A Night of Stories

***

The group camped near the edge of a dense forest, the towering trees casting long shadows under the moonlight. Their journey had grown increasingly treacherous, the air heavy with an unspoken tension as they neared the Temple of Balance.

That night, the fire crackled warmly, but the group's spirits felt subdued. Meilin poked at the flames with a stick, Yun sat quietly with the Lightstone in his lap, and Lin Yi carefully stitched a tear in Yun's cloak.

Sensing the somber mood, Jian Lei broke the silence.

"We've been through a lot together," he began, his voice light but tinged with sincerity. "But I don't think I've ever properly told you who I am—or was—before all this."

Meilin raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "I've been wondering about that. You've always been a bit of a mystery."

Yun turned his head toward Jian Lei, his expression curious. "We're listening."

Lin Yi paused her stitching, her gaze fixed on Jian Lei.

Jian Lei stared into the fire, his usual confident demeanor softening. "I was born in a small village, not so different from Mingzhu. We weren't wealthy, but we were happy. My parents were farmers, hardworking and honest. They taught me that strength comes from helping those who can't help themselves."

His smile faltered, and his voice grew quieter. "But that happiness didn't last. One winter, the bandits came. They took everything—our crops, our livestock, even our lives."

The group fell silent, the weight of his words settling over them.

"I wasn't there," Jian Lei continued, his jaw tightening. "I'd gone to the neighboring village to trade supplies. When I came back, everything was gone. My parents, my friends… all of them."

Meilin's expression softened, and Yun's grip on the Lightstone tightened.

"I buried them," Jian Lei said, his voice trembling slightly. "And then I left. I wandered for years, trying to find a purpose, a reason to keep going. Eventually, I found Mingzhu. The people there welcomed me, gave me a new home. I swore I'd protect them the way I couldn't protect my family."

The group remained quiet, the crackling of the fire the only sound for a long moment.

"I'm sorry, Jian," Yun said softly. "No one should have to go through that."

Jian Lei smiled faintly. "It's made me who I am. And now, I have another family—this group. You've given me something I didn't think I'd ever find again."

Meilin reached out, placing a hand on Jian Lei's shoulder. "You're not alone anymore," she said firmly. "We're in this together."

Lin Yi nodded, her gaze filled with empathy as she gently placed her hand on his other shoulder.

Jian Lei looked at each of them in turn, his smile growing. "Thank you. That means more than you know."

As the group eventually drifted to sleep, Lei sat alone by the fire, staring into the flames. His expression shifted, the warmth in his eyes replaced by something colder, more calculating.

"They trust me now," he murmured under his breath, his voice barely audible. "The Lightstone will be mine."

The flickering firelight cast long shadows across his face, hinting at the darkness he kept hidden.

But as his gaze shifted to his companions—Yun resting against a log, Meilin curled under her cloak, Lin Yi clutching her journal—his expression wavered, a flicker of doubt crossing his features.

"Why do I feel like I'm betraying more than just a mission?" he whispered, his voice tinged with an unfamiliar weight.

***