Empire (Xichen X OC)

Chapter 8

The Archery Championship was over and after we bid goodbye to our friends, we returned to Cloud Recess. I felt an immense pride with how well I did, and I got a few friendly looks from the fellow Lan disciplines.

Xichen and I shared another tea, discussing over the competition and the peculiar relationship between Wangji and Wuxian.

All it was going smoothly and that was when I should have known...it was too damn good to stay for long. The sun that was above us for days would soon be covered by the darkest clouds as a terrible disaster was heading our way. A disaster that would forever change and destroy what I so hard built throughout this year.

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It all started a normal night like many others. The Cloud Recess was peaceful, almost time for the curfew. The sun had long set, and the amazing star combination was shining above our heads.

I was sitting on the roof of the room I was occupying, playing a few melodies with Suì bō. A new song I was trying to write related to the moments that just passed. With closed eyes, I tried a few more combination, the silence of the night inspiring me to go for something soft.

Suddenly I stopped, fingers carefully placed above the flute but didn't move. Opening my eyes fast, a sudden strong feeling came from my golden core. A second later, the sound of bells and shouts reached my ears as flames were created out of thin air.

I wasted no time to grab my loyal friend and rush towards the main part of the area where the sound of fighting had started. The flames that started randomly mixed and formed a hellish wave that attacked and devoured every structure unfortunate enough to be in its way.

A cultivator attacked me and for a moment, I lost my footing by recognising the emblem on the flag.

The Wens.

Unsheathing Zixiu and placing the flute on my waist, I quickly charged. Bending on one knee and using my momentum, I slid beneath the extended arm of my opponent before slashing his diagonally with the sharp blade of my sword.

Blood spit like a fountain as the man immediately collapsed, forming a pool of red blood around him. Standing up, I continued my way with only one thought in mind. To find Xichen.

I attacked every Wen cultivator that stood my way, killing most and injuring the rest. I did not care whether they lived or not as my eyes kept searching for the certain man.

The flames rose higher, the houses I so used to be part of my home were on fire along with the land around it. Everyone was fighting around me, many Lan disciplines falling defeated. The screams of agony and the sound of blades clashing was the only I could hear along with the beat of my heart.

I came to a halt. "Xichen!" I shouted, trying to see through the smoke and flames.

All I could see was red, orange and the black of night. I was lost, my senses disoriented. The worst passed through my mind as more and more fell under the cold blade. I blocked an attack for my head and immediately pushed the man back before slicing his chest.

The familiar sound of the string instrument known as guqin made me turn my head towards my left, the direction of the library. I knew that Wangji was there and it was most likely that Xichen was with him since the two siblings always fought together.

I rushed towards him, seeing the building that was housing so many ancient books being surrounded by flames. As I approached, I saw Wangji alone trying to protect the building while fending off Wen cultivators.

As I rushed to help him, a blade appeared in front of my face. By instinct I pulled my whole body back, mostly my head and the blade only injured my right cheek. Using my heels, I slowed down my momentum before spinning and attacking my opponent.