Shadows of the Scarlet Lotus

The sound of the fountain in the outdoor courtyard is constant, a soft murmur that fills the air as the sun begins to dip below the horizon. I find myself sitting on a stone bench, still processing the day's events. The Scarlet Lotus, the recognition from Master Hua Tian, ​​the brief conversation with Hua Mei… Everything feels like a dream, like it doesn't belong to me at all. However, the hostile gazes of other disciples remind me that I am not welcome here. Not yet.

The light of twilight bathes the sky in shades of gold and purple, and as the stillness of the moment surrounds me, I can't help but think of the challenges that await me. My hand touches the jade pendant around my neck. It is a habit that I have never lost, a small action that connects me with the past that I prefer to leave behind.

"You're still holding on to that."

The voice is unmistakable. Wang Ming. His tone is mocking, but there is an edge of resentment in his words. I look up to find him standing in front of me, with his arms crossed and his characteristic air of superiority. Three of his followers stand behind him, all smirking.

—What do you want, Wang Ming? I ask, trying to stay calm.

"I just wanted to congratulate you," he says, with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. You accomplished something few of us have attempted. But don't get too excited. This doesn't change anything. You remain an orphan without lineage or support. Your little lotus show won't get you a place here.

His provocation does not surprise me. Wang Ming has been a constant thorn since I came to the sect. Always finding ways to remind me of where I came from, always looking for opportunities to humiliate me. But today, something in me is different. I don't smile back, nor do I get up to face him. I just sit there, staring at him.

"I don't need a place for someone to give me," I respond firmly, letting my words ring in the air. If I have to earn it, I will. But it won't be for you or anyone else.

For a moment, something changes in his expression. Maybe he expected me to get angry, to react with fear or submission. But my response throws him off, if only for a second. Then his smile returns, more dangerous than before.

"We'll see how long that trust lasts," he says, before turning his back on me. Enjoy your little moment, Lian Zhi. It won't last long.

The three disciples who accompany him laugh as they walk away, but their mockery does not affect me. When they leave, I let out a long sigh and look at the sky. The first star of the night shines faintly above the horizon, a reminder that even the deepest darkness can be pierced by a point of light.

I'm not here for them. I'm not here to prove anything to you. Every step I take on this path is for me, for the promises I made, and for the people who mean something to me. For Hua Mei, whose look this morning was more meaningful than any words. For Master Hua Tian, ​​who, although strict, saw something in me that others have not seen. And for myself, because I deserve a destiny that is not defined by the shadows of my past.

Wang Ming's words still echo in my mind, but not as a threat. They are a reminder. This is a world where the weak have no place, where power is everything. If I want to survive, if I want more than just survival, I will have to work harder than ever.

I look at the pendant on my neck, the only vestige of a life I left behind. I squeeze it in my hand, not with sadness, but with determination. I'm not running away from who I am; I'm running towards what I can become.

I stand up and walk towards my room. Every step I take feels safer, firmer. Inside me, something solidifies: a promise that doesn't need to be said out loud. No matter what comes, no matter how high the wall in front of me is. I'll climb it, I'll take it down. I am going to claim my place, not because it is given to me, but because it is mine by right.

And when the time comes, they will know. Everyone will know it.