Chapter 38: NIGHTMARES OF THE PAST
The room lay shrouded in silver moonlight, casting ethereal patterns across the worn wooden floor. Yomi’s chest rose and fell in rhythm with Lirien’s gentle breathing, her pink hair spilled like silk across his scarred skin.
The ritual had drained them both, the circulation of Ki, the melding of energies, the raw intimacy that had stabilized the chaotic forces threatening to tear her apart from within.
For the first time in what felt like eons, Yomi’s defenses had lowered. His Ki, normally contained with iron discipline, flickered and pulsed in gentle waves around his exhausted form. Lirien slept peacefully against him, her face serene, the tormented flush that had plagued her finally faded.
The chaotic Ki that had threatened to consume her now flowed in harmony with her natural energy, guided by his will, tamed by their connection.
Yet in this vulnerable state, with his mental barriers weakened and his spiritual guard down, the shadows of his past began to stir.
It started as whispers in the darkness, familiar voices calling his name, the crackle of distant flames, the clash of steel against steel. Yomi’s brow furrowed in his sleep, his Ki beginning to roil like storm clouds gathering on a clear horizon.
Then the whispers became screams.
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The vision crashed over him like a tidal wave of blood and fire.