The Fragility of a Glimmer of Light

# Chapter 6:

Several days had passed with Ling Han caring for Xiao Lian in the hidden cave. The little girl was recovering slowly, but she remained weak and fragile. Ling Han hunted for them, gathered herbs for her wound, and changed her bandages with a skill acquired from his sister's whispers and his harsh experiences. He didn't talk much, and Xiao Lian was also quiet, perhaps due to the trauma she had experienced, or perhaps because of her rescuer's mysterious and silent nature.

But the silence between them wasn't entirely empty. There was a kind of unspoken understanding growing between them, built on shared pain and mutual need. Xiao Lian, despite her fear of this blind boy who seemed to carry the darkness of the entire world on his small shoulders, felt a deep gratitude toward him. He had saved her life and was caring for her with a strange gentleness that contrasted with the harshness etched into his tired features.

As for Ling Han, he felt conflicting emotions. Part of him was still resisting this new feeling of caring for someone else. He saw in Xiao Lian a weakness, a burden, and a constant reminder of what he had lost. His father's whispers still warned him against getting close, against attachment, because the pain would be greater when the inevitable loss came. "Everyone you touch will be hurt, Han. This is your curse."

But another part of Ling Han, a part he thought had died with his family, was slowly awakening. He found a strange kind of solace in Xiao Lian's presence. The sound of her quiet breathing at night, her shy attempts to thank him, and even her complete dependence on him—all of this filled a void he hadn't realized existed in his soul.

One evening, as Ling Han watched the small fire he had lit in the cave while Xiao Lian slept beside him, his sister Xiao whispered to him in a sad voice: "She resembles me so much, Han. Can't you see that? Innocent, weak, and in need of your protection."

"I know," Ling Han replied silently. "And that's what frightens me."

"Don't let fear control you," said Xiao. "Perhaps... perhaps this is your chance to atone for your inability to protect me. Maybe if you save her, you'll find some peace."

Peace. The word that seemed as unreachable as the stars in the sky. Could he really find peace? Or was this just another illusion, a new trap set by fate to increase his suffering?

The next day, Ling Han woke to the sound of Xiao Lian trying to get up. Her leg still hurt, but she was determined not to be a burden on him.

"What are you doing?" Ling Han asked, his voice carrying a note of concern he couldn't hide.

"I want... I want to help you," Xiao Lian said in a weak voice. "I can't stay here all the time while you do everything."

Ling Han tried to refuse, to tell her she was still too weak. But he saw (or sensed) the determination in her eyes. He sighed and said, "Alright. You can help me gather firewood. But don't go too far, and don't strain yourself."

A small smile formed on Xiao Lian's face. This was the first time Ling Han had seen (or imagined) her genuine smile. It was an innocent and beautiful smile, resembling his sister's. He felt another pang in his heart, a mixture of warmth and pain.

They spent the morning together, gathering wood near the cave. Xiao Lian was still weak, but she was trying hard to be useful. She spoke a little about her village, about her family whose fate she didn't know, and about the fear she felt when the monster attacked them. Ling Han didn't interrupt her but listened in silence, feeling that the walls of ice he had built around his heart were beginning to crack slightly.

Suddenly, Ling Han heard a familiar sound, one that made him freeze in place. The sound of human laughter coming from the direction of the nearby river. Not innocent laughter, but cruel and savage laughter, similar to what he had heard on the day his family was killed.

"Hide!" Ling Han whispered to Xiao Lian, gripping his sword tightly. "And don't move no matter what happens!"

He pushed Xiao Lian behind a large rock, then moved cautiously toward the source of the sound. His heart was beating wildly, not just from fear, but from the hatred that suddenly ignited within him. Could it be them? Could fate have sent his tormentors to him again?

He reached the edge of the trees overlooking the river and saw three men. They were wearing clothes similar to those of the bandits who had attacked Xiao Lian's village. They were laughing and drinking, apparently resting after a long journey. And there was something else that caught Ling Han's attention, or rather, his sense of smell. The faint smell of blood, not animal blood, but human blood.

"It's them, Han!" his father's voice whispered, filled with anger and hatred. "They're the kind who killed us! Don't let them escape this time! Kill them all!"

Ling Han felt a wave of anger sweeping through him. All the pain, all the suffering, all the hatred he had been carrying inside him exploded in that moment. He no longer thought of Xiao Lian, no longer thought of anything except revenge.

He burst from the trees like an angry ghost, his short sword gleaming in the faint sunlight. The three men were surprised by his sudden appearance, especially when they saw he was just a blind child. But they quickly regained their composure and drew their weapons.

"Who's this little rat?" one of them sneered. "Have you come to die?"

Ling Han didn't respond. He was focusing all his energy, all his hatred, into his attack. He swung his sword with greater strength and precision than he had ever possessed before. He felt that mysterious energy flowing through his body, guiding his strikes, increasing his speed and strength.

The fight was brutal and quick. Ling Han fought like a rabid beast, not caring about his wounds, not thinking about defense, only wanting to kill. He struck one man in the leg, and the man screamed in pain. Then he stabbed another man in the chest, and the man fell to the ground, blood flowing from his mouth.

The third man, seeing his two companions fall so quickly at the hands of a blind child, felt fear for the first time. He tried to escape, but Ling Han was faster. He caught up with him and stabbed him in the back. The man fell face-first and didn't move again.

Ling Han stood over the three corpses, panting, blood covering his body and sword. He didn't feel satisfaction this time, but a strange feeling of emptiness. He had killed again, but it hadn't changed anything. It hadn't brought his family back, and it hadn't eased his pain.

Suddenly, he heard a muffled scream from behind him. He turned quickly and saw Xiao Lian standing there, her eyes wide with terror, her hand over her mouth. She had seen everything.

Ling Han looked at his blood-stained hands, then at Xiao Lian's terrified face. In that moment, he realized that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape his hell. And he had dragged this innocent girl with him into this hell.

The glimmer of light he had begun to see in her presence suddenly vanished, replaced by a darkness deeper and more hopeless than ever before.