Reborn: Wrath of the flame

The quiet wrapped around her like a blanket. No one was around, no signals pulsing from that ridiculous orb Tianlei gave her. Just silence.

She sat on the edge of her bed and let out a slow breath, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. The day had felt strangely long enough from odd feeling on the forest path to the nerves eating her up any it wasn't any close to over now.

She lay back on the soft silks and stared at the ceiling. The room designs were so dramatic even .Everything lately was a little too much.

Her fingers idly traced the threads at her side.

She should feel excited. Or at least nervous. But all she felt was tired. Not the kind that sleep fixes, just... the quiet kind. The kind that comes from waiting for something you didn't quite ask for.

She turned on her side and pulled the blanket up to her chin.

Tomorrow was going to be big. Everyone kept saying that.

So for now, she let her eyes close.

Just a short rest before the day

__

The golden hues of the setting sun filtered through the window, casting long, soft shadows across the room.Yanmei stirred with a soft sigh, her limbs reluctant to move from the nest of pillows and blankets she'd tangled herself into. She blinked her eyes open, then turned her head just in time to see Xiao Yun burst into the room carrying a fresh robe and a smirk.

"Still asleep? On your wedding eve?" she said, grinning. "You were hugging that pillow like it was Tianlei."

Yanmei groaned. "I was not."

"You were drooling."

"I was not!"

"You were smiling too."

Yanmei rolled over and buried her face into her arm. "Get out."

"Too late. I've seen everything," Xiao Yun said triumphantly, crossing the room to open the wardrobe. "You even kicked your covers off like a wild maiden. The Flame Elder's son would be shocked."

Yanmei sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "He's not the Flame Elder's son. His father's just… respected."

"And rich and probably expecting his future wife to look flawless by the time he returns from the meeting."

Yanmei nodded and rolled her eyes playfully.

"So you were dreaming," Xiao Yun teased, as she began folding the robe Yanmei would use for tomorrow

Xiao Yun hummed a cheerful tune as she plaited Yanmei's hair, stopping only to squint at any stubborn strand.

Then came the knock at the outer door.

Xiao Yun paused. "Ugh. Guests."

Yanmei blinked. "What guests?"

"The annoying ones."

A few minutes later, three girls floated into the receiving room like flower petals caught in the wind, elegant, graceful, and just sharp enough to cut if you weren't careful.

"Yanmei!" cooed the tallest, Min Rou, all white silk and fake affection. "We heard tomorrow is finally the big day. Had to come see the bride before the chaos."

Yanmei rose politely and gestured for them to sit. "It's good to see you all."

"Is it?" said the second girl, Meihua sweeter than honey, but with a smile that never reached her eyes. "You've been so busy lately, we barely see you anymore. Flame duties already?"

Yanmei kept her tone even. "I've just been training."

"Of course," Meihua said, reaching for a peach slice from the table. "For your role, that's expected. The Flame daughter has to be more than just beautiful, after all."

The third girl, soft-voiced Lin'er, cut in. "And lucky, too. I mean, who would've thought you'd be the one Tianlei chose?"

Xiao Yun stiffened in the corner.

Yanmei smiled calmly. "Who indeed?"

Meihua leaned forward with a conspiratorial whisper. "I've always wondered… do you ever wish you knew more about your real family? Like where you come from? What if they were nobles? Or... something else?"

"Or merchants," Min Rou added dramatically, as though it were worse than crime.

Yanmei didn't flinch. "If they were alive, I'm sure they'd be proud of me."

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that!" Meihua said too quickly. "I just meant… well, it must be strange. Not knowing, still..." she tilted her head with mock innocence "you got lucky, didn't you? With the Elder's favor, your own private room, your maid and all"

Xiao Yun shot her a glare.

"We were just saying," Lin'er added, "how different things would be if Tianlei had chosen someone from the main sect line. But maybe he likes mystery."

Yanmei's voice was soft but steady. "Or maybe he just sees what you don't."

The room cooled by a few degrees.

Xiao Yun appeared suddenly at Yanmei's side with a tray. "Tea?"

The girls sipped, chattered for a few more minutes, then floated back out with flowery goodbyes and empty compliments.

