Circumstances

"Haah."

A defeated sigh slipped from Lian's lips. He was now, officially, under house arrest. A few guards patrolled the perimeter of his small hut, ensuring he stayed put—as Changli had firmly insisted.

Gazing out the window, he inwardly complained, 'At least let me visit the courtesan house for a night.'

Perhaps he had his reasons, just as Changli had hers for confining him. Either way, Lian was certain—he would find his way to a courtesan house, whether in Hongzhen or elsewhere... eventually.

But for now, denied even a small indulgence, his thoughts wandered beyond the city's walls. 'I hope Hanya is doing all right,' he thought quietly.

Scratching his neck absently, he muttered to himself, 'Hmm. Thirsty.'

***

Somewhere far from public view, deep within an underground chamber…

"Now, little Changli, was it really necessary to put him under house arrest?" Fu asked, his tone casual, almost teasing. The old man leaned back, his expression light. "You know that might just sour things between the two of you."

Changli crossed her arms, regarding him with a steady gaze. "Uncle Fu, I believe you've got the wrong idea about our relationship." She let out a huff, brushing the matter aside.

Fu sighed, unconvinced. "I see, you must be in denial, right?"

Changli's hand twitched—she was seriously tempted to punch him—but held back, opting instead for a sharp glare. "Think about it. Why would the Maverick even be here in Hongzhen when something like Temporal Disruption is unfolding?"

Fu's tone shifted, colder now. "So you're suggesting Lian might be involved in Jué's kidnapping?"

"That's a possibility," Changli admitted. "Besides, I doubt he plans to leave Hongzhen until some hidden motives are achieved. He must have one."

Fu tapped his fingers against the table, thoughtful, then turned slightly. "Mayor XinYi, what's your opinion?"

XinYi's expression was serious as she spoke. "Normally, we would've tortured a suspect like him into submission without a second thought, but…" She glanced at Changli, who quietly avoided her gaze. "It seems the Counselor has some faith that he's innocent."

A faint breath of relief passed through Changli's chest. XinYi's stance was clear—no harm would come to Lian unless they were absolutely certain of his involvement in Jué's abduction.

"I see," Fu murmured, stretching slightly. Then, with a smirk, he added, "So it's fine if he visits a courtesan house, right?"

Changli snapped, "Is that all you think about, you perverted old man?"

Fu shrugged, a grin tugging at his lips. "Well, Lian didn't seem opposed to the idea, either."

That struck a nerve.

Changli was caught off guard—Lian hadn't resisted the suggestion at all. If anything, he'd looked intrigued, eager even.

'This really pisses me off,' she thought bitterly, wondering if Lian might fall into the same category as other men who chased skirts.

As if reading her mind, Fu asked quietly, "Do you really think he's like that?"

Changli hesitated. Lian was intelligent—always deliberate in his words, his actions, perhaps even his thoughts. But still… she was convinced. 'Exactly what else can you do at a courtesan house, apart from seeking pleasure?'

Avoiding the topic of Lian, Changli turned to Jinhsi, whose breath came short. Concerned, she asked, "Hsi, are you alright?"

Jinhsi nodded quickly, then added, "I have something to share. It might be related to the Maverick."

Everyone leaned in, their attention drawn as Jinhsi continued.

"When Jué foretold their abduction," she said slowly, "aside from the broader concerns—the safety of Jinzhou and the tensions in the Norfall Barrens—they seemed… at ease."

"At ease?" XinYi echoed, brows raised.

"Yes," Jinhsi confirmed. "At least until Rover arrives, Jué had warned that the conflicts in the Norfall Barrens could become dangerous."

She paused, then added, "But when it came to Hongzhen's safety—or even this looming threat of Temporal Disruption—they didn't seem particularly concerned."

Fu interjected with a quiet mutter, "Well, that lad—Lian—did mention he's on commission. Said he can't leave Hongzhen."

The implication hung in the air, but no one confirmed whether Jué had hired him, or if it was someone else.

"I believe…" XinYi said after a pause, "placing him under house arrest is still the safest course of action for now."

The others nodded in agreement. Too many variables remained.

Fu, somewhat reassured by the direction of things, rose from his seat. "Be sure someone brings him food," he reminded the officials.

"That lad won't eat unless it's put in front of him," Fu said with a note of irritation. Feeding Lian was never easy—not because he was a glutton, but because he barely ate at all.

