Amidst the Waves [Wuthering Waves]

The lantern's dim light bathed their modest home in a warm, flickering glow. Outside, the symphony of crickets filled the still night, a soothing backdrop to the quiet moments before bedtime.

Kyorin sat cross-legged on the worn mat, his small hands fidgeting with the hem of his shirt as Dan Xia folded the day's laundry with practised ease.

"Mo-Mama," Kyorin called softly, his toddler voice carrying a slight rasp that only made his words more endearing. Dan Xia looked up, a gentle smile spreading across her face as her gaze met his.

"What is it, sweetie?" she asked, her voice tender.

"What is an Immortal?" Kyorin tilted his head, his expression thoughtful. He raised a small finger to his lips and asked with practised innocence, "Is it... tasty?"

Dan Xia froze. Her lips parted as if to respond, but no words came. Instead, she turned her face away, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as her shoulders twitched. Kyorin's sharp eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of unease crossing his face.

'Is she hesitating to tell me?' he wondered, his mind racing. The question had seemed harmless enough, but her reaction suggested otherwise.

Contrary to Kyorin's suspicions, however, Dan Xia wasn't struggling to find the words. She was desperately stifling laughter.

Her son's curious expression, combined with the sheer absurdity of his question, was too much. 'He's so adorable!' she thought, her heart practically bursting. 'If only I could capture this moment in a painting...'

She turned back toward him after composing herself, her smile even softer now. "An Immortal isn't something you eat, my darling," she said, her tone light but with a hint of reverence.

[A/N: What kind of eating tho ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)?]

"They're beings said to have surpassed the limits of mortality." She explained pondering over the words to choose before delivering the answer. "They live for ages, wield great power, and exist in harmony with the heavens... or so the stories go."

Kyorin's brows furrowed slightly as he mulled over her words, though he kept up the act of childish innocence. "So... they're not tasty?" he asked again, feigning disappointment.

Dan Xia chuckled softly and reached out, ruffling his hair. "No, my little one. Not tasty. But they are fascinating, aren't they?"

"Mm," Kyorin hummed in agreement, his mind far from innocent curiosity. If Immortals truly existed in this world, they were worth investigating. He gave her a small, toothy grin and allowed himself to be pulled into her embrace, all the while storing the new information away for later.

As Dan Xia cradled him, her thoughts drifted. She knew the tales of Immortals were more than bedtime stories—they were whispers of truth passed down through generations. But for now, she decided, her son didn't need to know the weight such a title carried.

For Kyorin, however, the night's revelation was far from a mere tale. 'Immortals...' he mused as he rested against her. 'So this world does have its secrets to Immortality.'

Kyorin tilted his head up to meet her gaze, his wide eyes reflecting the lantern's soft glow. Dan Xia smiled down at him, her warmth inviting. "So," he began, his voice lilting with curiosity, "was that pigtail sister an Immortal like the one you mentioned?"

Dan Xia stifled a laugh, covering her mouth briefly before responding. "Oh no, Kyorin, you're mistaken," she said, her tone affectionate. "That sister is only being considered a possible reincarnation of the Mysterious Immortal of Qian Kun. It's just speculation."

Kyorin's brows furrowed, his lips pursed as he repeated her words with deliberate exaggeration. "Myesro Immortal of Quit Kon?"

Dan Xia giggled and gently corrected him, "Qian Kun, darling. It's 'Qian Kun.' Remember to pronounce it properly, or you might attract their wrath." She lightly tapped his nose in playful reprimand.

'Hmm, she is Deist: someone who believes in God.' Kyorin thought, suppressing a smirk at her strictness. 'Quite the disciplinarian, Mother.'

In truth, he knew perfectly well how to pronounce "Qian Kun," but the words themselves felt hollow to him. Heavens and Earth—what were they but powerless forces when measured against his wrath?

The word 'wrath' echoed through his mind, an unwelcome reminder of a time he had worked tirelessly to bury. His smile faltered for a brief moment before he buried his face against Dan Xia's clothes, her scent grounding him.

