Chapter 39: The Lotus That Will Bloom Again
The stars shimmered above the quiet valley, casting soft light over the rebuilt temple of the Lotus Seal. The war was over. The demon sealed. The balance restored.
Ying Yue sat under the old moon-bloom tree, her fingers brushing its petals—white as snow, pulsing faintly with residual magic. Behind her, Bai Jiu approached in silence, his robes rustling gently in the breeze.
"You've been quiet," he said.
"I've been thinking," she whispered. "About everything we lost. And everything we found."
He knelt beside her, placing a hand on her belly. "And everything we've yet to protect."
Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't flinch. She already knew. Life stirred within her—small, but burning with both divine fire and celestial light.
"A child born of a god and a goddess reincarnated," she murmured. "Will they be burdened… or blessed?"
"Both," Bai Jiu answered. "But not alone. Not ever."
She leaned her head on his shoulder, exhaling slowly. "I feel it… a new force. Sleeping. Waiting."
He nodded. "Then our story ends… so theirs may begin."
The wind carried a soft melody through the valley, like a lullaby woven from stars and memory. Beneath the tree, two souls rested, no longer running from the past, but ready to face the future—together.
In the temple's heart, the Lotus Seal pulsed once more. Not as a prison, but as a beacon… waiting for the one who would inherit its light.
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🌓 End of Volume 1: Seal of Love
🌸 To be continued in Volume 2…