"And make sure no wild animals or birds wander into the yard," he added, sighing. "He'll end up feeding them instead of himself."

He sighed, half-exasperated, half-fond. "Honestly, if he hadn't confirmed otherwise, I would've thought he was an ascetic."

RUMBLE—

The ground gave a low, distant growl. Fu and the others looked up instinctively.

"Rain?"

***

Far from the bustle of Mt. Firmament and the mounting tension in Norfall Barrens—where calamity crept ever closer—a different scene unfolded in the stillness of dawn in Jinzhou.

Rover arrived at a quiet rendezvous point, accompanied by an unexpected guest. There, Chixia and Yangyang awaited him, finishing up a discussion alongside a flickering hologram of Baizhi.

"Hanya! I missed you!" An overly enthusiastic Chixia flung herself forward, wrapping the small girl in a tight hug. Hanya stiffened slightly, visibly distressed, but didn't push her away. She remembered Lian's words: 'Be respectful. Be humble.'

And though she'd never say it aloud, Hanya didn't entirely dislike Chixia's lively energy. In truth, something about it resonated—perhaps because, as a child, Hanya too had longed for adventures, for chasing stars.

Rover gave Chixia a faintly exasperated look, then addressed the group with a nod. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Noticing the terse atmosphere, Rover glanced between them and asked, "Did something happen?"

Baizhi's voice crackled through the hologram's static hum, calm but laced with a trace of concern. "The Academy has reported a troubling increase in Tacet Field activity. Please exercise caution when leaving the city."

"Thanks for the warning," Rover said, offering a nod.

Hanya, following his example, gave a small bow. "Thank you, Lady."

Chixia and Yangyang barely held themselves back from screaming. "Cute!"

Even Rover, though trying to maintain composure, felt his heart waver at the sight. Still, he pressed on, addressing the hologram. "How's your research going?"

But instead of a reply to his question, the hologram responded with what sounded suspiciously like a prerecorded message. "…And don't forget to stay hydrated. I have experiments to run. Take care."

There was a beat of silence as the hologram disappeared.

Rover scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "Was that… a voicemail?"

Chixia, now cradling Hanya in her arms, waved off his concern with a grin. "It's just Baizhi being Baizhi. She's a little awkward with showing care, but I think it's cute!"

She lifted Hanya slightly, holding her up and meeting her eyes with a grin. "Of course… not as cute as Hanya here."

Hanya simply huffed, a proud smile tugging at her lips, 'I am... inevitable.'

This earned a small laugh from the group. Hanya, noticing, shouted, "Why laughing? Papa said I am cute!"

"Oh really?" Rover teased gently.

"Since papa said it, I am cute. I am cute!" Hanya declared proudly.

The group smiled warmly, and Yangyang turned to Rover with curiosity. "By the way, Rover, why is Hanya with you?"

"Oh yeah, why is she?" Chixia's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Also, what happened yesterday? And about those tokens—any consensus?"

After a brief pause to gather his thoughts, Rover gave them a concise rundown of his meeting with Jinhsi—carefully leaving out Jué's disappearance.

He also mentioned Lian and her dangerous mission, explaining that he had been tasked with protecting Hanya, and safely delivering her back to Lian.

"But where are you going to find Lian?" Chixia raised an eyebrow as Rover hesitated, he had not discussed that.

Before he could answer, Hanya spoke up softly, "Hongzhen."

"Hongzhen?" Rover repeated, and Yangyang explained, "It's the ancestral grounds of Jinzhou."

Rover turned to Hanya. "Is she there?"

Hanya nodded with quiet confidence. "Papa has everything settled."

"Wow, what a reliable dad," Chixia said, then thought to herself, 'I mean, a reliable mother.'

None of them knew Lian's true gender, or that he could shift between them—they only knew Lian as "she."

Still, since Hanya referred to even Lian's female form as "papa," which at first seemed odd, they assumed she was simply a little slow to grasp such nuances and let it slide.

But it would be a lie to say Rover felt no suspicion. After all, Hanya expressed herself with a clarity that hinted at something else—something that didn't quite add up. Yet, lacking any concrete proof, he chose not to dwell on it.

Steering the conversation back on track, Chixia grumbled, "So, the Fractsidus strikes again, huh? Ugh, those jerks!" She stomped her foot, irritation clear in her voice.

