As slowly as each tear slid down, the night passed in suppressed sobs and heartaches.

  Noah could feel her nails digging into his back, almost tearing his clothes. In other situations, the wet fabric would have bothered him, but not now. He wouldn’t have even noticed if Ting hadn’t mentioned it.

  She sniffed and pulled her face away from his chest a bit.

  — I’m sorry for dragging you into this kind of situation again... I know it must be annoying, so—

  — I don’t think so. — Noah pulled her closer, tightening his hug — Except for the tears, I actually like this.

  Lifting her face, Ting looked at him for a moment. She knew these words were meant to comfort her. But she still wondered how true they were.

  Winds rattled the nearby window, but did not reach them. She couldn’t hear them, not with those drums rumbling like thunder in her ears. Noah’s heartbeat seemed unique, a little strange.

  — I answered your question before, so can I ask one now?

  He hesitated, but finally nodded.

  Ting reconsidered for a moment. She felt she needed to keep talking so she wouldn’t start crying again, to keep her mind busy, so she asked. She didn’t really expect Noah to agree so easily.

  There were many things she wanted to know, but among them she didn’t know which ones he would actually answer.

  — That creature, it... it was a remnant of the beast from the bloodline you have, right? — she looked him in the eyes — Did it come from the Forest of Demonic Beasts...?

  Noah looked away, thoughtful.

  — You asked two questions. — he said.

  — Then answer the second one.

  — Well, yes. And with that I answer both. — he smiled — Now it’s my turn... I already have something in mind, but why did you accept such an absurd idea like marrying me, someone whose name you didn’t even know?

  — Hmm, that’s easy... — Ting clenched her fists, scratching his back in the process while hiding her face — Out of fear. — she revealed — But not just of you.

  — Of the assassins too?

  She nodded. Then a weak, hoarse laugh echoed out, muffled.

  — It was also because of a hint of hope, I think. Because you’re so strong, I figured I’d be safe by your side. As for the fear... like I said, it wasn’t of you, it was of that. I was afraid that the one I saw would turn out to be who you really are.

  — And I imagine you’re happy that’s not true.

  Smiling, she met his gaze — Definitely. For that reason, and also because you know how to cook.

  —...I get the feeling that between those two, the second is more important.

  The laughter that followed was lighter, less restrained.

  She sighed to catch her breath, then closed her eyes.

  — As I said before, you can stay like this until you’re satisfied this time. I’m not going to ask you to let go.

  — You know, that’s a pretty dangerous offer, don’t you think? ...I don’t need to eat or sleep, so how long do you think I could just stay like this?

  She reconsidered for a moment — Alright, just for today... You can do this as much as you want today, but I’ll want you to make me another dessert when you’re done. Something as delicious as that cake.

  — Huh? So this turned into a trade after all...? — he sighed, giving in to her teary eyes — Alright, I’ll try...

  Ting nestled as close as she could, hugging the hardness of Noah’s body. As time passed, Ling’s presence was no longer the main thing, but a comforting detail. It made her feel at home, but it wasn’t the only thing that made her feel welcome. Despite how cold they appeared, those strange eyes were watching her. Observing. Analyzing her reactions. And carefully checking how she would react with every exchange.

  Though Noah didn’t seem to have a great emotional range, he was trying his best. That’s what she felt and saw. That’s what helped her feel a little calmer and made it easier for her to open up to him.

  And so, in moments of silence and conversation, an entire afternoon passed in the blink of an eye.

  The sun shone through the gaps, moved and set, retreating to give way to the moon that soon dominated the sky.

  Noah opened his arms when he noticed her eyes looking at him with intense focus.

  — Alright, — he sighed — you can go outside now.

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  Stretching, Ting stood up. She opened the window to feel the warm, gentle breeze on her skin, soon it would change.

  — The way you say it, it’s like I was trapped. — she smiled as she pushed the stray strands from her face — Now it’s your turn. So, what dessert will you make?

  — Ah, yes... — he looked away before letting out the breath he’d been holding — Okay, fine, let’s do it. — he got up — I’ll try to make something.

  They walked out the door, with Noah being pushed since his steps were so slow, almost dragging.

  He stumbled upon seeing the outside and its agonizing markings staining reality, but Ting’s touch made his strangeness fade and the confusing, blurred runes vanish.

  After some insistence from Ting, the two kept walking.

  From the roof, Fusu watched them for a while, then lay back on the tiles.

  He sighed.

  You’ll be alright, right, Ting’er...? From now on, you shouldn’t face any big problems with that boy by your side. But even so, I still think I’d better make sure...

  Despite the endless stars, the moon seemed very lonely from up there.

  Sitting on a sawn-off trunk that served as her bench, Ting swung her legs as she watched Noah cooking.

  — It’s my turn to ask a question, so... tell me about the Forest of Demonic Beasts. Is there really a Demon Lion there that’s as big as mountains?!

  Her eyes were shining, and with her tightening grip, her legs stopped moving.