'Don't dwell on the past, Kyorin,' he chastised himself silently. 'Think of the present. Think of living a good life. Think about her.'

Dan Xia noticed his brief silence and gently stroked his hair, sensing something beneath his playful demeanour. "Alright, my sweet star," she said, her voice soothing. "Since it's bedtime, how about I tell you a story about the Mysterious Immortal of Qian Kun? Would you like that?"

Kyorin's interest was piqued despite himself. He lifted his face from her robes, his eyes bright with curiosity, though a part of him remained guarded. "Okay," he said, settling into her lap with an innocent expression. 'Let's see what the mortals of this world believe about their so-called Immortals.'

Dan Xia's voice softened her words carrying the rhythm of an ancient melody. "Long ago, in an age shrouded in mystery, there was a being who walked the line between the heavens and the earth... a celestial being descended, commanding the boundless power of Qian Kun itself."

Her eyes drifted to the small window, as though peering beyond the veil of the present into the infinite expanse of the serene night.

"Taking mortal form," she continued, her voice imbued with awe, "they wielded the primordial essence. With a single, decisive act, they cleaved heaven from the earth, bringing order to the chaos and aligning the celestial paths."

Her tone deepened, her words infused with reverence. "They aligned the celestial and the terrestrial, their radiance encompassing the four corners of existence. And thus began the illustrious annals of Solaris III."

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of her tale settling like a fine mist. Dan Xia seemed lost in thought, her lips moving faintly as though speaking to herself. Kyorin's sharp ears caught the words she murmured under her breath, too quiet for any ordinary listener.

"Aligned the celestial and the terrestrial... their radiance encompassing the four corners..." Kyorin's gaze narrowed. Her choice of words and tone sparked a quiet intrigue within him.

Dan Xia seemed unaware of his scrutiny as she continued, her voice regaining its calm rhythm.

"This celestial maiden, the Mysterious Immortal of Qian Kun, was said to be tied to Solaris III in a profound incomprehensible way." She uttered her voice now beginning to carry a hint of pity for this person.

"Her presence appeared and reappeared through the annals of its history, as though she were a thread woven into the very fabric of this world's existence." She mentioned the immortals' long connection with this world.

"But... " Her voice trailed off, and a faint shadow of unease flickered across her features.

"But?" Kyorin prompted, feigning the innocent curiosity of a child.

Her smile grew faint, tinged with something almost melancholic, as her fingers absently traced invisible patterns on the fabric of her dress.

"But her path was never one of peace," she said, her gaze lowering, as if weighed down by the gravity of her words. "Where she walked, great turmoil often followed."

She paused, clasping her hands together, her thumb nervously brushing against her knuckles. "They say her manifestation was both a blessing and a curse—a light so bright it could not exist without shadow."

Dan Xia's voice softened as her eyes briefly met Kyorin's, the flicker of a shadow passing over her expression before she looked away again, her lips pressing into a thin line.

She paused, as though weighing whether to say more, but Kyorin could see her resolve falter. She leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "That's enough storytelling for tonight, my little star. Time for you to sleep."

Kyorin nodded obediently, though his mind was far from restful. As she tucked him in and extinguished the lantern, the image of the celestial maiden lingered in his thoughts—her golden eye shining like a beacon in the dark. 'A being that powerful... tied to this world's fate?'

He closed his eyes, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. 'Perhaps there's more to learn in this quiet little village after all and... I might cross paths with this Immortal...'

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*Shoowsh*

The breeze of a cold night swept through the forest, heralding winter's impending arrival. Beneath the looming shadows of the towering trees, a hooded figure moved steadily along the path leading into the depths of Yang Niu Village.

Their footsteps were soft but steady, and soon, they were joined by a cluster of masked individuals draped in red, their outfits contrasting sharply against the darkening sky.

The hooded figure reached up, slowly removing their hood, revealing a face that could have belonged to any elderly villager—calm, wise, and unassuming. It was Grandma Tang.