Rover then inquired about General Jiyan. "Jiyan the General, Jinhsi the Magistrate, and Jué, Jinzhou's Sentinel…" He looked at the two thoughtfully. "Is there any kind of connection between them?"

"Connection?" Chixia tilted her head back, expression thoughtful as she shrugged, arms wide-spread. "…No idea, but I did hear General Jiyan used to be a military doctor…"

"FREEDOM!" Hanya laughed gleefully, slipping out of Chixia's grasp the moment it loosened.

"Hey!" Chixia shouted, her face paling as she chased after the runner.

Hanya, using her tiny frame and the ability to float on air, simply flew away.

Chixia raised her terminal and called out, "This is Patroller Chixia, we have a runner. The suspect—"

"Hey!" Hanya snapped, turning back to complain, "I am not a criminal."

But that was a mistake.

Chixia caught up to her in a blink—as expected of the legendary Ma Xiaofang, as one might say.

With Hanya now firmly in her grasp, Chixia laughed softly. "Hehehe… Hanya," she said, as the small girl lifted both hands in surrender. "Do not underestimate Ma Xiaofang."

Hanya nodded frantically as she decided to stay put.

Chixia returned to the group and handed Hanya back to Rover with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for that."

Rover flicked Hanya lightly, who immediately pouted. "Humph, bad Rover. I will tell Papa when I reunite with him."

"And what will your papa do?" Chixia teased.

Hanya grinned, raising a finger with playful triumph as she said, "Papa will spank Rover."

"Pft—" Rover nearly choked at Hanya's remark.

"Papa told Hanya that bad people need spankings to beat some sense into them," she said with absolute conviction.

Rover let out a slow breath, trying to keep a straight face as he thought, 'Yeah… she's just a child.'

*Clap

Clasping her hands together, Yangyang caught everyone's attention, circling back to Rover's earlier question. "Rover, about your question, I think we'll need to start with a bit of Jinzhou's past."

She propped her left hand under her chin, using her right to support it, gaze growing distant as she recalled, "A storyteller near the theater once told us something like this…"

Yangyang then explained what she knew about the connection—if any—between Jinhsi, Jiyan, and Jué.

According to her, Jinhsi, now the respected Magistrate of Jinzhou, had been personally chosen by Sentinel Jué—a rare and prestigious appointment. Her rise to power came after a long, grim period when Jinzhou had been left without leadership.

That appointment followed the devastating Battle Beneath the Crescent, fought in the war-torn Norfall Barrens...

Once upon a time, the monstrous Threnodian known as Ovathrax twisted fallen soldiers into Tacet Discords, feeding on the resonance left behind in their weapons.

General Geshu Lin of the Midnight Rangers led a final, valiant charge against Ovathrax. His blade—wreathed in black flame—ignited hope in the battlefield.

But then came the cursed Retroact Rain, which warped time itself and plunged the fight into chaos. Geshu Lin, in one last stand, sacrificed himself… only to vanish, his body never recovered. He was presumed dead.

In the aftermath, with morale broken, a lone youth stepped forward. Wielding the power of the Qingloong Teal Dragon, they rallied the survivors and led a grueling retreat. That youth—Jiyan—would later be named General by Sentinel Jué.

Yet, despite Geshu Lin's sacrifice, the blame for the heavy losses fell posthumously upon him, and his legacy was stained.

It was in this darkness that Sentinel Jué awoke from dormancy and appointed Jinhsi as Magistrate—signaling a new beginning, and rekindling hope in the heart of Jinzhou.

As the story came to an end, Chixia muttered, "Woah. First time hearing about all that…" She propped the back of her right arm under her chin, reflecting on what she'd just heard.

From the sidelines, Hanya silently thought, 'I believe she had fallen asleep when someone first told this to her.'

And truthfully, she wasn't far off. In fact, she was exactly right—but she kept the thought to herself.

"Why did Jué choose Jinhsi to be Magistrate?" Rover asked, intrigued a little by the selection process.

"Uhhh… Maybe the Sentinel had its own special ways of picking candidates?" Chixia replied, clearly unsure.

Yangyang offered another perspective. "Or maybe it is their incomprehensible ways that set these divine beings apart from us? Their thinking tends to be elusive to the average person," she said, presenting the idea more as a possibility than a conclusion.

"Maybe its just fate?" Hanya also added—and for some reason, her answer felt the most agreeable of all.

"Could be." Yangyang agreed as Hanya smiled, clearly pleased.

