The ruckus was made aware to the Ji family unknowingly. Perennial's waking jeopardised the beauty of the gardens nearby, making Grayson growl at the sight the moment he set his eyes on the burnt grass. Leaning on pillows fluffed neatly around him, he slowly regained the memory of a candle-lit library, including a song sung to him ever so seductively yet hauntingly. The chill air around him embraced his skin, kissing the wounds on his back gently, making him shiver. Slamming his palms against the edge of his bed, Grayson scowled at the colour of his magic when he ignited it. He felt like a snake being sliced and steamed into a bowl of tonic, ready to be swallowed by anyone.

Red - never looked good on him, and now, he felt like a Christmas tree decoration, only he was not an ornament. 

If he was an ornament or a box of ornaments, he would gladly hang himself on the beautiful trees to be admired and praised during the festivities. Grayson never would have thought that his pride would be robbed in broad daylight by the one plant he overlooked and never thought it would ever come alive. It was supposed to be a normal flower, just like any others that grew below his mountains.

Something to be admired and cherished from afar, not a nuisance and eyesore.

"I don't remember such flowers on the mountain before," Jiayue started as she held his palms and brushed those knuckles gently. "I only remember the unique herbs and fruits you planted specifically for healing and survival purposes. You did mention eliminating all worthless plants, including those wild grass and weeds."

Grayson shifted uneasily in his seat when Hayden began to tighten the bandages around his chest. He could feel the warm liquid seeping out of the wound on his shoulders. Gritting his teeth, he tried to abandon the prickly feeling that kept knocking on the sore epidermis layer of his back. It was mocking him for his weakness as Grayson could feel the thorns poking from within, trying their best to emerge from the ruby red sea. His magic circled his palms dangerously, dancing against the wind that swept past his now burnt gardens until he felt soft, plump lips pressing against his fingertips.

"Your anger towards it is encouraging it to fight you," Hayden spoke as he added another layer of bandage around his chest. "You need to calm down. Only then, they might reside in your blood until we find a solution to this. While you might be strong-willed in your mind, I believe your flesh, bones and blood are not. Besides, if I am not wrong, Grayson, it has entangled itself with your body."

"I made no deal," started Grayson as he met Hayden's serious gaze. "If I did, I would have known. And this plant..."

He froze in his spot, shifting his gaze out in the open silently. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Grayson bit his bottom lip, chewing the flakes of skin that fell off its territory. For the first time in his life, he had to admit that it was a mistake he had made during The Second Eclipsing Echoes. He should not have allowed such a foreign nature to grow among the cherished ones. Grayson never believed that every living being deserved a soul like what Hong Xian had mentioned, but now, being devoured by one, Grayson knew it was a true tale from the old saggy monk he once hated and cared for.

"This plant..." Jiayue spoke, dragging him back to reality like a fishing rod being tucked back to its owner after its bait was stolen.

"It's a rose," Grayson blurted with his cheeks getting redder out of shame and also shyness. "It was a partially dead rose that I found on my way back from the battlefield. Its bushes were dead, leaving it stranded like a lost cub, so I decided to bring it back with me to the Jin Lao mountains to nurture it. Back then, I thought this rose was a blessing, a symbol of my survival, a mirror of my courage and strength. No one would have thought a single rose could withstand such a heavy blow on the battlefield. There was something that drew me to it, so I broke all my beliefs and brought it back to Jin Lao."

"You are saying that you saved it, nurtured it and brought it back to life after almost a thousand years only for it to murder you in exchange other than just a mere 'thank you'?" Hayden questioned curiously, sitting down on the bed next to Grayson. "There must be something else. Something it had given you in exchange for..."

"For my survival, forever!" Grayson shouted in a diabolical tone with his eyes shimmering in ruby red, joined by red petals staining the side of his cheeks. "For my survival! I have waited this long to be free from the clan that used me as a power house. Like a slave!"

A shrill scream escaped Grayson's lips, followed by several cackles when he spotted Hayden and Jiayue both staring at him, dumbfounded. Within seconds, Jiayue retracted her palms from Grayson's, taking a few steps backwards.

"You're not Qing'er," Jiayue whispered, brushing her arms multiple times when she felt the air surrounding her become chilly. "You're..."

