Chapter 22: The Seal Within
"You are the seal."
The words echoed in Mei Xiao's head long after he'd spoken them.
"That's… not how seals usually work," she muttered, pacing. "Is this some ancient magic logic or are you just being dramatic?"
Murong Jing He didn't smile. He never did—not when it mattered.
"You don't understand," he said, stepping closer. "The Phoenix Queen didn't just split her power into fragments. She reincarnated… through them. That's why the others are drawn to you. Why you see flames when you close your eyes. Why you can read scrolls that no one else can."
"But I'm not her," Mei Xiao argued. "I'm just a normal girl who accidentally swapped lives with someone from your fancy ancient world!"
He looked at her then—really looked—and for a flicker of a second, she saw something like sadness in his eyes.
"No one is just anything in this world."
The tension stretched between them.
Mei Xiao crossed her arms. "Okay, fine. Let's say I'm some reincarnated fire goddess or whatever. What exactly do you expect me to do? Go collect the other fragments like Pokémon cards?"
He blinked. "What are—"
"Never mind," she groaned, waving a hand. "Modern world reference. Forget it."
Jing He turned away, but not before she caught the corner of his mouth twitching. A smirk? No way.
He poured two cups of tea and handed her one. His fingers brushed hers for a second too long. Her breath caught, and she immediately looked away.
"Tomorrow," he said, his voice softer, "you start training. Your powers. Your mind. And your body."
"Wait, what kind of training—"
"You'll thank me later."
"I seriously doubt that."
They sipped their tea in silence, the warmth settling into her chest like an ember. For a moment, Mei Xiao forgot the seal. The danger. Even the scream from earlier.
Then came a knock on the door. Urgent.
A guard entered, panting. "Sect Leader! There's a group approaching the estate. Robes black as coal. No insignia, but… they burned through the outer barrier."
Murong Jing He stiffened.
"Obsidian Sect?" Mei Xiao asked.
He didn't answer.
He set the cup down, the calm vanishing from his eyes.
"No. Worse."