Lin Yue woke to silence.
Not the peaceful kind—but the heavy, suffocating quiet of a place buried far from the world.
Cold stone pressed against his back. The air was damp and cool, carrying the faint scent of minerals and water. When he forced his eyes open, dim firelight flickered across smooth rock walls.
A cave.
Not a prison cave. Not a beast's nest.
Just one hidden cavern, sealed deep inside the mountain. There were no branching tunnels, no animal tracks, no lingering scent of life. It was as if the mountain itself had swallowed this place whole.
Lin Yue's breath hitched.
He wasn't alone.
A man sat a short distance away, leaning casually against the stone as if this were his territory. Long black hair fell freely down his back, catching the firelight. His features were sharp and striking—beautiful in a way that felt cold, dangerous, and utterly inhuman. His eyes, half-lidded, reflected the flames with an unnatural gleam.
Too calm.
Too composed.
Lin Yue swallowed. "You… brought me here."
The man lifted his gaze.
"I carried you," he replied calmly. "Very far."
Lin Yue's fingers curled against the stone. "How far?"
"Far enough," the man said, standing slowly, "that the hawk clan won't sense you. Even if they search the entire mountain."
Lin Yue's heart clenched.
"You're snake clan," he said quietly. "An exile."
A faint smile touched the man's lips.
"Mo Shen," he said. "Yes. Exiled."
Pain flared through Lin Yue's ribs as he tried to sit up. He hissed sharply.
"I need to go back," Lin Yue said, forcing the words out. "They'll be looking for me."
Mo Shen's expression darkened.
"No," he said.
Lin Yue looked up sharply. "You can't keep me here."
In the blink of an eye, Mo Shen closed the distance between them. His hand slammed against the stone beside Lin Yue's head, blocking him completely. The movement was fast, controlled, overwhelming.
"I won't let you leave just to die," Mo Shen said quietly.
Lin Yue stared at him. "What does my life have to do with you?"
Mo Shen leaned closer.
"Shh."
He lowered his head, inhaling slowly near Lin Yue's neck.
Lin Yue froze.
Mo Shen's pupils narrowed, a sharp hiss slipping from his throat before he could stop it.
"…Your scent," he murmured. "That's the problem."
Lin Yue's voice trembled. "My scent?"
"It's strong," Mo Shen said, voice low. "Fear, blood, stubbornness… and something else."
His jaw tightened.
"It's good enough to force me to protect you."
Lin Yue's heart pounded painfully. "So you saved me because of that?"
"Yes."
Mo Shen straightened slightly, but his presence still caged Lin Yue in.
"Snake clan do not interfere without reason," he continued. "But your scent is compelling me. It's telling me not to let you die."
Lin Yue looked at him in disbelief. "You're terrifying."
Mo Shen let out a low chuckle.
"Good."
He stepped back at last. As he turned away, something massive shifted behind him. For just a moment, Lin Yue caught sight of a thick, obsidian-scaled tail coiling smoothly across the cave floor.
"Rest," Mo Shen said. "Your body needs time."
"And after that?" Lin Yue asked.
Mo Shen paused at the cave's entrance, standing guard like a silent shadow.
"After that," he said, "we'll see whether the mountain gives you back… or keeps you."
Outside, the wind howled through the ravines.
Somewhere above, Feng Lihan was still searching.
And deep within the mountain's heart, Lin Yue realized—
Surviving the fall was only the beginning.