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The incense burner in the corner of the Jingshi had long since burned down to cold, gray ash. Outside, the night air of the Cloud Recesses was completely silent, heavy with the chill of the mountain mist.
I woke with a violent gasp.
My chest heaved as if a physical weight were crushing my lungs, pinning me to the mattress. Cold sweat slicked my collarbones, making the soft fabric of my inner robes cling uncomfortably to my skin. Beneath the heavy blankets, my hands shook uncontrollably. I gripped the silk sheets tightly, my knuckles turning white, trying to anchor myself to reality.
But my mind was still trapped in the past.
In the darkness behind my eyelids, the sky above Nightless City was still bleeding crimson. The air was thick with the suffocating stench of blood, resentment, and smoke. I could still hear the agonizing clash of swords, the mocking laughter of the cultivation world, and the terrifying crack of the Stygian Tiger Seal.
And then, the cliffside.
I felt the phantom sensation of a blood-slicked wrist slipping through my desperate grasp. The agonizing memory of that final, devastating smile tore through my chest. The crushing, hollow void of those thirteen years opened beneath me like an abyss, threatening to swallow my breath and drag me back into a reality where I was entirely alone. A reality where he was gone.
My heart hammered frantically against my ribs, a loud, panicked rhythm echoing in my ears. With a surge of desperation, I forced my eyes open and turned my head instantly.
Wei Ying was there.
The sight struck me like a physical wave, washing away the heat of the firestorm in my mind. He was buried deep beneath our shared blanket, completely dead to the world. Wei Ying had always been a messy sleeper, and tonight was no exception; he was utterly tangled in the sheets, one leg kicked out, his long, dark hair scattered like a wild halo across the white pillows.
I stared at him, my eyes wide, tracking the soft, rhythmic rise and fall of his shoulders. The quiet sound of his breathing cut through the lingering terror of my nightmare. He was safe. He was whole. He was here, sleeping peacefully in the heart of Gusu. He was my husband.
Slowly, deliberately, I began to shift my weight. I moved with agonizing care, adjusting my posture so as not to break his deep slumber. I slid closer across the mattress until there was no space left between us, molding my larger frame against his back.
I became his shield, wrapping around him as the big spoon to protect him from a world that had tried so hard to tear him apart.
I wrapped my right arm securely around his narrow waist, my large hand resting flat against his stomach. I pulled him flush against my chest, locking him tightly to me.
Even through the layers of our robes, the radiating warmth of his body felt like life itself.
As if sensing my presence, Wei Ying hummed a faint, sleepy note of contentment deep in his throat. He did not wake. Instead, he instinctively shifted his hips back into my warmth, nuzzling deeper into the space I offered, trusting me entirely even in his subconscious mind.
I leaned forward, burying my face into the soft curve where his neck met his shoulder, before pressing my lips gently against his forehead, right where his messy bangs parted. I held the kiss there for a long moment. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, filling my senses with the comforting, familiar scent of lotus pods, fresh spring water, and the faint trace of sandalwood that always clung to his skin after a day spent in the Jingshi.
I listened to the steady, calm, unhurried beat of his heart against my hand. With every rise and fall of his chest, the phantom screams of the past finally began to fade into nothingness. The fire of Nightless City went cold. The thirteen years of grief were answered by the solid, warm reality of his weight in my arms.
I tightened my grip just a fraction more, burying my fingers in the fabric of his robes. Anchored completely by his warmth, I finally let my eyes close, allowing myself to fall back into a deep, dreamless sleep.