"There is a child with Five Interstice," she stated, her voice cutting through the air with quiet certainty.

A man, his face hidden behind a dark mask, stepped forward. His unusual appearance caught the eye—four arms, each one holding an amethyst blade wrapped in faded cloth. He crossed his arms, eyes narrowing in slight amusement. "Hoh," he muttered, intrigued.

The man's stance relaxed slightly as he considered her words. "Good. Make sure to look after her. We will come and collect her later."

Grandma Tang's lips twisted into a thin, almost amused smile. "It isn't so easy," she replied, her eyes flashing with a sharpness that cut through the air, challenging the man's nonchalant attitude.

The masked man's eyes narrowed behind his mask, sensing the underlying tension in her words. "And what would you have us do, then? Let her go free to run amok?"

Grandma Tang raised a hand to quiet him. "She is sheltered for now, but she has shown great potential. Her abilities could be... dangerous."

The man seemed unfazed, shrugging with a hint of mockery in his voice. "We can just cut the squashes."

A chill ran through Grandma Tang. Her eyes widened, a brief flicker of disbelief crossing her face. "Wait... you're not thinking of slaughtering the village, are you?"

The man chuckled darkly, his voice low and mocking. "Oh? And what if I am? Will you stop me?"

Grandma Tang fell silent, her expression hardening. The weight of the situation sank in, and she clenched her fists, unwilling to speak further. She knew all too well the reason she was caught in this dangerous web of violence and manipulation.

The masked man leaned forward, his tone turning more taunting. "Don't you want it?"

Grandma Tang's jaw clenched. She knew exactly what he was referring to. "The Radiant Pill," she murmured, her voice strained.

The man smirked beneath his mask, clearly enjoying her internal struggle. "We'll carry it out in two years. Make sure nothing harms the girl before then."

Grandma Tang nodded, though her mind raced with conflicting thoughts. She turned her gaze back toward the village, her eyes lingering on the small huts in the distance. "No wonder they call the manifestation of Five Interstice both a blessing and a curse," she whispered under her breath.

Her eyes flicked towards the small hut where the girl with pigtails lived, before moving to another, where a vibrant flower garden bloomed in the moonlight. A fleeting thought passed through her mind, one that caused a slight furrow in her brow. 'Is that child truly talentless?'

She glanced at the village one last time before pushing the thought away. 'Forget it. As long as I can have the Radiant Tide, I can become a Five-Star Resonator.' Her thoughts turned inward, selfishly consumed by her desire...

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Soon, two years passed in a blink since the events in the village, and life had settled into a quiet routine within the small hut surrounded by vibrant flower beds. But today, an unfamiliar tension hung in the air—*PAA!*

A sharp, stinging slap echoed through the room, leaving Kyorin's cheeks burning with the sudden impact. His eyes widened as he looked at Xia, seeing a fury in her expression he had never witnessed before.

"Don't talk nonsense, child," she snapped, her voice filled with a quiet rage that sent a shiver down his spine.

"But..." Kyorin began, his words faltering under the weight of her gaze. His mouth opened again to protest, but Xia's eyes narrowed dangerously, her anger and reprimand merging into one silent command.

"Out!"

Kyorin's chest tightened, but he said nothing more. He understood well enough when it was time to obey, even if his pride stung, or despite his reluctance.

"Haah."

With a deep breath, he reluctantly turned and left the room, stepping outside to gather a basket and head towards the mountains to collect grass for the cattle.

As Kyorin walked away, Xia stood still, her body trembling for a moment before she wiped away the tears that had silently gathered in her eyes. Her expression softened, filled with a sadness Kyorin could never truly understand. There was no anger left—only a quiet, enduring sorrow.

Xia walked to a small chest and carefully retrieved a pouch, its contents jingling with the sound of coins. She tied it with a delicate string and placed a small, folded note inside; for "Lin Yung"—her former husband who cheated on her.

To be continued...