The emberlight had dimmed, but the warmth lingered.
Rana stirred first, her flame qi gently retracting into her core like a tide returning to sea. Jalen lay beside her, eyes half-closed, his breathing steady. The silence between them wasn't awkward—it was sacred. A quiet born from connection, not absence.
Then, a pulse.
Not from either of them—but from the corridor beyond.
Rana sat up instantly. "She's back."
Jalen nodded, already rising. His robes reformed around him with a flick of qi, the air shimmering as fabric and aura settled into place. Rana followed, her movements fluid, her expression composed—but her eyes still held the glow of what had passed.
The chamber felt different now. Not because the walls had changed, but because they had. What had once been a space for rest had become a memory etched into both their souls.
A knock echoed—not loud, but deliberate.
Talia stepped in without waiting for permission. Her gaze swept the room, pausing briefly on Rana's flushed cheeks and Jalen's unreadable expression.
She smirked. "I told you three hours," she said, her voice clipped. "You took four. Just what were you two doing so long?"
Rana coughed, trying to hide her embarrassment. "We were just talking."
"Sure you were," Talia said dryly. "Anyway, it's time."
Jalen stepped forward. "You're heading back to Great Ling?"
Talia nodded. "And you're not coming, I assume." Her tone held a trace of disappointment. She had hoped Rana might convince this prodigy to join their clan—especially with the danger he was in. It would be a tragedy if someone like him died before he truly bloomed.
Elder George was out for blood. The spies he had posted near her residence were proof enough. They kept their distance only because she was present—and because provoking the Solar Clan would be a political misstep. But prestige only stretched so far. This was Crimson Vale territory, and here, they held the stronger position.
Talia had intended to leave immediately after the Scorch Realm closed. She'd even begun preparations. But when Jalen appeared out of the blues four hours ago, she delayed—just long enough to give her disciple a proper goodbye to the man she clearly is in love with.
And while Rana and Jalen were inside cooking up a storm, Talia had been outside, surveying the perimeter, reinforcing wards and formations to ensure no one breached their defenses. That's when George arrived—demanding answers about Jalen's connection to her disciple.
Talia had shut him down with cold precision.
"My disciple's relationships are none of your concern," she had said, her voice laced with authority. "And if you think threatening me will change that, you're welcome to try."
George hadn't taken it well. His pride was already wounded, and her defiance only poured salt into the burn. Talia knew the Crimson Vale Sect wouldn't let this go. The Solar Clan was powerful, yes—but they weren't on home turf. And in this region, Crimson Vale ruled with quiet dominance.
She wasn't about to gamble her disciple's safety—or her own. Therefore she need to leave with Rana before George and the higher up of the crimson sect get reckless and so something dangerous.
"No," Jalen said. "My path leads elsewhere."
Rana's heart clenched, but she didn't speak. She had already said goodbye once. Saying it again would only reopen the wound.
Talia glanced between them, then sighed. "You two are ridiculous. But fine. Let's go, Rana."
Rana turned to Jalen one last time. "You'll be careful?"
He smiled faintly. "Always."
She hesitated, then reached out—just a touch to his hand. No kiss. No lingering embrace. Just a promise in silence.
Then she turned and walked away, her master beside her.
Jalen remained in the chamber, the emberlight casting long shadows across his face. He didn't move until the qi signatures of Rana and Talia had vanished into the distance.
Only then did he whisper, "I'll find you again."
And with that, he vanished using Flash Reversion—leaving behind only warmth, and the memory of flame.
___
The aftermath of the Scorch Realm trials had sent ripples across the continent. Jalen's fight with Elder George had become legend overnight. But what truly shocked people wasn't the clash—it was Jalen himself.
His age. His realm. His technique.
Some dismissed it as rumor. "No one that young could reach that level," they scoffed. "It's impossible."
But those who had been there knew the truth. They had seen it with their own eyes. The top sects and noble families began to stir. Some wanted to befriend him, to recruit him into their ranks. Others saw him as a threat—an anomaly that needed to be erased.
And then there were those who simply wanted his secrets. Whatever treasure or technique had made him this strong, they wanted it. By force, if necessary.
___
Tidefall City, Capital of Kyra State
In the ancestral hall of the Yale family, tension hung heavy in the air. Rage simmered beneath the surface, palpable and unspoken.
A wanted poster lay on the table, Jalen's image etched in ink.
"Isn't that the brat we've been hunting? The one who killed Elder Rodric?" asked Fabian Yale, the family patriarch and Nate's uncle. Though he appeared youthful, Fabian was a Sage Realm expert over three thousand years old—his power matched only by his indifference.
"Yes," replied Alton, an inner elder of the family, also in the Sage Realm. "He was last seen in Riley State, at Flame Meridian Ground. Rumors say he's at the peak of the Immortal Realm and managed to contend with a Sage Realm elder from the Crimson Vale Sect."
Fabian's eyes narrowed. "If that's true, it explains how he killed Rodric."
"This is unsettling news."
"What are your orders?"
Fabian leaned back, his gaze distant yet sharp. "As much as I admire a young genius, he chose to make our family his enemy. He spilled our blood—and that cannot go unpunished."
He paused, his voice calm but laced with quiet certainty. "For now, let the Dark Mercenaries continue tracking the boy and Nate. If my intuition is correct, he'll walk into our hands of his own accord—even if we remain still."
Alton's brow furrowed. "You think Nate will come for vengeance?"
Fabian gave a faint smile. "You were a young man once, full of indomitable will. What do you think?"
Alton considered it briefly. His thoughts drifted to Nate—a boy once mocked, bullied, dismissed as a cripple and a waste. But now, he had gained power. Of course he would want to strike back at those who had made his life unbearable.
Not to mention, if Nate uncovered the truth about what had really happened to his father, that knowledge alone would guarantee his return to the family—once he was strong enough to demand answers. And when that day came, they wouldn't just crush Nate. They would crush the boy too.
"I see."
"Of course you do." Fabian show a brief smile.
"If you have no further orders, I'll take my leave," Alton said.
Fabian made a hand gesture for him to leave. Alton bowed his head and exited the hall, the heavy doors closing behind him with a quiet thud.
__
Royal Palace of Tidefall City
The Kyra royal family had remained silent for years, observing the cultivation world from their ivory towers. But Jalen's emergence had stirred their interest.
A prodigy with no known background.
A boy who had defeated a Sage Realm elder.
A cultivator who had vanished without a trace.
Scouts were dispatched across the continent, tasked with uncovering the truth.
Who was this boy?
Where did he come from?
What did he want?
And most importantly—could he be controlled?