[The Confrontation of Souls]
The massive iron doors of the Hades Great Hall groaned open, releasing a wave of chilling blood-mist. Qing Fei stepped inside, her heart pounding against her ribs so hard it felt like it would burst. Behind her followed Wan Luo, her face a mask of calm elegance, though inside, a storm of terror raged. It can't be her... the child should have vanished in the vortex, Wan Luo screamed internally.
At the center of the hall, Hades You Nian sat upon his throne, his red eyes glowing in the gloom. Beside the kneeling four generals stood Gu Xingyu, looking lost yet remarkably composed.
"Qing... Qing...?"
Qing Fei's voice was a ragged whisper, a lifetime of suppressed grief pouring out in those two syllables. She saw the girl—and in that moment, the world stopped.
[The Mother's Recognition]
Qing Fei stumbled toward Xingyu, her hands trembling as she reached for the girl's face. "Qing-er... my Qing-er..."
Xingyu flinched instinctively, her modern-world defenses rising. "Who... are you?" she asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.
But as Qing Fei's fingertips neared, a scent drifted toward Xingyu—a faint, elegant fragrance of herbs and rain. It wasn't strong, yet it felt more familiar than any memory. Xingyu's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know why, but this scent felt like the only lamp in a dark, forgotten world.
"I am your mother! Don't you remember me?" Qing Fei cried, finally breaking down and pulling Xingyu into a crushing embrace. "I've wanted to hold you... for twenty years."
Xingyu froze. The word "Mother" struck her like a thunderbolt. "Mo...ther?"
[The Emperor's Denial]
"Enough, Qing Fei."
The voice was a cold, heavy weight. You Nian stood up, his dark robes swirling. He stepped down and pulled Qing Fei away. "She is not our daughter. She is merely a distant relative of the Crimson line who accidentally fell through the Rift."
"NO!"
Qing Fei shoved his hand away, her eyes blazing with a fierce, desperate certainty. "She is my daughter! I held her twenty years ago! I know her scent, I know her eyes! You are her father—how can you not recognize your own child?"
The accusation hit You Nian like a physical blow. The guilt of failing to protect them years ago resurfaced, tearing open old wounds. His jaw tightened, and his voice turned to ice to hide the tremor of his own heart. "Guards—take the Saintess to the dark dungeons!"
[The Shield of Love]
"I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!"
Qing Fei's voice, usually soft and yielding, shattered the silence of the hall. She spread her arms, shielding Xingyu with her own body. "If you lock her up, you must lock me up as well!"
The entire hall fell into a stunned silence. Even the four generals held their breath.
You Nian stared at his wife in shock. In all their years, Qing Fei had never defied him like this, never called him by his name, You Nian, in front of his court. The fire in her eyes was something he had never seen—a mother's primal fury.
Xingyu stood behind Qing Fei, her fingers involuntarily clutching the woman's sleeve. The herb-scented warmth from Qing Fei's back made her eyes sting. She had always been strong, always independent, but in this moment, she felt a profound, terrifying urge to lean into this stranger.
Her soul, buried beneath layers of a different life, was screaming in recognition of the blood that bound them.