dark descendent lurking fate

The skies had finally cleared.

The land was in ruin.

From mountaintop sect halls to bustling inner cities, every cultivator—from wandering rogue to ancient elder—had felt it.

A storm without a source.

A tremor of such magnitude it had triggered realm-wide unease.

But now it was gone.

And in its absence…

So was Ash.

---

1. At the Sect – Silence After the Storm

The outer courts were full of whispers. Disciples in training halls, elders in council chambers, even the scroll keepers were murmuring:

> "Who vanished during the storm?"

"Didn't someone just return from a mission?"

"Was it… that task disciple… the one who killed the tier 5 beast?"

No one said Ash's name.

But everyone was thinking it.

In the inner sanctum, Elder Huo stood before the great map of the realm. A thin blue orb hovered above it, representing Ash's life force.

It had not vanished.

It had not shattered.

It had simply… slipped off the map.

> "He's alive," Huo muttered. "But not here."

---

2. Lian Rou – Cold Silence and an Empty Room

Lian Rou stood at the door to Ash's courtyard, the door slightly ajar.

She'd been here three times already. Each time, hoping he'd returned.

Inside, the air still smelled like iron from his blade polish. A few weapons were missing. Some things left behind. The spirit forge was silent.

She stepped in, picked up a half-finished blade made by Vulcan, still glowing faintly.

She sat.

Stared.

And spoke softly:

> "You idiot... Where did you go?"

Her mind raced. Ash was powerful—unusually so. He had secrets. She knew some. Suspected others. But this disappearance… felt different.

Final.

She hated it.

> "If you're alive... I will find you," she whispered.

Then quietly, she took the blade and left.

---

3. Yan Qing – Anger, Denial, and a Breaking Point

Yan Qing was furious.

> "He's NOT missing," she shouted in the grand hall. "Stop spreading idiotic rumors!"

Disciples turned away awkwardly.

She stormed toward Elder Huo's chambers, only to be stopped by one of the guards.

> "Lady Qing, the Elder isn't seeing anyone—"

> "I don't care!"

She was let in after a moment of pause.

> "Tell me where he is!" she demanded.

Elder Huo remained silent.

> "He was stronger than me, stronger than any direct disciple under Core Vein—he wouldn't just vanish!"

Elder Huo looked up, sighing.

> "Miss Qing... He didn't vanish."

> "What do you mean?"

> "He was... taken."

Her heart dropped.

> "Taken… by who?"

> "Not by who," Elder Huo said grimly, "...but by where. The Demonic Realm."

Yan Qing staggered back, grabbing a pillar to steady herself.

> "He's... gone?"

> "He's not dead," Elder Huo said. "But whether we'll ever see him again... I cannot say."

---

4. Rin – A Smile, and Then a Thought

Rin was sitting in her new sect chamber, lounging across cushions and sipping lotus tea.

A servant entered.

> "Princess, word from the task hall. Ash has not reported back."

She raised an eyebrow.

> "Missing?"

> "That's the word."

A strange expression flickered across her face—equal parts amusement, curiosity… and something else.

> "Heh. So… the wild boy disappeared."

She stared at the ceiling.

> "Interesting."

Then her gaze sharpened.

> "He didn't strike me as someone who would die so easily. If he's not here… then he must be somewhere important."

She stood, placed her teacup down, and summoned a scroll.

> "Let's see which realm has started whispering…"

---

5. In the Night – The Girls Meet

Later that night, Yan Qing, Lian Rou, and Rin found themselves outside Ash's silent courtyard.

The wind was cold.

None of them had called the others—but they were all there.

For a moment, they said nothing.

Rin was the first to speak.

> "He really is gone, huh?"

Lian Rou nodded.

> "For now."

Yan Qing clenched her fists.

> "I should have followed him… I knew something was off."

Rin raised an eyebrow.

> "Jealousy doesn't bring back missing boys."

> "This isn't about jealousy."

Lian Rou interrupted.

> "We don't have time for this."

The three looked at each other. Not rivals. Not yet allies. Just... threads connected to a storm far greater than them.

> "He's not dead," Yan Qing said again, almost like a prayer.

> "Then we'd better be strong enough when he returns," Lian Rou answered.

Rin smirked.

> "Oh, I plan to be."