When the door closed behind them, Xiao Yun exhaled like she'd held her breath the entire time.

"Harmless, my foot," she muttered, dropping onto a cushion. "They talk like silk but their teeth are jade knives."

Yanmei poured the last cup of tea and sipped it slowly. "It's fine. They're just bored."

"They're jealous and rude."

Yanmei shrugged. "They're not wrong about one thing."

"What?"

"I am different. I don't know my parents. I didn't come from some noble sect line."

Xiao Yun glanced at her. "You came from fire, remember? The Flame Chieftain himself could burn for centuries and still not match your stubbornness."

Yanmei laughed. "Now you sound like the elders."

"I sound wise, that's what."

They shared a smile.

Xiao Yun leaned back. "So… do you love him?"

Yanmei blinked. "What?"

"Tianlei. You're marrying him tomorrow. Do you love him or is it just because he defended you once and looked pretty doing it?"

Yanmei didn't answer immediately.

She looked out the open window, where the sunlight caught the corner of the eastern pavilion where his rooms were.

"I don't know what love is supposed to feel like," she said finally. "But when he looks at me… I feel chosen and seen."

Xiao Yun was quiet for a while.

"Just make sure you're not only seen," she said softly. "Make sure you're known."

__

The sun had dipped low by the time Yanmei stepped out into the veranda. A breeze stirred, gentle and fragrant with the scent of evening blossoms.

Xiao Yun was just finishing her fussing. "Stop wrinkling your robe," she chided, flicking invisible dust from Yanmei's sleeve. "Do you want the whole sect to think the bride to be already tired of being adored?"

Yanmei rolled her eyes, but a smile lingered on her lips. "I'm not tired. Just... overwhelmed."

Xiao Yun sniffed. "By attention or affection?"

"Both," she said honestly, stepping out onto the path.

The garden was unusually quiet, birds already settled into the trees. Everything around her felt touched by softness, as though the world was holding its breath for the big day. The household was preparing a small evening gathering for her in the main courtyard, but for now, she had a few quiet moments to breathe.

"Do you think he'll be there tonight?" Xiao Yun asked.

Yanmei's heart gave a small flutter. She didn't answer immediately.

"I don't know," she murmured. "He said he wouldn't be back until very late."

"Mysterious until the end, just don't let him forget he's marrying the sect's most radiant flower."Xiao Yun said with a sigh.

Yanmei chuckled. "You sound like an old auntie."

"And you sound like a girl in love," Xiao Yun teased.

Yanmei lowered her gaze. Maybe she was.

She remembered how Tianlei had looked that morning, how his fingers had brushed her cheek, how his voice had wrapped around her like silk. It wasn't just charm. It wasn't just status. It was the way he saw her like she was more than a girl raised by the sect.

"You really like him," Xiao Yun said softly.

Yanmei didn't respond, but her silence was answer enough.

Then Xiao Yun brightened. "Come. If you stand here much longer you'll be late for your own dinner."

"Can't have that," Yanmei said, turning toward the courtyard.

But as she walked, the flicker of hesitation crept in. Not about the marriage ...no, she was sure of Tianlei. It was the quiet chill she'd noticed earlier, like something she couldn't name was brushing past her future.

She shook it off.

__

Lanterns floated above the heads of a small gathering sect elders, attendants, and a few curious disciples pretending not to sneak glances at the bride-to-be. Delicate trays of food and wine circled as soft flute music played in the background.

Yanmei sat near the center, radiant in a muted crimson robe, her hair half-pinned with a jade comb. Her eyes scanned the crowd.

But he wasn't there,what was she even thinking,he told her he was going to be very late.

The gathering continued around her. She smiled, responded politely when spoken to, even raised a cup when the elders toasted to her future. But in the corners of her heart, a hush remained.

When she rose to return to her chambers, a servant handed her a folded note tied with red silk.

No name or seal. Just a familiar, slanted handwriting that made her breath catch.

"Tomorrow, under flame and stars, you'll be mine. But until then, dream of me."

Her cheeks flushed. The note smelled faintly of sandalwood and smoke.

He still remembered to send a a letter even he was present.