"Pathetic Keeper who knows nothing about nature except for your beloved Xiao Qing. You were the reason I was abandoned!" the voice within Grayson screamed, making his mouth expand in a ghastly manner. "You were the reason why he never returned to the Jin Lao mountains, making me wait like a fool as every herb and fruit was picked and demolished by the mortals."

Grayson lurched forward, his fingernails turned into red-like claws covered in thorns and petals made of tiny bones. If it wasn't for Hayden's reflexes, Jiayue would have been scratched. Hayden's arms tighten around - well, Perennial's neck, if it would be a better way to put it. Forcing him backwards to the bedrest, Grayson cackled even louder, his red demonic magic burning Hayden's pure one.

"You cannot keep us apart, Perennial," Hayden said, the Shen Ming crest on his forehead glowing, and the Moonlight Blossom sparkled. "Grayson and I are destined to protect each other no matter how many lifetimes we have been through, and a love so deep like Grayson's and Jiayue's was formed through a sacred bond. Not force and coercion like what you are doing now."

"It was not forced! Xiao Qing, he was lonely and scared, and I... I was the one who accompanied him night and day when no one dared to climb up to the sacred mountains," sung Perennial, tilting his head to look at Jiayue. "I watched him release the floating lanterns into the skies, praying for a second life, even the third when his body was crumbling into ashes. I was the one next to him when the battlefields cleared and rain showered the bloody lands. I was the one who saved him! I was there all these years, I was abandoned! I was the one supposed to be cherished! Not her! Not a..."

"Pathetic Keeper who hid among the Paths rather than threading a realistic one?" Jiayue questioned, making Perennial silent herself. "You did not save him, Perennial. Xiao Qing saved himself. Even when he was forced to escape the Bone Prisons on the Obsidian Paths, I merely guided him. His will is strong, unlike you. Fickle and uncertain."

A hysterical laughter erupted from Grayson's throat until tears began to form on the corner of his eyes. Red tears, mirroring those petals on his cheeks. Grayson's body burned warm, and the Vine Verdant crest began to glow in an unruly colour, making it looked like a cheap embroidery. Only when Perennial silenced and Grayson's lips snapped shut did Jiayue leaned forward, pressing a deep and long kiss onto Grayson's lips without hesitation. Thick metallic scent mixed with burnt glass exploded into the air, joined by several golden fireflies dancing in the air, forcing Hayden to fall into a slumber.

"Qing'er," Jiayue whispered softly when she broke the kiss and cupped his cheeks as she licked her own bloodied lips stained in gold. "Qing'er, my thunderous warrior, please come back. The world still needs you instead of me. Fight this.. Fight.."

As if all the prayers in the universe were answered, the red colour and petals faded from Grayson's skin. The Vine Verdant crest slowly turned Castleton green and his eyes were back to normal. Registering the surroundings and the presence of his lover, Grayson pulled her into a deep, loving kiss. His arms tangled around her waist, closing the gap between them as he tasted gold specks of dust on their lips. He was chained and dragged under heaps of mountains for far too long, and Jiayue's voice was the ultimate pull for his awakening.

"Jiayue..." He whispered, pulling away only to meet her teary eyes and wiped them away.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as they shared another short kiss, tangled in each other's arms. Grayson sighed in comfort at the familiar scent and embrace. His heart relaxed, beating in synchronisation with Jiayue's as he allowed her to lay close to him. Each time he was dragged backwards by those burning chains on his neck, arms and legs, Jiayue had always been the one who shattered them. Just like new fruits that bore on trees, Grayson felt himself shedding a part of his dark past each time Jiayue removed those invisible locks on him.

== xxx ==

Jiayue

The Home of the Ji Family in Deatrius

The air around the house had succumbed to a spiral of ice since morning. Jiayue sat by the waterfalls, kicking her feet in the water as she threw a few rocks into it, silently wishing it would float. It was illogical for such an idea to rise in Deatrius, but when she was living among the Paths, rocks would float, and the very feather this world claimed to be light would be the heaviest among all. Every soul passing those Paths would need to chain themselves for survival. She sighed, biting her bruised lips. Whatever happened, it mattered not. All she wanted was to see her beloved safe and sound, yet he seemed to have slithered his way into the abyss of dangers.

