The sun hung low over the jagged peaks of the mountain range, casting long shadows that stretched like skeletal fingers across the rocky terrain. A stream gurgled nearby, its waters reflecting the fiery hues of sunset as small animals cautiously approached for their evening drink. It was a scene of quiet beauty—until Ying XiuLan stumbled upon what could only be described as nature’s version of a tantrum.

  XiuLan crouched beside a particularly mangled bush, her lips twitching into an involuntary smirk. “Oh yes,” she muttered to herself, brushing aside a cluster of broken branches with exaggerated care. “This is subtle. Very stealthy indeed.”

  It wasn’t hard to follow the trail left by Chen Yi, OuYang KuiFong, and OuYang MeiEr. In fact, it was so obvious that even someone without magical abilities—or opposable thumbs—could have tracked them. Broken twigs littered the ground like breadcrumbs in a fairy tale gone horribly wrong. Flattened bushes lay sprawled in defeat, their leaves crushed underfoot. Mud splashes painted the rocks in chaotic streaks, evidence of some ill-conceived attempt at crossing water without getting wet. And then there was the hornet nest dangling precariously from a tree branch, its inhabitants buzzing angrily around it after being rudely disturbed.

  “Whoever did this has clearly never heard of subtlety,” XiuLan said aloud, her voice dry enough to start a fire. She stood up, brushing dirt off her hands, and glanced ahead where the path continued through the scrubby trees. Her sharp eyes caught more signs of devastation: a patch of earth inexplicably rearranged into a crude staircase that looked more like a landslide waiting to happen, and a cluster of plants growing unnaturally fast before wilting just as quickly—a failed experiment, no doubt, by MeiEr.

  As she walked, XiuLan couldn’t help but shake her head. “Honestly, if I were the Enforcers, I’d think you lot wanted to get caught.”

  Finally, she emerged onto a clearing where the trio had made camp. They sat huddled together near a small fire, looking every bit as dishevelled as the trail they’d left behind. Chen Yi leaned against a boulder, his face half-hidden in shadow despite the fading light. KuiFong was attempting to carve something out of wood with all the finesse of a toddler wielding a chainsaw, while MeiEr hovered anxiously nearby, muttering about herbs she might have missed.

  “Well,” XiuLan announced, stepping into view with her characteristic nonchalance, “I see you’ve been busy redecorating the wilderness.”

  Chen Yi’s head snapped up, his hand instinctively reaching for the dagger at his side before recognition dawned. “Princess,” he said gruffly, lowering his weapon. “What are you doing here?”

  “Following your trail of destruction, obviously.” XiuLan gestured vaguely behind her. “You know, most people try to blend in when they’re fleeing for their lives. Not leave markers every ten paces.”

  KuiFong dropped his carving knife with a clatter, his face flushing red. “Uh… we were trying to cover our tracks! Really!”

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  “Yes, I’m sure the hornets appreciated your efforts,” XiuLan deadpanned. She turned to MeiEr, who looked ready to sink into the ground. “And I assume the botanical chaos back there was your idea of camouflage?”

  MeiEr wrung her hands nervously. “I thought maybe making plants grow would confuse anyone following us…”

  “It confused me, alright,” XiuLan said, raising an eyebrow. “For about two seconds. Then I realized it was just another signpost saying, ‘Hey, survivors over here!’”

  Chen Yi sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We didn’t exactly have time to plan carefully.”

  “I can see that.” XiuLan’s tone softened slightly as she took a seat by the fire. “But you need to do better. The Enforcers aren’t amateurs—they’ll find you if you keep this up.”

  The mention of the Enforcers cast a sombre pall over the group. For a moment, no one spoke. The crackling of the fire filled the silence, punctuated only by the distant calls of nocturnal birds settling in for the night.

  “What happened?” Chen Yi asked finally, his voice rough with unspoken grief. “At the village.”

  XiuLan hesitated, her usual bravado faltering. “I arrived too late,” she admitted quietly. “By the time I got there, it was already… done. I found Ying Xiong’s grave.”

  The name hung heavy in the air, a reminder of the loss they’d all been avoiding confronting. MeiEr let out a choked sob, burying her face in her hands. Even KuiFong, usually so boisterous, seemed deflated, his shoulders slumping under the weight of shared sorrow.

  “We buried him ourselves,” Chen Yi said after a pause. “Didn’t seem right leaving him like that.”

  XiuLan nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “He was always stubborn like that. Thought he could change the world on his own.”

  “He tried,” MeiEr whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. “He really tried.”

  They sat in silence for a while longer, letting the grief wash over them. It was a necessary catharsis, a release of the fear and pain they’d bottled up during their frantic escape. When the worst of it had passed, XiuLan cleared her throat.

  “The nobles sent the Enforcers because they’re terrified,” she explained, her tone matter-of-fact once more. “Magic isn’t supposed to belong to commoners—it shakes the foundation of everything they believe. They’ll stop at nothing to erase any trace of it.”

  “And us,” Chen Yi added grimly.

  “And you,” XiuLan agreed. “Which is why you need to stay hidden. Don’t make it easy for them.”

  KuiFong frowned, scratching the back of his neck. “But how are we supposed to fight back? We’re not soldiers.”

  “You don’t have to fight,” XiuLan said firmly. “Surviving is resistance enough. Stay alive, stay smart, and I’ll do what I can to help from my end.”

  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device—a spirit-powered communicator, sleek and modern despite its ancient magic core. “Take this. Use it sparingly, and only when absolutely necessary. If you need me, send a message through the MagiNet. I’ll find a way to respond.”

  Chen Yi accepted the device with a nod of gratitude. “Thank you, Princess.”

  XiuLan waved him off dismissively. “Just don’t screw it up. And for heaven’s sake, try not to leave such an obvious trail next time.”

  Her attempt at humour brought a faint smile to their faces, though it didn’t quite reach their eyes. As she rose to leave, the weight of the situation settled heavily on her shoulders. This was only the beginning—the calm before the storm. But for now, she allowed herself a brief moment of levity.

  “Oh, and KuiFong?” she called over her shoulder. “Maybe stick to moving rocks instead of carving them. You’re terrible at it.”

  With that parting shot, she disappeared into the twilight, leaving the survivors to process both her words and their renewed determination to survive.