Ghosts of the Past

The silence after the battle was deafening. The wind carried the scent of blood and damp earth as Yue Rin knelt in the darkness, her breath uneven.

Ao Ling… alive?

Liang Wei placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Yue Rin, we need to move."

She blinked, her mind snapping back to reality. The rest of the assassins lay dead, their bodies hidden in the shadows of the ruins. But her sister—her dead sister—had escaped.

Han wiped his blade clean. "That woman… she fought like a demon."

Yue Rin exhaled slowly, forcing herself to stand. "She's my sister."

The words felt foreign on her tongue. A name she had buried long ago, a face she had mourned as lost. And yet, there she was, alive and fighting alongside their enemies.

Liang Wei frowned. "Your sister?"

Zhen Xiu, who had remained quiet throughout the fight, finally spoke. "Then this just got a lot more complicated."

Shattered Bonds

Back at their hideout, the tension was thick. The group sat around a dimly lit table, the flickering lantern casting long shadows against the walls.

Han leaned forward. "You told us she died years ago. What happened?"

Yue Rin hesitated, her fingers tightening into fists. She had spent years trying to forget that day. Now, she had no choice but to face it again.

"Ao Ling was taken." Her voice was quiet, heavy. "When we were children, bandits raided our village. My mother hid me, but Ao Ling… they found her first." She swallowed, pushing away the pain. "I tried to save her, but I was too weak. She was dragged away before my eyes."

The room was silent.

Zhen Xiu exhaled. "If she survived, then who raised her?"

Yue Rin shook her head. "I don't know. But if she's working with these assassins, it means someone turned her into a weapon."

Liang Wei crossed his arms. "Then we have two problems. The Silent Hand is stronger than we thought. And now, they have someone who knows you better than anyone."

Yue Rin clenched her jaw. "That means I have to face her."

A Dangerous Path

Days passed with no sign of Ao Ling, but Yue Rin knew she hadn't vanished. She was watching, waiting.

Then, the message arrived.

A single dagger, stabbed into the wooden beam of their hideout. A note tied to the hilt.

Midnight. The temple ruins. Come alone.

Liang Wei cursed. "It's a trap."

Yue Rin smirked. "Of course it is."

Han slammed his hand on the table. "Then you can't go!"

She met his eyes with quiet determination. "I have to."

"She tried to kill you," Zhen Xiu reminded her.

"I have to know why," Yue Rin said. "If she's truly lost, then I'll do what I must. But if there's still a chance…"

No one argued further. They knew there was no stopping her.

The Reunion

The ruins of the old temple loomed in the moonlight, ancient stone worn by time. Yue Rin stepped forward, her blade hidden beneath her cloak.

A shadow moved.

Then, she was there.

Ao Ling stood on the temple steps, clad in black, her golden eyes cold.

Yue Rin's heart clenched. "You're alive."

Ao Ling tilted her head. "Disappointed?"

Yue Rin took a step closer. "Who took you?"

A humorless smile curved Ao Ling's lips. "You really don't know? They were the same ones who came for you that night."

Yue Rin stiffened. "What?"

Ao Ling's expression darkened. "The Silent Hand didn't just take me. They wanted both of us. But you ran. And I suffered."

Guilt stabbed through Yue Rin's chest. "I didn't run. I tried to save you."

Ao Ling's eyes flashed with anger. "And you failed."

The words hit like a dagger to the heart. Yue Rin took a slow breath. "If they hurt you, then let me help you. We can fight them together."

Ao Ling laughed—a cold, empty sound. "You still don't understand, do you?"

In a flash, she moved.

Yue Rin barely dodged as Ao Ling's dagger slashed toward her throat. She twisted away, drawing her own blade just in time to block the next strike.

Steel clashed against steel, sparks flying in the moonlight.

Ao Ling was fast. Faster than Yue Rin remembered. She fought like a shadow, her movements precise, relentless.

Yue Rin barely kept up, parrying each strike. "Ao Ling, listen to me!"

"Shut up and fight!" Ao Ling snarled, driving forward with deadly intent.

Yue Rin was forced back, her boots scraping against the stone. She didn't want to hurt her sister. But Ao Ling had no such hesitation.

A kick to the ribs sent Yue Rin staggering. Ao Ling followed with a downward slash, but Yue Rin twisted away at the last second.

She's trying to kill me.

The realization sent a cold chill through her veins.

If she hesitated any longer, she would die.

So she did what she had to do.

With a sudden shift, Yue Rin spun past Ao Ling's blade and slammed the hilt of her dagger against the back of her sister's neck.

Ao Ling crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Breathing heavily, Yue Rin knelt beside her, brushing away a strand of dark hair. "I don't know what they did to you… but I swear I will bring you back."

She looked up toward the night sky, determination hardening in her eyes.