eyes widen a bit. “That’s a Vidyadharan craft. Why are you giving it to me?”
He sighed and returned the bracer to its place on the cloth. “This bracer is indeed a craft from our clan. It’s a telepathic one, a wearer can feel what the wearer of the other owner feels, and if their bond is even closer, it can feel what the other is thinking,” Dan Feng looks at the pair. “As for the why… I’m giving it to you…. I wanted to thank you for giving me Cloud Piercer. So when you want to find me… you’ll know where I am.”
Seconds passed, and Yingxing doesn’t move from where the black silhouette of his was floating. Dan Feng doesn’t know why he wasn’t moving. Is he not happy with his decision to give him a gift? He was about to open his mouth to speak his worries before the black mass stretched out an arm for Dan Feng to put the bracer on.
The arm.
His heart beat fast at Yingxing’s reveal of his arm. This solidifies it, his brain is toying with him, because how can he see Yingxing’s arm? Not wanting to let the opportunity go, Dan Feng grabbed the other’s revealed arm and gently placed the bracer.
He snapped the sides of the bracer and took a pair of ribbons—the tie for Yingxing’s arms. Dan Feng gingerly tied it to Yingxing’s arm to fasten the bracer. After a few minutes of working on it, the Vidyadhara's craft was finally placed on the limb of the man in Dan Feng’s memories. The man himself took a good look at it (where are his eyes?), nodded (how?), and retreated his hand back.
Without warning, Yingxing grabbed the other one and fastened it himself to Dan Feng’s other arm, the latter frozen in surprise at the other’s forwardness. The process took faster than expected, and Dan Feng could now feel the hum of the bracer. The Vidyadhara took a good look at his craft. “It’s… warm.”
“I hope you’ll take responsibility, gege. This is a proposal, after all. You can’t get rid of me after this,” Dan Feng can practically feel the smug grin resting on Yingxing’s face. Slowly, the black mass moved closer to his face, his breath—breath?— warm. He could feel his cheeks redden at Yingxing’s forwardness, but he wasn’t about to lose.
With determination in Dan Feng’s heart, he reached out and blindly moved his hand towards the black mass, looking for the other’s hand. He listened to the hums of the bracer, to its vibrations that signify its location, and grasped. His hand grabbed Yingxing’s solid one and pulled the black mass into a hug.
“Don’t worry, Yingxing. I won’t let you go.”)
Dan Heng's eyes flickered open, immediately drawn to the bracer adorning his arm. The sensation of gentle hands manipulating his own lingered, a faint echo from his dreams. A realization washed over him, causing a grin to spread across his face. The familiarity of the bracers now made sense. They were a connection to his past, to 'Yingxing'.
’I’ll find you, Yingxing, and I’ll get the answers I seek.’
He raised his bracers to the bright silhouette of a moon in the galaxy, closed his eyes, and tuned into his senses. He can feel the humming of the bracer. The vibrations of the other half. Yingxing is still alive, his heart sings in joy.
Continuing to focus his energy, he felt the growth of his horns, the increased volume of his tail, and the lengthening of his hair until it cascaded down, almost reaching his knees. With each passing day, he sensed his power expanding, reaching new heights. At his current age, honing in on the location of the other half of the bracers proved to be effortless.
Opening his eyes, which now radiated a vibrant emerald in the darkness of the spaceship, Dan Heng swiftly departed, vanishing without a trace. Moments later, some workers claimed to have glimpsed a specter with piercing green eyes in one of the storage rooms, unaware that they had encountered the enigmatic figure of Dan Heng.
On the other side of the galaxy, a black-haired man stood beneath an artificial moon, his gaze fixed upon it. Raising his bracer, he heard the faint whispers and wishes of its missing counterpart.