𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦. n. (latin)
- star, constellation, glory, immortality, heaven.
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❝I don't need the stars, because I have you.❞
In which, the Celestial Nine-Tailed Fox finally visits the Mortal Realm after millenniums of avoiding her past.
﹒﹒﹒
「 𝐕𝐚�...
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「 第十九章 // 𝗖𝗛. 𝟭𝟵 」
"Under My Skin."
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"MK, where's Y/n?"
MK flinched slightly, his cheerful demeanour faltering. He doesn't meet her eyes, his gaze instead fixed on the horizon, where the dust storm from their training session moments before was still drifting.
"She's..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck, unsure of what to say. His fingers tightened around the handle of his staff as if the action could keep the weight from crashing down on him. "She's with Jiangxue. He's—he's not doing well."
Mei's brow furrowed, the tension in her face deepening. "What do you mean, 'not doing well'? What's going on?"
MK bit his lip, casting a quick glance toward the group. Sandy was still trying to help Tang weightlift, while Sandy stood a distance away, working at his stove. "I—" He hesitated, swallowing hard. "I don't know how to— explain this, Mei. Let's just— give her some time..."
She didn't need to hear more. Her eyes softened, a mix of worry and resignation flooding her expression. "Okay."
...
The room was still, heavy with silence. The only things audible were the steady breathing of Jiangxue and the faint, simulated crackle of fire in the electric fireplace.
You sat on a small chair beside his bed, your hands clasped tightly together, staring at the boy who was so far from the person he used to be. His pale, drawn face was barely recognizable.
The flicker of life that had once been in his eyes—those eyes that had once been full of snark, of determination, of kindness and strength—was now lost beneath the cold emptiness that the possession had left behind.
You hadn't contacted Wukong since the battle. Part of you knew you should—he needed to know what happened to Jiangxue, and there was a pressing urgency with the knowledge of Lady Bone Demon's plans almost completed—but you couldn't bring yourself to face him. You couldn't face any of them.
You could barely face yourself.
How could you explain what happened? How could you even begin to unravel the mess of emotions that churned inside you?
The guilt weighed heavier than anything else. Your relationship with Jiangxue had always been a delicate thread, one of protection, of imparting knowledge and keeping him safe—
