Moonlit Hearts

Chapter 41: A New Ally?

Wangji stiffened, recognizing the voice instantly. "Heimdall," he murmured, his voice low, caught between relief and caution.

Beside him, Wen Qing's brow furrowed. "The Guardian of the Bifrost?" she whispered, her tone laced with both disbelief and alarm.

Huesang stepped into the light from the shadows with an easy, unhurried grace, fanning himself with his ever-present fan. His delicate smile was disarming, almost shy, as his gaze flitted briefly to Wen Qing. "The Watchman of the Gods, at your service," he said lightly, offering her a mock bow.

But Wangji's eyes never left him. He knew better than to be lulled by Huesang's harmless veneer. Behind that gentle smile lay a mind as sharp as a blade.

Huesang closed the fan with a soft snap, his expression turning more somber. "To answer your question, Wangji, I'm here because Odin's reign has stretched far too long. He's become a tyrant, and I, for one, have grown weary of pretending otherwise."

His gaze darkened, and his voice dropped to a quieter, more dangerous tone. "More importantly, I know what awaits Wei Ying in three days' time. It's a fate he does not deserve. And frankly, I grow weary of watching Odin's punishments masquerading as justice."

Wangji's expression sharpened, his hand tightening slightly on Bichen's hilt. A surge of anger flared in his chest, but he controlled it with a clenched jaw. His voice, though cold, betrayed the urgency that clawed at him. "What fate?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, though part of him already feared the answer.

Huesang's fan hovered near his lips as he hesitated, a flicker of pain crossing his face. "Odin plans to execute him," he said softly. "Publicly. As an example to anyone who dares oppose him. He will break Wei Ying's spirit, then his body, in front of all the realms." His smile returned, bitter this time. "You know how Odin loves his spectacles."

The words hit Wangji like a physical blow. His stomach twisted, and a cold weight settled in his chest. The thought of Wei Ying—his Wei Ying—suffering under Odin's cruelty stole his breath. His heart clenched with a deep, raw anger that burned from the inside. He had feared this, but hearing it out loud made it all the more real, all the more unbearable.

And all that while, he had been laying down in a comfortable bed, living a life he had dared to dream of—sharing stolen moments with a fake Wei Ying, an illusion crafted to trap him. Someone as despicable as Su She had been playing puppet master, twisting his mind, mocking his devotion. Wangji's fists tightened at his sides, his knuckles whitening with the force of his self-loathing.

He could not forgive himself for not realizing the truth sooner. How long had Wei Ying been enduring Odin's torturous hands? How long had he suffered alone, waiting, while Wangji had been fooled into complacency? The thought was like a dagger twisting in his chest, a pain he couldn't dull, no matter how hard he tried to focus.

Wei Ying didn't deserve this—this public humiliation, this torment. The injustice was suffocating. Odin's power had always been ruthless, but this... this went beyond anything Wangji had imagined.

A burning need to act surged through him, but all he could feel was the weight of helplessness. The crushing reality of what Wei Ying was about to endure pressed down on him. That would not happen. He would not allow it.

Wen Qing inhaled sharply, her hand instinctively clenching at her side. "You're certain?"

Huesang's gaze met hers, unflinching. "As certain as the night follows day. I've seen the preparations. Wei Ying has three days left unless you act." He turned back to Wangji, his expression unreadable. "I am here because Wei Ying is my friend, Wangji. And because I have a score to settle with Odin myself. A personal one."