The mountain path was treacherous, its stones slick with the faint mist that clung to the air like a restless spirit. Each step echoed faintly in the silence, as if the forest itself held its breath. I didn’t know what I was looking for—or rather, I didn’t know how to put it into words. All I knew was that I was being pulled forward, as if an invisible thread were guiding me to a place I couldn’t yet see.

The wind shifted. A faint, metallic tang carried on the breeze—the scent of copper. Blood. I froze, my heartbeat quickening. There, not far ahead, was a figure leaning casually against a jagged boulder, half shrouded in the dim light filtering through the trees.

Silver butterflies circled lazily around him, their soft glow illuminating his unmistakable silhouette. Even without stepping closer, I knew who it was.

“Hua Cheng” I breathed.