The Heavens Shall Fall

When Siu woke up, he first thought he had a bad dream and was waking up after an intense day of training. He felt groggy, and although there was no pain accompanying the feeling, it meant that it would come later; his brain just hadn't adjusted yet. After all the training he had undergone, with spending months under Elder Thane bending, twisting, throwing, breaking, and then the baths fixing him, he understood the routine by now. Soon, he will feel a tightening tendon somewhere, then a sore rib, and finally a sharp, deep ache inside a bone that was broken a day before. But... nothing. He took a few, probing, deeper breaths but... No stabbing pain... There wasn't even any grinding discomfort. Weird.

Opening his eyes more, he realized that instead of pain, his eyelids felt like they had been sealed shut with wax, and forcing them to move took more effort than anything. Can eyelids be broken? Of course not, but... Why did he feel this way? When his vision finally cleared, he found himself staring at a ceiling made entirely of dark wooden beams, the kind he hadn't seen before. This was not his cave... Suddenly feeling nervous, he tried to inhale more, and when he did, he could feel the essence rushing into his body so thickly that it felt like inhaling the air right above a burning incense.

"..." He tried to say something, but found his voice to be missing, and his throat dry as a desert.

Licking his parched lips, he managed to turn his head and look around a bit more. The room he was in was small, more like a hut, he guessed, though one built much better than any huts he had ever seen as a kid. The walls were made of smooth wooden planks fitted so tightly that not even a sliver of light leaked through, and even the windows were covered with thick curtains, letting in only a faint glow through and around the edges, telling him it was midday, not night.

"Where…?” He finally found his voice, which was still dry and weak, scraping against his throat like sandpaper. It made him realize that speaking alone felt draining and that he was tired in a way he had never felt before. This kind of tiredness came not from his body but from his... everything. "What...?” He moaned, finally moving his hands that barely supported him, pushing himself up just a bit, wincing from the weakness, so he could just... sit.

“Take it slow.”

"...?!" Siu’s eyes snapped toward the source of the voice, and even that movement made his head spin. He expected Arya or Marly, but he could not hear them at all, even if he tried to connect to them.

Focusing his eyes, at first, he only saw the silhouette of a woman sitting near the foot of the bed. She had to have been there the entire time, he realized, but his groggy senses had missed her until now. Finally, the moment his eyes focused on her, he remembered her face.

"Ah... Grand Elder Yan!" He exhaled, forcing his voice out that was grating to hear even for him.

"Drink this, you have been out for a time now." She said, handing over a tiny vial, and without question, Siu had poured it down his throat, feeling warmth spread across his body, lessening the effort it took to find his voice.

As the feeling spread across him, he watched as she sat on a plain wooden chair, examining him without any words. Her expression was calm, but he could swear he sensed something beneath it... What? No, why would he? She is Grand Elder after all. Yet... She looked… troubled? Can that be the case?

“Grand… Elder?” He asked, his voice now much smoother than before.

"I know you have questions, and I will answer what I can, but don't rush it. Let the potion do its job first."

"Potion?" Siu asked, looking at the vial and pushing himself up further, but his body began shaking when he did.

“Do not move past your limits." She warned him, causing Siu to sink back into the pillows, "Your body is still recovering, or in this case, your... blood. You got sapped past your limits; it is a miracle that you lived. You will have to thank Elder Thane for it, because if not for your built-up sturdiness, you would be as dead as one can be.”

“What...?” Siu asked, bewildered at the notion, even forgetting to ask about potions, because he had only heard about them before, never seen one in his life. Not to mention drinking one...

"That's a broad question," Yan chuckled as she reached for the small table without standing, took a clay cup from it, and held it toward him. "This tea will help, too. Drink it all, but don't complain about the taste."

"T-thank you," He mumbled as he reached out to hold it, noticing that his fingers shook around the cup so badly that she kept her hand beneath it, making sure he didn’t drop it after handing it over. "Damn..."