Chixia chuckled at her as she looked at Yangyang. "Yeah, true. Wouldn't be surprised if Jué decided to make me the Magistrate one day, not gonna lie!"

"But you are not," Hanya quietly said near Rover's ear.

Rover pulled her cheeks. "Do not be rude," he said silently.

Hanya rubbed her swollen cheek with a pout. She will get back to him for that.

"Does it ever ask the opinion of the person selected?" Rover asked, brow raised.

Yangyang understood where he was coming from. "I understand your concern, Rover."

"Madam Jinhsi was only a teenager, and she was suddenly selected to be the Magistrate." Her voice carried a hint of pity—as a young maiden, she too understood the hidden feelings of a teenage girl. "It must have been so difficult for her…"

"I remember people were skeptical when she first took office," she continued, recalling the rumors and the situation at the time. "Despite her achievements, many believed she lacked the necessary experience and authority in the political realm."

"People only showed their respect to Madam Jinhsi because they trusted Jué's judgment." There was a clear sense of distaste in her voice as she spoke of them.

"But…" Hanya raised her hand shyly. "Doesn't fire always make light?"

She looked at the group, then added quietly, "Even little fires give off light, right? Papa says you just have to do what you can." The trio glanced at her, surprised by the simple wisdom.

"Magistrate is really amazing," Hanya said with a small nod. "She's just like how Papa says—being a great person."

"Doers are better than idlers," she added, recalling Lian's lessons.

"Exactly!" Chixia gave a thumbs-up as she added, "And Madam Jinhsi? She's already made this city a well-oiled machine in no time."

There was admiration behind Chixia's voice as she admitted, "I'd have a mental overclock just trying to keep up with all that paperwork… She was made for this!"

She looked at Hanya and added, "Like how Hanya said here. Uh, what is that saying again? Real gold never loses its shine!"

Rover and Yangyang nodded at their words, and Yangyang asked Rover, "Rover, since you're asking about this… Did you get clues about your past from Jinhsi?"

Rover gave a nod as he explained how Jué had tasked him with locating General Jiyan in the Norfall Barrens—an ancient battlefield now serving as the frontline against the Threnodian threat.

Both Chixia and Yangyang immediately voiced concern; the region was too volatile, and the risks were mounting. Rover agreed—and revealed that there were two Fractsidus Overseers operating within Jinzhou.

Hearing this, Yangyang gasped. The presence of not one, but two Overseers, she said, suggested a deeper, more dangerous conspiracy.

This meant that their enemies knew too much. "Acting recklessly now," she warned, "would only play into their hands."

Rover nodded, before finally adding that another group, the Black Shores, had also been tracking his movements.

"The Black Shores?" Chixia raised a brow as she shut her eyes, trying hard to remember. "Doesn't ring a bell… Sounds like a name of a place, but I've never seen it on any map."

Rover reached for his Terminal, producing a picture of the Black Bloom from it and presented it for the two to see.

"This flower... It's only a photo, and I can't tell where it came from with my ability," Yangyang commented.

"The Black Shores is an organization that studies the Lament," Rover explained before quickly adding, "Every Black Shores member wears a flower like this."

"Hmm…" Yangyang let out a hum as she relented, "We're still in the dark about Fractsidus' plans, and the Norfall Barrens is too risky. The Black Shores seems to be our only option now."

Then, with a bit of concern, she added, "But if we are to look for them with only a photo of this flower... it's going to be difficult."

Chixia's eyes lit up as she slammed her fist into the palm of her other hand. "Wait, since it's about flowers…" She looked around at everyone, her face practically beaming as she suggested, "we should go ask Grandma Lin!"

Yangyang's eyes brightened as she agreed, "Yes! Grandma Lin runs a flower shop. I'm sure she can give us some tips." She patted Chixia as praise, prompting a blush to form.

"Hehe... you're making me blush a little," Chixia rubbed the back of her head.

Chixia then looked at Rover as she said, "Grandma Lin loves listening to storytellers." She then recalled something and added, "I think I saw her earlier... Let's go look for her."

Her legs bounced in place, one foot after the other, as if revving up to sprint but not quite moving yet. Then, with a wave, she called, "Let's not be late!" — and finally took off, prompting the others to follow.

Yangyang and Rover exchanged a helpless smile, while Hanya wore a flat expression as they followed her.

To be continued...

***

A/N: Do give me your thoughts on Hanya's characterization.