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When he faints after the fight against Phantylia, Jing Yuan doesn't expect to wake up ever again. Not as himself, at least. Even though he played it off in front of the others, the connection the Lord Ravager established between them is not a feeble thing. Jing Yuan truly believed it would turn him into a pawn of destruction, or at least awaken the mara that laid dormant in him.
So it is a real surprise when he wakes up with his mind still clear and his link with Phantylia blocked, or maybe even severed for good. He isn't entirely sure. What he knows for certain, however, is that it has been replaced with a painfully familiar bond. One that even soothes the ache of his many injuries.
"You did not think I would let her have you, did you?"
When he looks up, he meets the crimson gaze of the man who now calls himself Blade. The Stellaron Hunter has one of his hands uncovered, openly displaying the mark they both share. A reminder that despite everything, despite all the tragedies, despite all the centuries that have passed, they are still soulmates.
Jing Yuan should not let himself hope. Maybe this is only part of the Script the Stellaron Hunters so often refer to. Maybe Blade is only showing him kindness because he has been told to. And yet, he can not help but feel relieved, knowing that his soulmate is here to look after him.
And that's without mentioning their bond. For the longest time, Jing Yuan had believed it lost forever, convinced that nothing would ever heal it. But now, he can feel it in his chest, strong and tangible. It has been twisted and deformed, just like Blade himself, distorted by the horrors his former friend went through, but it still exists.
And so long as it does, some hope will remain in Jing Yuan's heart, in spite of all common sense.
He acts without thinking, and grabs Blade's hand, the one that is adorned with their mark. His body is still weakened by the many injuries he received while defending the Luofu against Phantylia. It makes his hold on the other man frail. Blade could easily free himself from it, but he doesn't make a move to do so.
" Thank you..." Jing Yuan murmurs.
With these two, simple words, he means so, so much more. More than he could probably ever voice out.
Thankfully, their bond conveys the rest, what he probably could not say without tearing up.
Then, he sees it. A flicker of emotion in Blade's eyes. It is gone almost immediately, as fast as the flutter of a butterfly's wings. Had he blinked, Jing Yuan would have probably missed it.
But he hasn't. The sight is now engraved in his memory, and Jing Yuan is determined to hold onto it.
All of a sudden, hope doesn't seem so unreasonable anymore.