"Mind if I join you?" Hayden questioned from behind, holding a tray of pancakes, fresh berries and freshly baked cookies that made Jiayue's head turn. "Mom told me you would be here, and we figured you might be hungry. You barely touched your meal during breakfast."

Lost in her thought bubble, Jiayue couldn't help but wonder how savoury those berries would feel against her dry lips and the sweetness of dark chocolate seeping through the walls of her throat. When Hayden cleared his throat, Jiayue shifted her gaze towards Hayden's brown eyes that shone only under the sunlight.

"May I join you?" Hayden repeated with a warm smile.

"Sure," Jiayue nodded, fixating her gaze on the roaring waters before her.

When a large strawberry blocked her sight of the waterfalls, Jiayue smiled, took the berry, and mouthed a soft thank you to Hayden.

She was lost for words.

A couple of nights ago, she witnessed a red soul detaching from Grayson's sleeping form. It wore a red robe, dusted in green grass, clicking against the air. It sang a song in repetition, as if chanting it like a prayer. Out of curiosity, Jiayue followed it till the red soul reached the herbal gardens belonging to the Ji family. It swayed in between those precious plants, muttering a language even unknown to her. Only when it twirled did Jiayue almost scream. She covered her mouth.

There was no one in the reddish green cloak except for a gush of wind and a hollow face covered in petals and thorns. It cackled and rustled closer to Jiayue, whispering words unknown to her. She did capture the last few words, which she assumed were made known to her by intention.

For you to relinquish my suffering is my trust.

For whom to relinquish? Whose suffering? Whose trust?

Sucking in the cold air, Jiayue bit into the berry and hummed at the sweetness.

"I am always aware," Hayden started casually, removing his boots. "That everything has a soul, and never did I imagine once that something so tiny and beautiful could bear such an evil energy within."

"Jealousy can turn even the purest soul evil. It's a plague that made what mortals and immortals insane. An endless disease worse than war. It is a root that must be uprooted," Jiayue said and turned to look at Hayden. "Did you know about Perennial's full story?"

Hayden shook his head in response, and silence seemed to have weighed on him.

"When you left, I tried to pry an answer from Grayson," Hayden started, dipping his feet in the water. "At first he refused to speak of it, but after a few pestering, he finally cracked the bits and pieces to me."

Hayden pressed his lips together and continued.

"He did save Perennial, the rose, as Grayson referred. But it was only out of good intentions. To save something that survived a storm, typical Grayson. He once brought a stray rabbit home just because it escaped death," Hayden chuckled. "The rose was almost dying, but since it reminded him so much of your presence, he nurtured it daily, speaking to it, feeding it the best fertilisers and even used the power from his core to nurture the rose's broken stem during a storm. Maybe it was from there that the rose developed a soul. Grayson's care, patience, and undying attention to it made the rose believe that it had a chance to live with Grayson. Until one day, Grayson left and abandoned Jin Lao once and for all."

"Perennial felt abandoned and resented Qing'er," Jiayue whispered.

"You can't put it that way. Grayson never harboured feelings for it," Hayden answered.

"Yes, he did not. But, there is something I learn as one of the Keepers of the Paths," Jiayue spoke, and their eyes met. "No evil soul will leave this world willingly, and as long as it stays, Qing'er will be in danger. Always. And, Perennial must have done something to tie its survival."

"You mean a source for a source?" Hayden questioned curiously.

"One's survival on another," a stern voice echoed from behind, making Hayden spring from his seat like a sea lion.

"Artie!" Hayden exclaimed, stuffing the half-eaten strawberry into his mouth and ran towards the figure. "Welcome home! It's been so long!"

"Well, I met someone on the way home, and guess what?" Artie spoke, pinching Hayden's nose. "I did not expect Grayson and your past to knock on my tent."

"We... It's..."

Jiayue stood up, untangling her feet from the calmness of the water. She met Artie's red eyes and glowing mark on his forehead that was only visible to her eyes. As if sensing her realisation, Artie smiled.

"Come on, Jiayue. Let's head back to the house," Artie assured, gesturing for her to follow. "We have a lot to talk about."

Returning the smile, Jiayue nodded. Fisting her palms together, she followed behind, setting her decision to only one course.

A course she decided on since she witnessed Grayson's possession.

It's determined there and then. 

Word Count: 2,567 words

Cumulative Words: 22,127 words