Azure Echoes.

Chapter 9: A Name from the Past

The morning sunlight filtered through the dense canopy of the Whispering Woods, casting dappled shadows on the ground as Lian, Zeng, and Xiu continued their trek toward the town. Their footsteps fell in sync, each step echoing in the hushed stillness. Yet beneath the calm exterior, Lian's mind raced, replaying the encounter with the masked man from the night before.

Zeng, ever watchful, seemed to notice Lian's distraction. He had questions—questions Lian knew he couldn't avoid forever. The look Zeng gave him now was as unreadable as the shadows cast by the forest. Xiu, who had managed to keep her usual confident stride, also seemed troubled, glancing occasionally over her shoulder as if to assure herself they weren't being followed.

The three walked in silence until they reached a small clearing by a creek, where they paused to rest and refill their waterskins. Lian knelt by the water, staring at his own reflection in the rippling surface, his mind tugged back to the masked figure's chilling words.

"Ah, Viper. How long has it been?"

The name felt like a curse, a lingering echo of a past he'd tried desperately to bury. He could almost feel Zeng's suspicion growing beside him, each unspoken word hanging heavily between them.

Xiu broke the silence. "Are we going to talk about what happened back there? That man knew you, Lian."

Lian kept his gaze on the water, unwilling to meet her eyes. "I wasn't always a physician" he said slowly, choosing his words with care. "I... worked in places where Black Veil operatives ran their trade. 'Viper' was just a name I picked up."

"So you were one of them?" Zeng's voice was controlled, though Lian could hear the edge in his tone.

"No" Lian replied, the word sharp. "I was never truly one of them. But I knew their methods, their poisons..." He sighed, the truth weighing on him. "That masked man was one of their assassins—an enforcer I used to encounter in the underworld. He wouldn't forget someone who slipped away from their grasp."

Zeng's gaze didn't soften, but his curiosity seemed tempered with a degree of understanding. "That's why you're so familiar with their poisons, their tactics. I wondered how you knew so much."

A faint rustle echoed through the trees. Lian straightened, the tension creeping back into his muscles, and his eyes darted toward the sound. Zeng's hand instinctively moved toward the hilt of his sword.

Emerging from the shadows was a figure they recognized—the same masked man, standing at the edge of the clearing. But instead of advancing, he remained at a distance, his head tilted as if assessing them.

"I see you remember your name, Viper" the man called, his voice dripping with venom. "Leaving the Black Veil was quite a bold choice, wasn't it?"

Lian's breath hitched, his usually steady composure faltering. He hadn't expected the man to find them so quickly.

"You've made a mistake" Lian managed, though his words sounded hollow.

The masked man chuckled darkly. "It's you who's mistaken if you think you can stay hidden forever. They'll keep coming, you know. They don't forget a turncoat."

Lian swallowed, an unease twisting in his gut. "Then I suppose I'll have to keep moving."

Before Lian could react, the man faded back into the forest, as if melting into the shadows.

When Lian finally looked back, he saw Xiu's face. She'd been listening in silence, her gaze piercing, intense. He'd known she was a mystery, but the sadness and anger in her expression now made him realize just how much she might understand his fears. He took a breath, unsure if he wanted to ask—but it seemed Xiu wanted him to know her story just as much as he wanted to hear it.

Xiu's voice was soft but steady. "Lian, you're not the only one with a history that intertwines with the Black Veil." She glanced at Zeng before fixing her gaze on the forest shadows. "I've seen what they can do, how they destroy lives. And I know that the pain they leave behind never truly fades."

Zeng's expression turned to one of confusion, but there was a tenderness there too, an understanding of the trauma she hinted at.

"What did they take from you?" Zeng asked gently.

Xiu's voice lowered. "Not a what. A who." She hesitated, as if choosing her words carefully. "There was someone dear to me once, a friend who was more like family. He was full of life and courage, always reaching out to help others, just as I wanted to. But one day, he crossed paths with the wrong people—he learned a secret about the Black Veil, something he wasn't supposed to know"

Lian listened, caught up in her story, understanding all too well where it was going.

"He became a target" Xiu continued. "They poisoned him, slowly, over days, leaving traces of it so no one could stop it in time. I tried everything to save him, using every remedy I could find. But it wasn't enough. By the time I'd uncovered the cause, he was gone. I swore then that I'd avenge him. That I would do everything in my power to destroy the Black Veil, no matter how long it took."

The silence that followed was almost suffocating. Lian felt the weight of her pain, the determination in her words that matched the steeliness in her gaze. It was a purpose he understood all too well, and yet it cut deeper than any wound.

"Xiu, I'm sorry" Lian murmured, words catching in his throat. "If I'd known—"

She shook her head. "I don't need your sympathy, Lian. What I need is your help. The Black Veil is ruthless, and if they know who you are, they're going to keep coming. But together, we might just have a chance of stopping them."

Zeng, who had been listening intently, nodded. "You're right. We may not have crossed their path by choice, but we're here now, together." He glanced at Lian, his voice a mix of conviction and quiet loyalty. "And I'm not letting them get to either of you."

Lian took a deep breath, nodding in agreement. "Then we're in this together."

As they turned back toward the forest path, a new understanding passed between them. Lian knew that his past might continue to haunt him, but he wasn't alone in it. With Xiu's determination and Zeng's steadfast loyalty, he felt something he hadn't experienced in a long time—a sliver of hope that, perhaps, they had a chance against the Black Veil.