Spiritrun Arena

The morning sun climbed over Dragon Lock Abyss, gilding the edges of the twelve Moon Rabbit Lanterns that still hovered in the sky. Lin Ye and Xiao Tao sat on a weathered stone bench, their fingers laced together—the twin patterns of their spirit cores glowing faintly, as if the stars themselves had woven them into the fabric of the valley.

"You're quiet," Xiao Tao said, her voice soft. She tilted her head to look at him, sunlight catching the faint scar on his brow from their battle with the Eclipse Beast. "Thinking about… her?"

Lin Ye nodded. His gaze was fixed on the cliff face, where the half-melted star-meteorite sword still glowed. "Yuehuan's spirit said her blessing is in every 'now' we share. But last night…" He hesitated, his thumb brushing Xiao Tao's knuckles, "I kept dreaming of her. Not just as a general—as a girl. The way she'd tuck her hair behind her ear when she was nervous. The way she'd laugh at Mingyuan's terrible jokes."

Xiao Tao's heart ached. She knew that feeling—the ache of wanting to reach someone who'd loved you across time. She reached up, her free hand cupping his cheek. "She's not gone, Lin Ye. She's in the osmanthus cakes Grandma Chizuru bakes. In the way the lanterns still light up when we need them. In us."

He turned his face into her palm, pressing a kiss there. "You're right. But I want to show her. Show her that we're not just fighting for the past—we're building something new."

​​Whispers in the Mist​​

A sudden rustle in the underbrush broke their moment.

Su Rui emerged first, her Time-Space Spirit Pattern flaring. "Something's here. Not a beast—something… old."

The group tensed. Grandma Chizuru gripped her lantern, its osmanthus wick burning brighter. Zhao Yan's Shadow Crows took flight, scanning the mist. Sakura's modified Spirit Cannon hummed, ready to fire.

Then they saw it: a figure cloaked in shadow, standing at the base of the cliff. Its form shifted like smoke, but when it lifted its head, they recognized the face—Mingyuan.

"Ah Kui?" Xiao Tao whispered, her breath catching.

The figure stepped forward, the mist parting around it. It wasn't Mingyuan's ghost—it was her, or a version of her. Her armor was scuffed, her hair streaked with gray, but her eyes were bright with recognition. "Xiao Tao," she said, her voice like a song. "Lin Ye. You've grown so much."

"Mingyuan-jie!" Lin Ye rose, his Reverse Scale Core flaring. "Is it really you?"

She laughed, a sound that echoed like wind chimes. "Not exactly. I'm a memory, a echo. But I've been watching. Watching you two… fighting for what Yuehuan and I couldn't finish."

Xiao Tao's mind raced. Three centuries ago, Mingyuan had been Yuehuan's closest comrade—a healer, a strategist, the one who'd held her when she cried after losing the war. If this was a memory, why was she here now?

"You're here for the sword," Mingyuan said, gesturing to the cliff. "The twin patterns aren't just for fighting. They're a key. A way to unlock what Yuehuan sealed away that day."

"What did she seal?" Xiao Tao asked.

Mingyuan's smile faded. "A part of herself. A seed of light, buried deep in the mountain. It's why the pollution kept returning—because that light was calling to us, begging us to finish what she started."

​​The Seal of Light​​

The group followed Mingyuan's shadow to the base of the cliff. There, hidden behind a curtain of ivy, was a small cave. Inside, carved into the rock, was a seal—its pattern identical to the twin patterns on Lin Ye and Xiao Tao's spirit cores.

"The light is inside," Mingyuan said. "But it's guarded by Yuehuan's final wish: only those who share her vow can claim it."

"Her vow was to protect us," Lin Ye said, his voice steady. "To fight for the future, even when the past feels heavy."

Xiao Tao nodded. She thought of the way he'd shielded her in battle, the way he'd cried when she'd been hurt, the way he'd whispered "I'm here" when the world felt like it was ending. That was their vow—to be each other's light.

They pressed their hands to the seal together. The twin patterns flared, merging with the cave's carvings. The rock trembled, and a beam of golden light burst forth, flooding the valley.

​​The Light of Eternity​​

The light wasn't just a beam—it was a presence. Warm, gentle, familiar. It wrapped around them like a hug, seeping into their spirit cores, their hearts, their very bones.

And then they saw her.

Yuehuan. Not as a spirit, not as a memory—but alive. Her armor was whole, her hair flowing, her eyes bright with the same fire that had once lit up the battlefield. She stood at the mouth of the cave, smiling.

"Welcome, my loves," she said. Her voice was warm, like a mother's, like a friend's, like a warrior's. "I've been waiting for this moment."

Xiao Tao's tears fell. "You're… you're really here?"

Yuehuan stepped forward, her hand hovering over Xiao Tao's face. "I've always been here—in your courage, your kindness, the way you fight for each other. But now…" She laughed, a sound that made the stars sing. "Now I get to be with you. Not as a ghost, not as a memory. As Yuehuan."

​​Dawn of a New Era​​

The light from the cave spread across Dragon Lock Abyss, dissolving the last traces of black mist. The twelve Moon Rabbit Lanterns blazed brighter than ever, their light merging with Yuehuan's radiance to form a halo around the valley.

Mingyuan's shadow faded, but not before she winked at Xiao Tao. "Take care of her, Lin Ye. She's the real treasure here."

Yuehuan took Xiao Tao's hand, then Lin Ye's. "I've seen your future," she said. "Battles to fight, hearts to mend, a world to protect. But I also saw this—the way you look at each other, the way you fight for each other. That's the truest form of victory."

She pressed a small object into Xiao Tao's palm—a seed, glowing with golden light. "Plant this in the Spirit Pattern Tree. It will grow into a flower that blooms only when you two are together. A reminder that even in the darkest times, love is the brightest star."

Then she turned to Lin Ye, her smile softening. "And you—don't forget to laugh. Even when the weight of the world feels heavy, laughter is the best armor."

With that, she stepped back into the light, her form dissolving like dawn mist. But her voice lingered, clear and warm: "Now go. Build your now. And know that I'll always be there, in every star, every breath, every 'I love you.'"

​​Epilogue: The Flower of Now​​

That night, under a sky full of stars, Xiao Tao planted Yuehuan's seed beneath the Spirit Pattern Tree. The ground trembled, and a shoot sprouted, growing faster than any plant should—until it bloomed into a flower with petals like liquid gold, its center a tiny star.

"Look," Xiao Tao said, pointing.

Lin Ye smiled. "It's beautiful."

He took her hand, leading her to the edge of the valley. Below, the twelve Moon Rabbit Lanterns still glowed, and the cave where Yuehuan had appeared was now a pool of starlight.

"We did it," Xiao Tao said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "We finished what she started."

"No," Lin Ye corrected. "We started something. Together."

They kissed, slow and sweet, as the star-flower bloomed brighter, its light reaching up to touch the moon. Somewhere, in a place beyond time, Yuehuan smiled.

Now, she thought, is the sweetest part of all.

(Wind swept through the valley, carrying the scent of osmanthus. In the distance, the Spirit Pattern Arena's broadcast played: "Tonight's featured battle? A love story that outshines even the stars.")