Lin Qinglan felt like she'd only just fallen asleep when Su Yan woke her.
"Teacher Lin," he said softly, giving her sleeve a gentle shake. "Wake up. Food's ready."
Lin blinked, then moved slowly, careful not to tug at her injuries as she pushed herself upright.
"That was… quick," she murmured.
Su Yan gave a small shake of his head. "Not really. You've been out for a while. Even Nihilister's already eaten her fill."
Lin Qinglan frowned. "The red-haired woman?"
"Yes," Su Yan said. After a beat, he added, quieter, "And I'm sorry about what she did earlier. She's… brash."
Lin hesitated. She could admit it to herself: Nihilister still scared her, no matter how calmly Su Yan spoke.
"Is that going to be a problem?" she asked.
Su Yan's expression tightened for a moment, then smoothed out. "No. It won't be a problem. She's agreed to work with me."
He offered her a steady hand. "Come on. Let's get something warm in you first."
Su Yan led Lin Qinglan toward the campfire.
Her steps slowed as she neared the embers.
Nihilister was sprawled by the fire, half on her side—one arm tucked under her head, eyes half-lidded, wearing a satisfied, lazy grin. Crimson hair spilled in a heavy sheet down her back, slipping around the compact armoured "pack" fixed to her spine. Thick ribbed conduits curved outward from it to either side, feeding into the two massive appendages that framed her like crouched beasts—angular, dragon-headed gunmetal shapes with serrated edges and a faint orange glow pulsing in their vents.
Trailing behind her lay a jointed, bladed tail.
Lin Qinglan stopped, breath catching.
"Su Yan… what is she?"
Su Yan kept his voice low. "Not human," he said simply. "And not a Spirit Beast either."
Lin Qinglan's grip tightened.
"She's Nihilister," Su Yan continued, measured. "My companion. And for now, that's all that matters."
Lin Qinglan didn't look satisfied, but she followed him the rest of the way and lowered herself carefully beside the fire.
"Here," Su Yan said, passing her a few skewers. "Eat."
Lin Qinglan took a cautious bite.
…Surprisingly, it was delicious.
Time passed as she ate quietly, finishing the last bite.
"Ahh… I feel alive again."
Lin Qinglan leaned back, eyes lifting to the sky. For a few seconds, her expression softened—then the smile drained away as reality caught up.
"Su Yan," she said, voice lower now. "What do you plan to do next?"
Su Yan sat by the campfire, poking at the coals with a stick. Sparks jumped and died.
"I… don't know yet."
Lin Qinglan blinked.
"You don't know?"
"Not completely," Su Yan admitted, still watching the fire. "Most of the plans I can think of… they all need help."
He glanced at her—careful, not pushing.
"Your help."
Lin Qinglan's brows rose.
"…Mine?"
Su Yan's grip tightened slightly on the stick, then loosened again.
"Yeah," he said simply. "But I didn't want to presume."
Lin Qinglan held his gaze for a moment, then exhaled.
"Say it plainly, Su Yan. How can I help?"
Su Yan hesitated.
"Teacher Lin… you live outside the academy, right?"
Lin Qinglan answered, puzzled.
"I do…"
Su Yan's shoulders eased—just a fraction.
"Then… you have your own place? A house?"
"Yes," Lin Qinglan said slowly. "Why?"
Su Yan took a breath.
"I need to ask something unreasonable."
Lin Qinglan's eyes narrowed.
"…Go on."
Su Yan said it anyway.
"I need you to let Nihilister stay with you."
"WHAT?!"
"WHAT?!"
Nihilister and Lin Qinglan shouted at the same time.
Su Yan flinched at the volume, then raised both hands.
"Listen—just hear me out."
"Nihilister can't keep following me around," Su Yan said. "Not in Nuoding every day."
"Of course she can't!" Lin Qinglan snapped, throwing a hand toward Nihilister. "Have you seen her?!"
"I have," Su Yan said dryly. "But she can compress and hide the metal parts."
He turned, giving Nihilister a pointed look.
Nihilister crossed her arms.
"I can," she said, annoyed. "So what the hell do you mean I have to live with her?"
She jabbed a finger at Lin Qinglan.
"Because I can't keep you with me," Su Yan said. "The academy has student quarters. Teachers have their own arrangements. There's nowhere for you to stay without raising questions."
Lin Qinglan's frown deepened. "An inn, then."
Su Yan shook his head once. "We don't have that kind of money. Not for weeks, not for months."
He let the silence sit for half a breath, then continued, voice steady.
"I need to stay enrolled. I need cover, and I need time."
"Time for what?"
Nihilister sneered.
"Time to get stronger. Time to grow," Su Yan replied.
He didn't look away when he said the next part.
"And because you're not at full strength."
Nihilister's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Oh?"
Su Yan's tone stayed level, but it cut cleanly.
"Don't play dumb. I've watched you. If you were at your peak, I doubt there would've even been bones left of that Puma-like soul beast."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Tell me I'm wrong, Nihilister."
"And even if you were at your peak—this isn't the world you knew," Su Yan continued. "There are people here who can kill soul beasts on your level."
He gestured at himself, small and thin in the firelight.
"And me? I'm just a liability right now."
His jaw set.
"So I stay enrolled. I look normal. I get stronger."
He let the words land.
"Then we go out into the wider world—only when we can actually protect ourselves."
Nihilister's eyes burned in the firelight, jaw tight as if she wanted to bite the words out of him.
For a long moment she didn't blink.
The crackle of the flames filled the space between them.
Then she let out a sharp, hot exhale through her nose
"Tch."
She looked away first, not in defeat, but in refusal to give him the satisfaction of watching her swallow it.
"You talk too much for someone that small," she muttered.
Su Yan didn't answer. He just waited.
Nihilister's fingers flexed once, then unclenched.
Her shoulders dropped a fraction.
"Fine," she said at last, voice rough. "We do it your way."
She lifted her chin, eyes narrowing again as she added, "For now."
Su Yan nodded once and exhaled, then turned to Lin Qinglan.
"So, Teacher Lin… can you help us?"
Lin Qinglan thought for a long moment before answering.
"If it keeps you safer, then I will. But if she can't control herself, this ends—student or not."