Muttering under his breath, he took a long sip, and the drink inside was warm but way too sour and thick. But even then, he didn't gag; he let it go down, feeling it begin to open his airways, as if a stuffy nose was finally cleared and he could breathe again. Without a word, Yan took the cup back when he finished and set it aside, nodding her head approvingly.

“What happened?” Siu asked, this time trying to be more precise with his question. Then he thought, adding more, like, why was he here of all places, but... that had to wait for now.

"A lot..." She did not answer immediately, leaning back, clearly thinking about what or how to tell him, and apparently, his impatience won out as his brain began working again.

"Where are Arya and Marly?” He blurted it out, still not feeling them.

“They are fine,” Yan answered with a sudden smile, “With the disciple named Neya. Your connection is being blocked by the defensive charms around my abode. You can relax.”

"Y-your..." Siu flinched at that. Was he in... a Grand Elder's home?

"You have been here for much of the past week.”

"Wha..." Siu blinked when the words entered his mind one by one, but refused to arrange themselves properly. He has been... Where? And for how long? “A… Week?” He blurted it out.

"Mhm," Yan watched him, still examining his reactions and the color returning to his cheeks, “Yes. You were unconscious for six days and most of the seventh, which is today. You woke briefly twice, but not enough to remember, I see... This is the first time you have been properly aware, and apparently, you will stay awake after this, given your lucidity. Which is a good sign, meaning that you are out of death's door with both feet.”

"..." Siu stared at her, feeling a sudden shiver pass down his spine. What happened to him that... Ah. Oh...! Suddenly, he remembered the twins, their spar, and... Darkness. Then he remembered falling into nothing and becoming nothing, eaten by a maw that could have swallowed the whole world.

“Siu.” Elder Yan's firm voice broke him out of the feeling, and he realized he was sweating now, his fingers shaking more than before. "Focus."

"Y-yes..." He forced himself to inhale slowly, using his breathing technique, and it helped calm his mind.

"Good..." Elder Yan whispered, watching him, "That's why you are here. My place was the best suited for an injury like this, as I'm proficient in soul-based arts. You are lucky, young man!" She chuckled, shaking her head, "Multiple ways than just one."

“What happened?” he asked again, and this time, Elder Yan was ready to answer him.

“I will tell you everything,” she began, "Everything that concerns you, that is. There is no benefit in hiding it from you, and there is great harm in letting your mind fill the blanks with nonsense. The twins brought you to the Spirit Wardens’ tower in a panic. Naturally, the scene caused a stir, some thinking it was another of your fake injuries, but the way you looked... It was clear it wasn't. From there, Rinmei sent for healers, Elder Thane first, then any Elder she could reach. By the time Thane arrived, you were barely breathing, and you were whiter than a corpse. There were no signs of blood loss, no severed channels or destroyed organs, but your vitality had been almost emptied. Naturally, Elder Thane is not a healer, and he couldn't do much about it.”

"My..." Siu felt cold despite the room's warmth, remembering the feeling that was even there after he fell unconscious. “Vitality…?”

“Yes,” Yan nodded. “Your... Life Force, if you prefer the cruder term. It is a combination of many things. Physically, it is your blood, but it is blood filled with essence, coming from your marrow. Then again, it is not that simple. Blood loss can be fixed, just like any injury. But when that essence, permeating every cultivator, is sucked out, it is like losing blood without letting it flow away. So you can't replenish it either, because you are still full, yet empty at the same time. Do you understand me, Siu?”

"K-kind of..." He nodded as he tried to follow what he was saying. “…They didn’t mean to!” he said before he could stop himself, after thinking more about it.

"No," Yan’s gaze softened a little. “No... They did not. But they still did, nearly killing you.”

“What happened to them?”

"Slow down!" Yan raised a hand slightly. “One thing at a time.”

"..." Siu wanted to argue, but the effort it would have taken was too great, and he understood why she stopped him. If she began with that, he wouldn’t hear anything else, so he settled down again, waiting for her to continue.

