Moonlit Hearts

Chapter 77: The First Breath

Two days passed.

The vessel lay silent still, stretched upon the carved stone like a statue without breath. The runes around it had long since dimmed to nothing. No flicker of spirit, no pulse of energy. Just stillness.

And yet, Wangji and Wei Ying had not left its side.

They stayed in the high chamber where the ritual had failed, where the air was heavy with ash and the faint metallic scent of burned incense. Wangji had barely moved from his place at the vessel's side, his knees pressed into the cold stone. His hand, more often than not, rested lightly on its chest as if waiting to feel the faintest echo of breath. Wei Ying stayed close to him — sometimes leaning against him, sometimes pacing in restless circles, but always near.

On the third morning, the sound of footsteps broke through the chamber's silence.

Vali entered, his presence heavy with exhaustion. Shadows ringed his eyes, his hair was unbound, and his robes bore the creases of nights spent without rest. He stood over them, gazing at the still vessel, and then at the two who had refused to leave.

"Enough," Vali said at last. His voice was rough, but steady. "You must return home. You have families, duties. You cannot keep vigil over an empty shell forever."

Wei Ying stiffened. Slowly, he stood, his hands curling into fists. "Empty shell?" His voice cut sharp through the quiet. "That's your son you're talking about."

Vali's eyes flickered, but he didn't back down. "It is because he is my son that I say this. I will not give up searching, but you cannot waste your lives here. I promised I would find a way — and I will. But you have to go back to your world. Live. Care for your children. Care for each other."

Wei Ying's laugh was harsh, brittle. "Live? Pretend everything's fine while Xuanyu lies here like this? He's family, Vali. He's our family. You think we can just walk away?"

Wangji's head lifted slightly at those words, his eyes settling on Wei Ying, unreadable but glinting faintly.

Wei Ying stepped closer to the vessel, his hand brushing its cold arm as though to shield it. "We won't move. Not until he comes back. You can call it wasting our lives if you want, but I'm not leaving him. And neither is Lan Zhan." His voice dropped, trembling at the edges but burning with conviction. "He's waited centuries to be seen, to be free. I won't abandon him now, not when he needs us most."

Vali's jaw tightened. For the first time, his composure slipped, the weight of both grief and pride flashing in his eyes. He looked at them — one son who had lost, and two who refused to let go — and for a long moment, he said nothing.

It was Wangji who broke the silence, his voice quiet but immovable. "Wei Ying is correct. Xuanyu is our family. We will not leave him."

Vali's patience snapped. He stepped closer, his voice low but firm. "You cannot stay here forever. You must return to your home, to your lives. You are killing yourselves in this vigil!"

Wei Ying spun around to face him, eyes blazing. "Killing ourselves? No! You think this is about us?!" He gestured violently toward the still vessel. "Xuanyu is trapped! He's family! And you—" His voice cracked with fury. "You're telling us to leave him here like he doesn't matter!"

Wangji's hand found Wei Ying's, gripping it, but his own voice was tight. "Calm yourself, Wei Ying."

"Calm?!" Wei Ying barked, stepping closer to the vessel. "He's been patient for centuries! And you're asking us to go home and pretend nothing happened?!"

Vali's jaw clenched. "I am trying to save him, but I cannot do it if you—"

"We are not moving! Not until Xuanyu is safe!" Wei Ying shouted, his voice echoing off the chamber walls. "If you can't see that, then go! Go get Wen Qing, get the doctor! Do something besides telling us to leave him here!"