The air inside the cave was heavy, thick with the sharp metallic scent of dried blood. Ling Huai sat motionless by the dim fire, her gaze lowered to her hands.
Dark specks of blood clung stubbornly to her skin — small stains that no matter how much she scrubbed earlier, still remained. Tu Tu's blood.
A soft tremor ran through her fingers.
She looked over to Bai, who stood silently by the cave entrance, his face pale and tight.
"Bai," she said quietly, her voice rough, like it hadn't been used in hours. "Summon your water element. I… I need it."
Without a word, Bai lifted his hand. A cool, gentle stream of water spun into existence, hovering obediently before her.
Ling Huai lowered her hands into it, scrubbing at the blood that clung between her fingers, under her nails, in the fine lines of her palms. She watched numbly as the water turned a sickly pink before it faded away into nothing.
Only when her hands were clean — trembling, but clean — did she rise on unsteady legs and cross the short distance to where Tu Tu lay.
He was still frighteningly pale, still too quiet, but his breathing was steadier now.
Ling Huai knelt beside him, brushing the stray strands of hair from his forehead. Her fingertips lingered against his clammy skin longer than necessary.
She uncorked a vial of blood regeneration potion and carefully tilted it against his lips. Drops of the thick, dark liquid slid into his mouth. She cradled his jaw gently, coaxing him to swallow.
As she worked, a heavy knot of disappointment twisted inside her chest.
She should have prevented this.
She had studied medicine since she was a child. She had mastered the art of poisons and antidotes, cultivated knowledge that surpassed even seasoned physicians — and yet, when it truly mattered, she had still allowed this to happen.
She pressed the back of her hand against Tu Tu's forehead again, as if silently begging him to stay with them.
Behind her, there was a quiet shuffle of movement.
The Omen, who had been crouched like a silent statue in the shadows, moved closer. His usually sharp, cold expression was twisted with something else — something raw and helpless.
He leaned down toward Tu Tu, his movements uncharacteristically gentle.
Without warning, he slapped Tu Tu across the cheek — not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to leave a sting.
"You're not allowed to leave," he muttered hoarsely. His voice cracked, the words forced out between clenched teeth. "You hear me, Tu Tu? Never. Not in this life. I won't let you."
He stayed there, his forehead almost touching Tu Tu's, his hands trembling at his sides.
The Omen's eyes, always so sharp, so unreadable, shimmered with unshed tears. He squeezed them shut, the tears slipping free and tracing slow, silent paths down his cheeks.
Ling Huai felt her own exhaustion crash over her like a suffocating wave.
The facade she had held so tightly, the cold precision, the steady hands — it all crumbled.
She pressed her fist against her mouth, trying to swallow the sob clawing its way up her throat.
But it was too much.
She turned her face away, shoulders shaking as she cried — silent, broken sobs wracking her thin frame.
Bai sank to his knees beside them, his fists pressed to the ground, his head bowed low, tears dripping freely onto the stone floor.
They cried together.
For Tu Tu.
For themselves.
For the helplessness none of them wanted to admit.
The fire crackled low, filling the cave with the brittle sounds of dying embers.
Tu Tu's body remained still.
Until—
A twitch.
So faint it might have been a trick of the light.
Then a second — violent, jarring.
His small frame jerked once, twice—
And then, with a groggy yawn that shattered the unbearable tension, Tu Tu snapped his eyes open.
He blinked slowly, like someone waking from the world's longest nap, and stretched his arms lazily above his head.
He let out a tired laugh, raspy but unmistakable.
"You know," Tu Tu said, grinning weakly, "I heard everything."
Ling Huai gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Bai nearly toppled forward in shock. The Omen jerked upright so fast he almost lost his balance.
Tu Tu winked, mischief flickering in his tired eyes.
"And I gotta say," he drawled, "your crying sounds are horrible. Seriously. You guys sounded like wounded geese fighting over stale bread."
A choked laugh escaped Ling Huai before she could stop it.
Bai wiped his sleeve across his face and chuckled wetly.
The Omen rolled his eyes, but a smile ghosted across his lips.
Tu Tu shifted a little, grimacing at the soreness that lanced through his body. He lifted his hand and peered at the bruises, the bandages, the thin scars starting to form.
