The clock sighs its final breath,
shadows curling like dying embers.
I walk the thread of twilightâs edge,
where echoes of fate murmur in riddles.
Death lingers, a whispering tide,
a hush before the storm of rebirth.
Not into the silence of forgotten names,
but into a world where the sky burns red.
The wind howls of ruin to come,
a monthâs grace before the earth shatters.
Steel and ash, hunger and bloodâ
I stand where hope and horror entwine.
The end was only a door,
and beyond it, the war of my second life
begins.
After hearing the prophecy, grandpa Chu started to ponder while Ye Xuan was shocked. What kind of prophecy was that? It sounded more like a curse.
And what did it mean by death lingers and the storms of rebirth? For the first time, he felt truly confused.
"I think I understand why he had those dreams. It should have been a warning for him too but he didnât understand it." Grandpa Chu said.
"What do you mean father?" Chu Mo asked.
Even Ye Xuan wanted to know what the retired general meant.
"The fourth line, âwhere echoes of fate murmur in riddlesâ. That part of the prophecy was being fulfilled but he didnât understand."
"How could he understand when he knew nothing about the prophecy?" Chu Hao asked.
"We can never know how these things work, but it looks like things were fated a long time ago." Grandpa Chuâs words had a double meaning, which most of the people present understood except for Chu Miao and her brother.
Ye Xuan also understood what those words meant and now more than ever he was determined to make Chu Miao his and protect her no matter what.
He stood up and bowed ninety degrees towards grandpa Chu. "Donât worry Grandpa Chu, I will protect Miao with my life if I have to."
Hearing his promise, grandpa Chu was satisfied while the others were shocked. They didnât expect him to make such a vow, but they said nothing.
Chu Miao on the other hand wanted to say that he didnât need to make such a promise but her mouth was covered by her brother.
Chu Hao may have a little resistance towards sharing his sisterâs attention with others, but he would never pass up a free protector for his sister.
As long as she was safe, he could tolerate the guy.
"Alright, go and tell your brothers about our mission. Since we canât depend on the government or trust the safety bases they are building, we have to think of alternatives." Grandpa Chu said to Ye Xuan.
"Okay Grandpa Chu." Ye Xuan replied and left.
He was still shaken by all the discoveries he had made that day.
Chu Hao may have said it offhandedly, but he had caught on to the fact that the girl fighting in an ancient battlefield was Chu Miao.
So, how did a girl clearly born and raised in the modern era end up leading soldiers in an ancient battlefield? Also, what was that prophecy?
Ye Xuan went back to his apartment with some confusion, but he still had to go and fulfill todayâs mission.
He called his brothers and informed them of the decision to ally with the Chu family and also about that dayâs mission.
The others immediately agreed and they also decided to go to a different factory to collect timber.
Timber is a necessary material in any building and can also be affected by rain water. Thus, they wanted to go and collect as much timber as they could before that water that was already starting to flood the city got to them.
They had not been to the bunker in the mountains to hide the supplies they had collected for a while. So, Li Kunâs space was still crammed with many things.
Before leaving, he emptied his space into the several empty rooms in the apartment he shared with Gu Fan and Lei Ying.
That way, he could pile as much timber as possible when he got to the factory.
Ye Xuan informed them that he was going to collect supplies with Chu Miao and her brother and they had to be careful. Also, donât miss any opportunity to kill zombies and collect crystal cores.
However, he also warned them to not face any zombie or mutated animal they deemed dangerous and should instead leave immediately.
"Donât try to be brave and get injured. We canât afford any injuries right now." He warned.
"Yes captain." The others replied in unison.
After that, they all armed themselves with rain gear such as waterproof raincoats, waterproof military boots, and helmets.
Everyone also carried their weapon of choice, which included short swords, long daggers, and regular swords.
They also had guns that were kept in Li Kunâs space in case they needed them. They understood that ammunition could not be replenished easily so they could only use guns when necessary. However, other times they could only use cold weapons and their superpowers.
After over a month of cultivation, they had all reached a barrier in their cultivation and needed an opportunity to break through. After Ye Xuan had told them about the importance of suppressing their cultivation once faced with the barrier and not advancing easily, they had been holding back for a few days.
Not as long as Ye Xuan, he suppressed his cultivation for almost two weeks before he was forced to advance in battle by mutant rats.
Now, their foundation has stabilized and even if they advanced, they wouldnât have any problems in the future.
Upon reaching downstairs, the Chu family was already getting into their cars.
Ye Xuan didnât even stop as he headed straight for Chu Miaoâs car and opened the door of the back seat and got in.
This shocked both Chu Miao and Chu Hao.
"What are you doing?" Chu Hao asked.
"Going to collect supplies with you." Ye Xuan replied in a matter-of-fact attitude.
This attitude. Even Chu Miao had to respect this guy. He made everything sound so natural.
"Donât you have your own team? What are you following us for?" This time it was Chu Miao who asked.