  Noah smiled. He’d noticed before, but he kept thinking how beautiful it was when she was curious.

  — Yes, he’s huge—so big he could crush that mountain we saw with a single paw.

  — Wow...! — she jumped to the ground, coming closer — And his body, in the book it said he looked like he was made of fire, is that true? And the Thunder Bird, is it really as scary as they say? I read its feathers are darker than night, like an entrance to the void. The Forest of Demonic Beasts is huge and dangerous, so how did you get out of there?!

  Noah paused for a moment. That enthusiasm was lovely, something he felt should be protected and preserved.

  He smiled.

  — You’ve already asked a question, now it’s my turn.

  Narrowing her eyes, Ting puffed her cheeks. What once worked on Fusu and Ling now seemed to have no effect on this person.

  She gave up with a sigh, not knowing she would’ve won if she’d held on a few moments longer.

  — I think you know the cities around here very well, so do you know of any called the Floating City?

  — Floating City...? — her eyebrows arched in surprise, but then she shook her head — Maybe beyond the endless waters? Aunt Ling used to say she wanted to wander there someday, she thought there might be places beyond the islands... Maybe this ‘Floating City’ is one of those places.

  Her smile faded slowly, gradually. Even if she didn’t want to make it obvious, the name brought back the pain of loss. Ting’s expression changed accordingly.

  She fell silent, her eyes drifting around.

  — Alright, the Forest of Demonic Beasts... — Noah said, trying to draw her attention to something else once again. After seeing her smile so brightly, he didn’t want to look at that saddened face again — that place is really horrible. Hell on earth. Even its insects are monstrous and scary. The trees there make the trees in this forest look like sprouts, and that crazy lion would step on them like they were made of clouds.

  Ting’s eyes went wide, her mouth fell open.

  — You really saw the Demon Lion... and you’re still alive? — she asked, incredulous.

  — Well, I ran a lot for that to happen, actually. Any creature there could kill me with a single swipe, so it was really difficult... I don’t even like to remember it.

  Her eyes shone, impatient. They seemed to wait for something, but Noah couldn’t tell what.

  Ah, my question...?

  A faint smile appeared on his lips.

  He didn’t have anything to ask at the moment, though. So he kept preparing rice while watching her anxiety and the excitement in her eyes grow.

  — Alright, how did I get out, right...? — he relented — Well, I didn’t get out on my own... Actually, I was taken out of the forest.

  — You were taken...? By one of the demonic beasts?! Or was someone else there...? No, no one would be crazy enough to get close to that place. — she smiled as she realized what she’d said — No offense...

  — No, I agree, I’d also have preferred not to end up there...

  Taking the glutinous rice in his hands, he didn’t feel any warmth.

  Just like in the forest, Ting said it kept getting colder as we moved away from the house, but I didn’t feel it. Maybe it was because of my physical resistance, or because that ice was created by the Frozen Flame the phoenix absorbed? Maybe it gave me some kind of cold resistance...?

  Pressing some grains into balls with his hands, he made small rounded shapes ready to be filled with the sesame paste from the spatial bag.

  — The Starry Demonic Wolf let me leave after we made a deal. — he revealed — He asked me to make a certain pill for him, so after I agreed, he had me taken out of the place.

  — Wolf...? — Ting thought for a moment — Oh, right! The one that looks like a living constellation, right? I don’t think he was described as demonic in the book... if I remember correctly, it said he was too beautiful to be called that.

  — Well, that book is right to a point... But I think whoever wrote it only saw him from a great distance, or they would’ve called him ‘demonic’ even if they thought he was beautiful.

  Ting took one of the rice balls that was ready and spun, returning to her seat. Her legs moved with every sound she made as she savored every bite.

  — It was a book my mother said had belonged to my grandfather. It mixed details about beasts with some short stories, so you’re probably right.

  — Stories..?

  — Well, the stories in the book were diary entries and, as far as I remember, one of them was said to be from even before the Forest of Demonic Beasts existed, which is ridiculous. The book wasn’t anything special except for the beast descriptions and the stories; it wasn’t an artifact or anything with Qi, so it’d be weird if it looked as new as a freshly written scroll, right?

  Seeing the number of rice balls on the table growing, Ting stood up. Hers was already gone. She pushed the log she’d been sitting on closer and leaned on the cold wood. With every new dumpling added to the table, she ate another, responding with delight each time.

  — I think it was just a book my grandfather wrote to give to my mother, she liked that kind of thing too.

  Noah stopped, sealing up the rice ball almost as a reflex. His hands worked, but his mind drifted.

  The Forest of Demonic Beasts "appeared" in this place...?

  He turned to Ting.

  — So that means the forest didn’t exist before..?

  — According to the book, no. It just "appeared" suddenly. — she bit into the rice ball, chewing attentively. She swallowed — But there’s nothing that indicates that’s true. Maybe the elders of the great sects know since they’ve lived so long, but they don’t usually appear in public, let alone spend time talking about ancient times.