Wen Reian

2004 years after The Long Night

Sanlín City

The fiancé, who they'd learned was called Qian Ling, followed them silently back to the church. Reian felt as if every step they took, they all picked up their pace just a little bit more. Pretty soon, walking became anxious sprinting.

It was far past time that the city was asleep, yet the lights were still flickering through the stained glass windows of one particular building at the town's edge...

"They have her spirit contained, but be careful." Reian warned.

Xie Yi-jun went to open the door but before Reian was able to sense anything wrong on the other side, the thing swung wide open, gaping like a mouth-

"Ahh!"

Wind like a hurricane hit them all at once, Wen Reian and Qian Ling immediately losing balance and being swept inside while Yi-jun somehow managed to grab onto the door.

With his wits scattered by the noise and commotion, it took Wen Rei several seconds to realise that Xie Yi-jun had grabbed him and was holding his waist with one arm.

One hand on the doorknob, one hand on me... this can't last long-

Hair being tossed every which way, it was nearly impossible to tell upside from down, but the boy thought he could make out a few figures in the room, their energies swirling around them as they tried to battle back the storm.

"Master!" Reian's voice was partially swallowed up by the roar of wind, but he soon heard an echo return to him...

"Reian! Is Yi-jun with you?!"

At that, the King shifted slightly, clearly using all of his strength to keep himself and Reian from falling into the room.

"...just about-" he huffed.

Reian turned his attention to the center of the room again. He could somewhat sense that at the very heart of the storm was a strong ghost. A lingering of a soul, like a copy. Where human beings were filled up with energy and heartbeats, this after-image was sustained by pure fear and rage, and it would only be set free when one or both was satisfied.

Calling out to Qian Ling who was practically plastered to the floor now as he tried to keep from being sucked in, Reian tried to reach his hand out. Xie Yi-jun pulled him back.

Turning and meeting the man's eyes, the boy frowned.

"Let me go, I have an idea!"

"Like hell-"

Reian buried his resentment at the curse once more and tried to wriggle free of Xie Yi-jun's grasp but the King held firm.

"Stop moving! I can barely hold on as it is..."

"I know!" He shouted over the wind, "Let go, I'm going to fall and catch Qian Ling. I'm going to take him to see her!"

Yi-jun scoffed, "I don't know if you're aware but that is no longer his fianceé. We had a chance at setting her spirit free a few hours ago but I'm guessing your friends just agitated her! Stop it, Reian!"

Grabbing hold of the fingers gripping his waist, Reian whispered a soft apology, and then sent a surge of pure soul-energy into Yi-jun's hand. It was too much and would definitely feel like being singed by flames. Reian watched in awe as the man gritted his teeth and held on even tighter...

When they met eyes again the King only grinned and the sight nearly took Reian's breath away-

"You're forgetting little one," he snarled. "I'm from Hêi'àn City. We invented fire..."

"Ah! Help-"

Wen Reian could not only hear his friends and Master Hao calling to him from the other side of the storm, but also Qian Ling still struggling a few feet away.

Glaring furiously at Yi-jun's bizarrely handsome smile, Reian huffed.

"Just trust me?! Please? I know she's still here..."

Xie Yi-jun frowned then, "Why should I trust your judgement?! I could let you go and you might get hurt-"

Out of options, Reian's panic caused him to shout the first and only thing he could think of. And it was brutal. He felt like washing his mouth out with soap after he said it, but Yi-jun's eyes widened infinitesimally and then he cursed again.

"I believe you are the devil," he hissed.

Shaking his head, the King sighed. "Fine, you win. Drop on three. But I'm coming with-"

Before Reian could protest, he heard another desperate cry from Qian Ling.

"No time to argue!" Yi-jun shouted. "Ready?! One, two, three-"

With a gasp, Reian felt Yi-jun let go of the door. He didn't let go of him though, and the wind quickly pulled them in towards the center, Wen Rei barely managed to grab hold of Qian Ling's ankle and drag him along.

Tossed around like dolls, his head was spinning and Reian momentarily felt nauseous from the disorientation. It was only when he realised he wasn't moving anymore, that he also noticed where they were.

The heart of the church, by the altar. All around them the storm was causing chaos, but at the center there was no movement. No noise. Only the faintest sound of someone close by weeping...

Attention caught suddenly by the glass-like figure of a woman standing there, her body transparent and invisible from the legs down, Reian watched as she cried into her hands beside the flower-less altar. Before Reian could say a single word, Xie Yi-jun was grabbing him and holding him back.

The two watched in silence as Qian Ling shakily made his way toward the woman, who finally looked up when he said her name.

"Mei Lu?"

The ghost's eyes were see-through too, as were her tears as they fell one after another, like flecks of glass. Reian had never been this close to a corporeal spirit like this, and the aura she gave off was very strange to him. Not in the same way as Yi-jun's, but similarly empty...

"Qian Ling? Is that you?!"

The woman's voice echoed and Reian swallowed nervously. Outside their little bubble he could see Master Hao and Xie De, as well as Jin Yu, but they weren't moving or speaking... perhaps time moves differently in here?

"It's me, Mei Lu..." the man cried. "I should never have pushed you into this. It's all my fault! Can you forgive me?"

Xie Yi-jun's hand on Reian's arm was getting painfully tight, so Reian tried to push him away. Then suddenly he was staring into those dark brown eyes, alive with some sinister emotion Reian could hardly place-

"Just because this worked," Yi-jun hissed at him. "Doesn't mean I'm letting you off for that comment. If we were back in my time you would pay for words like that-"

Reian swallowed...

"With my life?"

Xie Yi-jun was glowering at him. "Maybe, I'll consider it."

"Taking my life?"

"Sparing it-"

Reian fell silent, guilt gnawing in his heart that was only drowned out by the sudden sound and sight of the wind dying down around them. Before he knew it, Master Hao and the others had crowded around, helping Reian to his feet. Yi-jun released his arm with a bitter frown, Reian feeling that he hadn't heard the last of that pay with your life talk...

By the altar, Qian Ling and Mei Lumin were staring into each other's eyes, both crying silently, although Reian could almost see the faintest of smiles on their faces.

"You are cultivators?" Qian Ling said suddenly.

Xie De nodded, although it was clear he was extremely confused about what was happening all of a sudden.

The ghost and her fiancé both smiled at each other, neither looking away...

"Then marry us."

Master Hao said pardon? At the same time Xie Yi-jun said okay-

All eyes were on the young King now, as he crossed the room to the ill-fated couple without another word.

"Yi-jun," Master Hao interjected quickly. "Do you know what you're doing?"

The man just nodded. "I've officiated plenty of marriages in my time, believe it or not. I see no problem in wedding them too."

Jin Yu spoke up now, although his voice was slightly hushed; "But, they can no longer be together..."

"On the contrary," the King said. "Ghost marriages were common during the war. You didn't want your lover going to the afterlife alone, see?"

As he said that, Qian Ling extended his hand and Mei Lumin took it, enough of her residual energy converging to create a basic physical form. Their hands interlocked-

"Souls can be together without having to exist in the same time or place." Yi-jun's words were soft, as if spoken from personal experience.

Wen Reian bit the inside of his cheek as he recalled his insensitive words from earlier. The words he was somehow sure would make Xie Yi-jun do anything he asked...

"What if I'm Jin Songcai?! Would you trust me then?"

As Yi-jun officiated the ghost-bride's marriage, Reian couldn't help but wonder if the young King wished deep in his heart, that it was him and hisghost saying the vows instead.