“The twins were detained immediately,” she continued. “Before you ask, no, not imprisoned as criminals, but isolated and examined by High Elders, just as you were, stumping them. So... we were alerted next. No wonder..." She sighed, shaking her head, "Their examination was difficult. At first, even the attending High Elders disagreed on what had happened while we were trying to keep you alive. The twins' bodies showed signs of a breakthrough, and it was evident they had entered the Blood Resonance stage. Then, Grand Elder Lin took a look at them and, being as experienced as he is... It was clear that they awakened a Void-affinity. Both of them.”

His hand tightened around the blanket, fingers trembling, remembering what he had read of it. Naturally, Yan watched him, clearly seeing the path his mind had taken, confirming what he was thinking.

“Even the Sect Master got involved,” she said, making Siu's mouth fall open, looking at her, shocked. “He looked at them personally, not only confirming it, but saying that they have a unique link between them, as if they are sharing it. Which, as far as I know, means that you survived something that is twice as powerful as a regular Void affinity's awakening.”

"..." He opened his mouth to speak, but... what could he say? So he just closed it again.

“That is what made it so dangerous. A single awakening of a Void-affinity can kill if it erupts uncontrolled, and it did so here. Two? Tied together by whatever strange bond they cultivated or were born with between themselves...” Yan paused for a moment, shaking her head with a smile and a clear note of wonder in her tone. Apparently, she was admiring the twins, which had to be a good sign. “It is no exaggeration to say you survived by a thread. Or a miracle. I'll let you choose which.”

"I'll go with the fortune of training hard enough..."

“Even better,” Yan chortled, but then sighed, “There was another thing... According to what they shouted while carrying you, and according to what little Elder Thane extracted from them before the formal examination began, you may have survived because you... did what they did.” Her gaze flashed when she said that. “That you took from them the same way as they were taking from you, keeping yourself amongst the living through that."

"I did...?" He gulped, suddenly remembering the feeling.

"So we examined you too, I mean... The Sect Master did."

"He... did?" He gulped again, but there was no saliva left in his mouth after hearing that.

"Yes... And no trace of any Void was found in you.”

"..." That made him freeze again. “None?”

“The examining Elders, High Elders, Grand Elders, and then the Sect Master himself found no sign of Void-affinity in your blood, marrow, soul, or any other channels. Later, someone far more qualified confirmed the same. You don't have Void-affinity.”

"W-w-wait..." He stuttered, trying to take it all in, "Who can be more qualified than the Sect Master?!"

“The visiting delegation from the Obsidian Moon,” she said plainly, “As required by law in these lands, their lands... the matter was reported. The Sect Master himself did it... We did not have a choice.” She explained, yet Siu knew she didn't have to; he was an outer disciple; she was a Grand Elder. What is there to explain...? But... She still did. Hearing it, his chest tightened again, but this time from a different kind of fear... one that he felt for the twins.

“What happened after...?”

"..." Yan looked at him in silence for a second before saying as plainly as possible. “They are gone.”

That made his body still while his mind jumped to the worst place at once. Expelled? Executed? Silenced?! Were they gone... gone?! He saw Milli and Nilli laughing one moment, then gone the next, reduced to a lesson others would shiver about while telling amongst themselves, sitting around the fireplace. But then he finally remembered a key point: if the Obsidian Moon's delegation came, that meant they were... He tried to sit up.

“Do not misunderstand,” She said, reading his thoughts, "They were not killed. They were reported,” Yan repeated, “and then examined, AND taken by the Obsidian Moon Sect, accepted into their folds as their disciples.”

“They were… Taken.” He muttered and watched as Elder Yan nodded, his face placid, but his voice a bit... spiteful.

“Yes. Taken... from us.”

“Against their will?”

"Well," Yan’s expression shifted slightly, both smiling and sighing, “Not exactly.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means they were afraid, confused, and unwilling to leave everyone they knew. But then, they also saw how everyone looked at them now. It also means that, under the laws governing these territories, their awakening placed them under Obsidian Moon jurisdiction. The Elder who came examined them personally, and after confirming their linked Void-affinity, he declared them not only suitable for direct promotion into the Obsidian Moon, but also immediately brought them away. Their uniqueness clearly was something that the Elder who came liked very... very much.”

