And then came the final inscription:
Ling Li raised the scroll and proclaimed:
"Let it be known — these twin guardians do not guard the past. They guard the right to rewrite its consequences."
A gust of wind surged through the courtyard.
The candles dimmed.
The stars seemed to lean closer.
Private Reflection: Ling Li and Four Eyes
Later that night, beneath the paper-lantern trees where the snow didn’t reach, Ling Li sat quietly beside Four Eyes, a blanket wrapped between them. They didn’t speak for a while — the silence was earned, not awkward.
Four Eyes finally broke it.
"I saw their names glow. Just like ours did, I remembered."
Ling Li nodded, eyes distant, voice gentler than usual.
"But our names were offered out of fear. Theirs... came from choice."
He turned to her, beard flecked with tea crumbs, eyes swimming with emotion.
"Are you scared?"
She stared up at the moon.
"Terrified," Ling Li said. "But proud. They’re walking into legend, and we’re just the hands that held the gate open."
Four Eyes laughed softly.
"They’ll never understand what it meant to be afraid of prophecy. We did. And still gave them space to become it."
Ling Li leaned against him, the edge of vulnerability slipping past her guard.
"What if they falter?"
He touched her hand.
"Then they’ll rise again. Because we showed them how."
They sat in silence.
And above them, two stars pulsed — twin points in a constellation newly awakened.
Arrival in Geneva
In the blink of an eye, Geneva unfolded beneath a sky of soft gold and alpine mist. The Li family had arrived a whole week earlier than planned, their entourage spilling out of the airport like a traveling opera troupe — elegant, chaotic, and unmistakably bonded.
Ling Li, ever the strategist, in her silk travel coat, had chosen to arrive early not just for Lily’s Dance Sports Competition but to scout the venue and assess the spiritual climate.
With Solaris still unaccounted for, and the prophecy whispering of chaos when she sought the Heavens, she wasn’t taking chances.
"This is the only place he can meet Lily openly," Ling Li murmured to Four Eyes as they stepped into the hotel lobby. "If he intends to disrupt anything, it’ll be here."
Four Eyes adjusted his glasses, eyes scanning the marble floor like it might hide a trapdoor.
"Then we’ll watch every shadow. And every chandelier." He joked as he wrapped Ling Li in his arms for comfort.
Pharsa swept into the hotel suite first, her coat billowing like a cape and her heels clicking with purpose. Behind her came Chatty, Mushu, and Rockie — the latter dragging his feet like a man condemned.
Mushu, ever vigilant, immediately began sniffing every corner of the suite with the intensity of a customs officer. He paused at the minibar, growled at a decorative vase, then trotted over to the curtains and began pawing at them suspiciously. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on N()velFire.net
Rockie, meanwhile, collapsed onto the velvet couch with a dramatic groan, his hair tousled and his eyes half-lidded from jet lag.
"I swear it screamed in three languages," he muttered, referring to the Enfield that had accompanied them on the flight.
"French, Mandarin, and something that sounded like ancient Babylonian."
Pharsa didn’t even blink.
"It missed Chatty," she said sweetly, removing her gloves with practiced grace.
"It missed tormenting me," Rockie corrected, rubbing his temples.
"Can you and your husband take it back, please? Before it starts chewing on the wallpaper or summoning thunder in the lobby?"
Pharsa chuckled, her eyes glinting.
"You talk with Chatty. You’re the one who made a bet and raced him. Have you forgotten who trains him on the race track?"
She snorted, clearly amused.
"It’s practically his second soul."
Chatty, who had just entered behind her, gave Rockie a smug nod and patted the Enfield’s head like a proud parent. The creature purred — or growled — in response, its eyes glowing faintly.
"I won fair and square," Chatty said, finally acknowledging the conversation.
"You challenged it. You lost. Now it’s bonded to you for seventy-two hours. That’s the rule."
"That’s your rule," Rockie snapped.
"It’s a sacred pact," Chatty replied solemnly, clearly enjoying himself.
The Enfield leapt onto the couch beside Rockie, curled up like a lion cub, and promptly began snoring — loudly, and with occasional hiccups of static energy.
"I hate everything," Rockie whispered, defeated.
"You love us," Pharsa said, tossing him a chocolate truffle from her handbag.
"You just don’t know it right now."
The Family Arrives
From Beijing, Ren and Shun arrived with Reginald and Dr. Norman, both of whom were dressed as if attending a diplomatic summit. Ren immediately ran to hug Ling Li, while Shun gave a quiet bow and handed her a sealed envelope.
"Updates from the Beijing sect," he said.
"Thank you," Ling Li replied, eyes already scanning the seal.
"Good to see you, Dr. Norman," Ling Li greeted the android now with a very eye-catching Korean face, it’s even better looking than any K-pop artist.
"It’s now Joonwoo," Dr. Norman said with a chuckle.
From Belgium, Fatty burst into the lobby with Goldie trailing behind him, carrying three suitcases and a box of pastries. Fatty’s eyes darted around like a puppy searching for its owner.
"Where’s Lily? Is she here? Is she rehearsing? Can I see her now?"
Goldie sighed.
"She’s at the studio. You’ll see her tonight."
Fatty pouted dramatically, clutching a heart-shaped pillow he bought at the airport for Lily.
"I miss her so much. I haven’t seen her in two months. That’s like two years in emotional time."
When they finally reunited at the rehearsal hall, Fatty ran to Lily like a man possessed, nearly knocking over a lighting rig.
"Lily! My little dumpling! My moonlight in Geneva!"
Lily laughed and hugged him tightly.
"You’re so dramatic."
Shi Min, watching from the corner, darkened visibly as Fatty fed Lily a spoonful of yogurt, then wiped her mouth with a napkin like a doting husband.
"Can you two not feed me dog food during rehearsal?" he muttered.
"We’re just hydrating, love," Fatty replied cheerfully.
Shi Min "...."
’Who asked me to be a single dog?!’
Exploring Geneva: Culture and Camaraderie
Before the competition, Ling Li took the family to explore Geneva’s famous sites. They visited the Jet d’Eau, where Kim Kim and Chin Chin tried to race the fountain spray and ended up soaked and laughing.
Pharsa took photos of everyone with her spirit camera, which occasionally captured aura flares instead of faces