The forest remained quiet as the three figures moved through its dense undergrowth, the tension between them unspoken but palpable. Xu Tian walked several steps behind Yan Mei and her companion, his shadow flickering unnaturally as it stretched and recoiled in the dappled sunlight. Though his body ached from the earlier fight, his mind churned with conflicting thoughts.

  He had agreed to follow her, but every step felt like he was walking deeper into a trap. Trusting others wasn’t something he did anymore—not after what had been done to him.

  And yet…

  “You’re staring,” Yan Mei said without turning, breaking the silence. Her tone was calm, almost amused, but there was a sharpness beneath it.

  Xu Tian narrowed his eyes. “I’m thinking.”

  “About what?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

  “How you plan to use me.”

  Yan Mei stopped walking, her companion nearly bumping into her as she turned to face Xu Tian. “Use you?” she repeated, her brow furrowing. “Is that what you think this is?”

  Xu Tian crossed his arms, the shadows at his feet shifting restlessly. “People like you don’t help others out of the goodness of your heart. You’re from a sect. There’s always a price.”

  For a moment, Yan Mei studied him in silence, her expression unreadable. Then she sighed, shaking her head. “You’ve been hurt, haven’t you?”

  Xu Tian scoffed. “Understatement of the century.”

  She took a step closer, and the shadows flared instinctively, forming a faint barrier between them. Yan Mei didn’t flinch.

  “Let me make this clear,” she said softly. “I’m not here to manipulate you, or control you, or whatever else you’ve convinced yourself is true. I’m here because I saw someone who needed help. That’s it.”

  Xu Tian stared at her, searching her face for any sign of deception. But all he saw was a quiet determination that made him feel uneasy.

  “Fine,” he muttered, letting the shadows recede. “But if this goes sideways, don’t expect me to save you.”

  Yan Mei smiled faintly. “Noted.”

  Her companion, who had been silent throughout the exchange, let out a frustrated sigh. “Can we keep moving now? The longer we stay in one place, the more likely we’ll run into another patrol.”

  Yan Mei nodded and began walking again, leaving Xu Tian to trail behind.

  As they moved deeper into the forest, the whispers of the star returned, faint but insistent.

  “Foolish. Trust is a weakness. She will betray you, as all others have.”

  Xu Tian clenched his fists, trying to block out the voice. “You don’t know that,” he muttered under his breath.

  “We know everything,” the star replied, its tone cold and sharp. “You are alone. You will always be alone.”

  He didn’t respond. He couldn’t afford to.

  But deep down, a part of him feared the star might be right.

  Later that evening, they set up camp in a small clearing near a rocky outcrop. Yan Mei worked quickly, gathering wood and igniting a small fire with a flick of her fingers. Her companion, whose name Xu Tian still hadn’t bothered to ask, sat nearby sharpening his sword.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Xu Tian sat apart from them, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. The firelight flickered across his face, casting shadows that seemed to writhe unnaturally in the corners of the clearing.

  “You haven’t said much,” Yan Mei said, breaking the silence.

  Xu Tian shrugged. “I don’t have much to say.”

  “Everyone has something to say,” she replied, settling down across from him. “You just don’t want to.”

  Xu Tian gave her a dry look. “What is this, a therapy session?”

  Yan Mei chuckled softly. “No, but it wouldn’t hurt you to talk. Carrying all that anger around... it’s going to eat you alive.”

  “I’ll take my chances,” Xu Tian said, turning his gaze to the fire.

  They sat in silence for a moment, the crackling flames filling the space between them.

  “What happened to you?” Yan Mei asked quietly.

  Xu Tian stiffened, his jaw tightening. “None of your business.”

  “I think it is,” she said, her tone gentle but firm. “If we’re going to be traveling together, I need to know who I’m dealing with.”

  For a long moment, Xu Tian didn’t answer. Then, finally, he spoke.

  “I was part of a sect,” he said, his voice low. “Scarlet Peak. I was supposed to be a prodigy, destined to climb the Celestial Ladder and reach the stars.” He laughed bitterly. “But some people didn’t like that. They shattered my Heavenly Root, left me to rot.”

  Yan Mei’s expression softened. “And now you’re here.”

  “Now I’m here,” Xu Tian repeated.

  She didn’t say anything for a while, letting the words settle between them. Then she asked, “And the power you have now? The shadows? Where did that come from?”

  Xu Tian hesitated, his hand unconsciously brushing against his chest where the warmth of the star still lingered. “It doesn’t matter,” he said finally. “All you need to know is that I’m not the same person I was back then.”

  Yan Mei nodded slowly, though her eyes lingered on him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

  The peace of the camp was shattered by a distant roar.

  Xu Tian was on his feet in an instant, his shadows flaring to life. Yan Mei and her companion stood as well, their faces tense.

  “What was that?” the man asked, his voice tight.

  Xu Tian’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the darkness. “Something big.”

  The roar came again, closer this time, followed by the sound of trees snapping like twigs. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and a wave of pressure swept through the air, making it hard to breathe.

  And then it appeared.

  A massive beast emerged from the trees, its body covered in jagged scales that shimmered faintly in the moonlight. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent light, and its claws tore into the ground as it charged toward the camp.

  “A Starbeast,” Yan Mei said, her voice filled with dread. “How did it get this far south?”

  Xu Tian didn’t care how it got there. All that mattered was surviving.

  The beast lunged, its jaws snapping shut inches from where Yan Mei stood. She darted out of the way, her hands glowing as she conjured a barrier of golden light. The beast’s claws slammed into it, sending cracks spidering across the surface.

  Xu Tian moved instinctively, the shadows around him surging forward to lash at the beast’s legs. The tendrils wrapped around its scales, pulling it off balance, but the creature roared in fury and broke free, its tail sweeping toward him.

  He ducked, the tail whipping past him and smashing into a tree. Splinters flew everywhere, and Xu Tian used the distraction to strike again, the shadows forming a spear that pierced the beast’s side.

  The Starbeast howled, but it didn’t fall. If anything, it seemed angrier.

  “This thing’s too strong,” Yan Mei’s companion shouted, slashing at the beast’s flank. “We need to run!”

  “No,” Xu Tian growled, his shadows coiling tighter around the beast. “We end this now.”

  The star’s whispers surged in his mind, urging him forward. “Feed on its strength,” they said. “Take its power for yourself.”

  Xu Tian hesitated, his breath ragged. The idea was tempting—too tempting.

  But Yan Mei’s voice cut through the haze. “Xu Tian!” she shouted. “Focus!”

  He clenched his fists, forcing the whispers back. Not yet.

  With a final surge of effort, Xu Tian drove his shadows deeper into the Starbeast, targeting its exposed underbelly. The creature let out one last, guttural roar before collapsing, its body dissolving into motes of starlight that scattered into the wind.

  As the dust settled, Xu Tian stood over the remnants of the beast, his chest heaving. The shadows around him flickered before retreating, leaving him feeling hollow and drained.

  Yan Mei approached cautiously, her gaze wary. “You’re stronger than you look,” she said.

  Xu Tian didn’t respond. He was too focused on the whispers, which had grown louder, more insistent.

  “You cannot hold back forever,” the star murmured. “You will need us. You will need me.”

  For now, Xu Tian ignored it. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that his time was running out.