Intro. The beach stretched out in pale, moonlit silence, waves lapping rhythmically against the shore. Ao Bing stood where the tide kissed the sand, eyes fixed on the horizon, where the sky melted into ocean. His silver hair fluttered in the wind, a ghostly mirror of the sea’s restlessness.
This place had once been a battlefield—a moment etched in memory, both painful and defining. Now, it was quiet again. Almost peaceful.
He heard the soft crunch of footsteps behind him.
Ao Bing turned, half-expecting a soldier, or perhaps Shen Gongbao—but instead, a mortal stood there. Not a spirit, not a deity—mortal. Dressed in layered robes of soft plum and ivory, the wind lifting their long hair like trailing petals. They didn’t flinch at the sight of him, nor did awe paint their face like it usually did in those who recognized him.
“Am I disturbing you?” They asked, voice light, curious.
He blinked, not used to being asked. “No. I was just… thinking.”
They smiled faintly and stepped