Ningyan stared at the crystal as it hovered silently. It emitted that deep violet glow, the light bleeding into his eyes.

"Why am I here?" He took a barefoot step forward, his face creased with confusion.

The ground beneath him was smooth as glass, mirroring his every movement. When he drew close enough, he raised a hand and pressed it against the surface.

His eyes fell shut and the world tilted.

He stood once more upon the battlefield where Jun Yongrui had fallen... watching himself. The way Qi rushed violently through his meridians, overflowing, and erasing Jun Yongrui as though he had never existed.

Ningyan stood at the center of it all.. untouched. Powerful.

A beast god. That was what they had called him.

Watching it now, he felt no pride. Only a cold, creeping dread.

"...So this is what I looked like," he took his hand away.

The vision shattered and he stood once more before the crystal, his breath uneven.

"What about..." He hesitated for a moment before moving again.

When his hand made contact with the surface, the world around him shifted again.

This time, it was Lan Yunlai.

The clash between him and the colossal serpent, translucent, wrought from darkness and blood. It bursted out from Jun Yongrui’s serpent beast form and drove straight into his chest.

Ningyan froze. "...What?"

His hand rose instinctively, pressing against his chest. "I... didn’t see this."

The memory before him distorted as the Ningyan within it paused, slowly turning until their gazes locked. Those violet eyes glowed with a sudden light before they twisted and began to darken.

The qi around him warped, bleeding into a suffocating black-red storm.

An unnatural smile spread across his face. "This is your future, Su Ningyan."

Ningyan staggered back. "What?"

The sky burned with erupting flames, drowned out only by the raw screams of desperation and grief. He lost his balance and fell, noticing something small and soft on the ground below him.

His breath stopped. "Mian..."

Su Mian lay there without a sound, her body cold and devoid of life.

"No!" He dropped to his knees, gathering her into his arms, clutching her tightly.

"Mian.. wake up... wake up!" His voice broke.

The flames roared louder.

"You still don’t understand?"

Ningyan’s head snapped up. That version of himself stood before him, wreathed in that same corrupted aura, smiling as though witnessing something inevitable.

"Do you truly believe you can escape it?" His tone softened, almost gentle. "You are destined to destroy everything you hold dear. To be slain by those you love most."

Ningyan’s body trembled violently. He tightened his hold on his daughter, shaking his head. "No... no, that’s not.."

"You can struggle." The smile widened. "You can resist. But every step you take only draws you closer."

Ningyan’s breathing turned ragged. "I won’t accept that."

He lifted his head fully, his eyes blazing. "Get out of my sight!!"

Ningyan’s eyes snapped open.

He sat up quickly with a sharp intake of air, breathing heavily as if he had just been pulled from underwater.

"Father?" a small voice trembled.

Ningyan turned.

Xiao Miao stood at the edge of the bed, his expression tight with worry. Beside him, Mian and Ruo had also woken, their eyes fixed on him.

"Did you have a bad dream, Father?" Ruo asked softly, already climbing onto the bed.

Her small hand pressed gently against his forehead, checking his temperature.

Ningyan forced a smile. "Yes... it was just a dream. I’m fine."

"You don’t look fine." Ruo’s lips pursed, unconvinced.

"How about a hug?" Xiao Miao said quickly, scrambling forward. "Hugs fix everything."

He threw himself into Ningyan’s arms.

The girls followed without hesitation, wrapping around him until he was completely surrounded.

Ningyan let out a quiet breath. His arms tightened around them as he closed his eyes.

The lingering chill in his bones eased, if only slightly.

Dawn had begun to seep into the chamber, pale light brushing against the edges of the room.

It was just a dream, he told himself. Nothing more. Nothing real.

And yet, his gaze drifted to Mian...

He had seen her cold in his arms... Lifeless.

His chest tightened.

She is a phoenix... The thought came unbidden. Does that mean something?

The unease did not fade.

If anything... it deepened.

The children slowly pulled away.

"Do you feel better now, Father?" Mian asked, watching him closely.

Ruo placed her hand on his forehead again, frowning. "He still doesn’t look fine. The hug didn’t work."

Xiao Miao sighed dramatically. "Then it must be a very bad dream."

That was enough to draw a quiet laugh from Ningyan.

"I’m fine," he insisted, gentler this time.

The door slid open.

"Did something happen?" Jun Haoxuan stepped in, his voice low, careful.

Xiao Miao immediately brightened, hopping off the bed and clinging to his leg. "Good morning, Papa Xuan!"

Haoxuan lifted his leg slightly without effort. Xiao Miao giggled, clearly used to it.

"Did you sleep well?" Haoxuan asked, tone soft.

"I did," Xiao Miao nodded, then added with a pout, "but Father had a bad dream."

Haoxuan’s eyes settled on Ningyan.

Ningyan met it, offering a faint smile that did little to hide the pallor of his face.

"It was nothing," he said.

Haoxuan did not respond immediately.

"Go find Baba Meishan," he said at last, voice gentle but firm. "All of you."

The children obeyed without protest, hurrying out with quiet chatter.

Ningyan rose from the bed. "Haoxuan..."

"Was it the crystal?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Ningyan’s lips parted. "I... No."

Haoxuan stepped closer, lifting a hand to cup Ningyan’s face, his thumb brushing lightly against his cheek.

His touch was warm. But his eyes held concern.

"I sense something is wrong. You can tell me, or we can look into it together," he offered, but Ningyan only let out a heavy sigh.

"It was just a nightmare," he murmured. "I saw Su Mian... she was dead."

Jun Haoxuan’s eyes widened before he softened, pulling Ningyan into an embrace. "Like you said, it was just a dream. She’s alive and safe here with us."

Ningyan clutched Jun Haoxuan’s sleeve, closing his eyes against the lingering chill of the vision. He stayed silent, but the weight in his chest remained; he knew it was finally time to stop avoiding Han Yunyi, for she was the only one who would understand what was happening with the Phoenixes.