Moonlit Hearts

Chapter 47: Chronos

Wangji took a deep breath, letting the moment of quiet settle before Wen Ning's voice broke through, calm but urgent.

"We need to move quickly," Wen Ning said, his gaze darting toward the doors. The distant sounds of battle echoed, reminding them of the chaos just beyond. "Can you stand, Wangji?"

Wei Ying tightened his grip on Wangji, his concern evident. Before Wangji could respond, Wen Qing stepped closer, her expression firm. "Lan Wangji, what can I do to help?"

Wangji hesitated, his eyes meeting Wei Ying's. His heart twisted at the thought of sending him away, but he forced the words out. "Take Wei Ying away from here. Get him to safety."

Wei Ying's grip tightened. "What?" His voice cracked with urgency. "Lan Zhan, no."

"You'll be safer away from the battlefield," Wangji said, his voice steady but strained.

Wei Ying's face flushed with anger. "Safer? What about you? You just collapsed. You—" His voice faltered, the emotion catching in his throat. "You're the one who's weak right now. If anyone needs to be kept away, it's you!"

Wangji flinched, the words landing harder than he expected. He looked into Wei Ying's eyes, seeing not just anger, but raw fear—fear for him. But he couldn't bring himself to reveal the truth just yet.

"I..." Wangji hesitated, the confession lodged in his throat. He wanted to say more, but the words felt too heavy. The truth, the burden of it, seemed unbearable in that moment. He closed his eyes, willing himself to stay steady.

Wei Ying's hand gripped his arm tighter, his voice softening, a plea. "Lan Zhan, tell me what's going on. I can't protect you if you don't let me in. You promised me, remember? No more secrets between us. Not now, not ever."

Wangji's breath hitched. The promise they'd made echoed in his mind, and the weight of it almost broke him. He opened his eyes, meeting Wei Ying's gaze with a vulnerability that was rare for him.

"There's... a presence inside me," he said, his voice quieter now, trembling. "A beast. It feeds on my anger, my hatred. The more I feel, the stronger it becomes. And if I lose control... I may not be able to stop it."

Wei Ying froze, his face going pale as the realization hit him. "Lan Zhan..."

"I tried to lock it away," Wangji continued, his voice strained. "But it's stronger than I thought. Just now... I nearly lost control. That's why I need you away from the battlefield. If it breaks free, I don't know what it will do—or who it will hurt."

Wei Ying stood there for a moment, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. Then, with a determined glint in his eyes, he stepped forward, cupping Wangji's face in his hands.

"You won't lose yourself," Wei Ying said firmly, his voice unwavering. "Not while I'm here. Not while we're here." A small, defiant smile tugged at his lips. "And if that beast dares to show its ugly face, I'll deal with it. I'm not going anywhere, Lan Zhan. So don't even think about sending me away."

 "You don't understand, Wei Ying," Wangji said, his voice strained. "You can't imagine how powerful it is, how consuming it has been."

Wei Ying's gaze hardened, but before he could respond, Wen Qing cut in sharply, her voice a firm command. "You can argue later. Nobody is leaving you, Wangji. We need to help Hel in the battle."

Wei Ying's expression softened, but his determination remained unyielding. "Come on, Lan Zhan," he said, his voice gentle yet insistent.

Wangji's hand tightened around Bichen, a brief tremor of uncertainty passing through him. As he rose, supported by Wei Ying, the weight of his confession still lingered in his chest. He knew, despite everything, that Wei Ying would not leave his side. He didn't have to fight this alone—not anymore.