In Jade Immortal City, Jade Immortal Manor, the day sat squarely in early spring. Warm air brushed past tiled roofs and slipped between peach trees, shaking loose a rain of soft pink petals that drifted over courtyards and stone lanes like silent confetti. Rania, dressed in plain white, had climbed alone to the topmost balcony of Starwatch Tower.
The height gave her an unbroken sweep of sky, yet the stillness around her carried both restless hope and a nervous tightness she could not chase away. Ever since Jared departed Jade Immortal City, an uneasy flutter had camped behind her ribs and refused to settle.
Julian had sworn Jared was unharmed, yet second-hand comfort faded the moment he turned away; until she stood face to face with him, worry kept tugging at every thought.
“Rania…” The single, familiar call slid in from behind her, gentle yet unmistakable. A quick tremor snapped through her shoulders; she spun around before doubt could plant its roots.
Jared waited at the threshold, still in his blue robe. New steadiness trimmed the lines of his brow, and faint golden traces rippled in his eyes, lending an almost imperious mystery to the gaze resting on her.
“Jared!” Moisture rimmed Rania’s eyes as she threw herself forward and folded into his chest. He held her with careful arms. Soft warmth pressed through the thin cloth between them, and for one brief breath the blood and battles he carried seemed to loosen their grip.
In recent days he had marched across borders and painted the ground red; the iron smell still lingered on his palms. Only beside Rania did that weight roll off his shoulders, letting the simpler man underneath breathe again.
“I made you worry,” he murmured, his voice pitched for her alone.
She shook her head and tipped her face up toward him. “Nothing matters but your safe return. Father said you shattered the Skyreach Path; level thirteen is finally free.”
“Free, yes…” Jared’s gaze slid to the distant horizon. “But the larger trial waits ahead.”
An invisible hand squeezed her heart. “You… You’re heading for the Fourteenth Firmament, aren’t you?”
He chose honesty and nodded. “I have to. Mr. Morse’s soul still needs to be rescued, and level thirteen isn’t truly secure until the threat is cut at its root.”
Silence collected between them before she answered, her voice almost a whisper. “I know I can’t hold you back. You’re an eagle built for the highest sky; this layer is already too narrow for your wings.” Tears shimmered, yet her smile stayed. “No matter how high or how far you fly, I’ll be here. Jade Immortal City will always be your home.”
The words struck him deeper than any blade. Jared looked at the woman who gave and never asked, and warmth quick-stepped through every vein. Without warning he bent and scooped her into his arms.
“Ah!” Surprise burst from her lips. “Jared, you…”
“For the next few days, I go nowhere but where you are.” Jared spoke low beside her ear. “You called this place my home; let me feel that home a little longer.”
Color rushed across her cheeks. She buried her face in his chest and managed a quiet, consenting hum. For the seven days that followed, Jared kept his word, ignoring every duty and staying at Rania’s side from dawn to dusk.
The first day… The second day… The third day… The fourth day… The fifth day… The sixth day…
***
On the seventh night, darkness draped the manor. Inside Rania’s bedchamber, red candles flickered and sweet incense spiraled through the air. Fresh from her bath, she sat before the dressing mirror in a gauzy nightgown, long hair sliding through her fingers. The reflection offered cheeks flushed like peach petals and eyes bright with liquid spring, a beauty almost unreal.
Jared stepped up behind her, took the comb from her hand, and let each stroke fall gentle and slow.
“You leave tomorrow?” she asked, her voice barely above the candle’s hiss.
He nodded. “Everything is arranged. I can’t delay any longer.”
She turned, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her cheek against him. “I understand… I just hate the parting…”
Setting the comb aside, he lifted her, crossed to the bed, and sat with her perched on his lap. She spoke with quiet urgency. “The Fourteenth Firmament is deadly. Promise you’ll come back alive. That’s all I ask.”
“I will.” Resolve colored the promise. “For you, I’ll return whole.”
She raised her face, tenderness flooding every glance, and her fingers slipped to the sash at his waist.
“Rania?” The motion stalled him.
Rania’s breath barely stirred the candle-lit air. “Jared…” Heat surged over Rania’s cheeks, turning them crimson. Her words fluttered out like a secret. “Tonight… Let me tell you a story instead. No more… Doing it…”
Confusion tightened Jared’s brow. “What’s wrong?”
The color deepened across her neck. “It’s… Swollen…” she whispered. Then she darted forward, hiding in the circle of his arms.
A rueful smile curved on Jared’s lips. “All right… Stories it is…” He settled back, arms wrapped around her, ready to listen.