He muttered darkly under his breath.
"Fuck those butterflies," he said with real bitterness. "Can't believe they tricked me and stole my precious blood. Tch—bastards."
He turned his head toward the Omen, his voice dropping lower.
"Tell me they're dead."
The Omen reached out, ruffling Tu Tu's hair roughly before patting his back.
"They're dead," the Omen said. "Every last one."
Tu Tu grinned, leaning heavily into the touch. His eyelids drooped, but stubbornness burned in his gaze.
He clapped a weak hand against his stomach and announced with a groan, "I'm craving Ling Huai's cooking. No roasted meat. I want stewed meat. Real stew. The good stuff."
Ling Huai wiped at her cheeks with the hem of her robe, smiling through the tears she couldn't stop.
"Alright," she said, her voice steadier now. "Stewed meat it is."
Tu Tu closed his eyes again, content, a small, satisfied smirk playing across his bruised lips.
The cave, though still battered and broken, felt a little less cold.
Because Tu Tu was alive.
And they were all still together.
---
The fire was crackling softly, the heat warming the cool cave air as Ling Huai stirred the pot of stew, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips. The smell was incredible, like heaven in a bowl.
Tu Tu was sitting up now, looking surprisingly chipper for someone who had just almost died. He lazily stretched out, cracking a few joints, then gave a dramatic sigh.
"You sure you're not putting poison in this, Ling Huai?" he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Seems like the perfect time for it."
Ling Huai didn't even bother to look at him. "If I wanted to poison you, I would've done it while you were asleep. Don't worry, you're safe. For now."
Tu Tu snickered, but then he suddenly broke into a coughing fit. Bai was quick to help him, passing him a water gourd, looking more concerned than he'd ever admit.
Tu Tu took a few sips, then leaned back dramatically, putting his hand to his forehead. "Well, if I'm gonna go, at least I'm going out in style, huh? Poisoned by the best chef in the land."
Ling Huai rolled her eyes, though there was a faint smile on her face. "You'll live, drama king."
The Omen, who had been leaning against the wall, let out a quiet laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Keep it up, you'll be crying to us again in an hour."
As Ling Huai stirred the stew, Bai stood awkwardly in the background, his eyes flicking between the group. He finally disappeared into the back of the cave, only to return with a bunch of fruits in his arms. He set them down near Ling Huai without saying a word.
Tu Tu raised an eyebrow. "Look at that. Bai's playing the hero now, huh? Sneaking in herbs like a lovesick puppy."
Bai flushed a deep red but refused to meet anyone's eyes. He muttered something that sounded like a curse under his breath.
Tu Tu chuckled, clearly amused. "I knew it. You're soft, Bai. Don't try to hide it."
Ling Huai just shook her head with a quiet laugh as she added the herbs to the pot. The stew darkened, filling the air with an even more delicious smell.
When the stew was ready, she carefully scooped a generous portion into a bowl and brought it over to Tu Tu. He grabbed it like it was the last meal on earth, his eyes sparkling as he dove into it.
Bai and the Omen watched in silence, both still processing the fact that Tu Tu was alive, sitting there in front of them, eating like nothing had happened.
Tu Tu stopped eating for a moment, his spoon halfway to his mouth. He looked at them all with a goofy smile. "You know," he said between bites, "I'm actually kinda glad you guys cried. Means I'm your favorite, right?"
Bai's face turned beet red, and he almost choked on his water. The Omen just scowled, but the corners of his mouth twitched in spite of himself.
Ling Huai shook her head, her smile wide now. "You're impossible, Tu Tu. But you're lucky we like you."
Tu Tu shrugged, clearly enjoying the attention. "Hey, I'm a great guy. I know I'm hard to love, but I make up for it with charm."
They all shared a quiet moment, watching him eat, the tension from earlier melting away.
The Omen snorted softly. "You're lucky you're cute."
Tu Tu grinned, looking ridiculously pleased with himself. "Yeah, I know. I'm just that awesome."
And just like that, the night fell into an easy, comfortable silence, the sound of the fire crackling softly as they all relaxed, content with the knowledge that they had each other.
---