“Promotion,” Siu muttered, feeling that it was not the right word to use.

“That is the term.”

“And the truth?” He asked suddenly, without any fear.

"..." Yan held his gaze, finally, smiling a little, “The truth is more complicated, as always. Void is feared in most places, of course. Here, it is forbidden because we are not permitted to cultivate it, as these lands are the Obsidian Moon's realm. Everything is about the hierarchy, you know that. And they are above us, and Void is one of their pillars that they were built on. Those with such an affinity are valuable, highly valuable, in fact.”

“They won’t be discarded?”

“No.” She chuckled, "Of course not!"

“Experimented on?”

"..." Yan paused at that, making Siu's eyes narrow, "Because of their uniqueness, I don't think so." She added in the end, but then continued, “Siu,” she said carefully, “all cultivation is, in some form, experimentation. But if you mean whether they will be treated as disposable material, then the answer is no. A linked pair of Void-affinity cultivators is not something even the Obsidian Moon would waste. They will most likely train directly under an Elder, perhaps even someone higher if their bond proves as unusual as it appeared.”

He didn’t know whether that made him feel better. What he knew was that the tower would be quieter now... Rinmei would pretend she was fine, of course. Neya would... Knowing her, she will worry. And the twins themselves… he could barely imagine them walking into another sect, without having the opportunity to say goodbye or know what had become of him. The last part had to be horrible, the worst in fact... But... At least they had each other.

“Did they blame... me?” he asked quietly.

"Huh?" Yan’s brows moved slightly. “For what?”

“For triggering it.”

“No.” She answered immediately, “They blamed themselves, because they had an inkling that they may have that affinity. They just hoped it wasn't the case.”

“Haaah... Of course they did...”

“They were terrified of themselves,” Yan added. “When the Obsidian Moon Elder arrived, they demanded to know whether you would live before they answered half his questions. And I think it was the best for them that they had left."

"Why...?" Siu asked, making Elder Yan fall silent, and he knew that look. There were things she couldn't tell him. His Old Man had the same look in his eyes when he asked questions that he couldn't answer.

"You will see." She muttered, the same answer he used to give him, "Especially when you leave from here. You will have to deal... with that."

"With... what?" He asked, but seeing Elder Yan wasn't explaining more, he tried a different question. “You said the visiting Elder had examined me.”

“Yes.”

“And he found no Void...? But he believed the twins?”

“He believed something happened,” Yan corrected him. “Whether he believed their interpretation is another matter. The twins said you copied them, that you somehow mirrored the drain for a moment before their own affinity overwhelmed you. But he believed that was just a weird effect of the loop, that the twins awakened. We spoke no more of that, but when they were gone..." She stopped, now looking deeply into Siu's eyes, "Elder Thane confirmed to us that you had come to him earlier with concerns about mimicry. Is this true...?”

"Yes." He answered truthfully.

"Hmmm..." Yan folded her hands in her lap, furrowing her brows, “The Obsidian Moon Elder was interested in you as well, but deemed you wrecked after the examination. He said your affinity was siphoned away by the twins, which made him excited about the girls even more, now that I think back.”

"What...?!"

"He said you don't have an affinity anymore, as he couldn't sense any in you."

"That... that can't be the case!"

"I agree." She hummed, a new, sly-looking smile appearing on her face before hiding it, "He was so excited about the twins and their uniqueness, that he didn't probe you further... But Sect Master did, after they had left."

"A-and...?" He gulped, seeing a deep flash in her eyes.

"He doesn't know." Yan said, still looking at him, without blinking, "He doesn't know what you have..."

"So... Was I crippled now or... what?" He asked, getting way too confused, and everything felt just... too much!

"You aren't crippled," she chuckled, standing up and patting her robes down. "But you are... an anomaly."