Chapter 2 – Teeth in the Dark

Morning came reluctantly.

The storm had passed, but the sect grounds still bore its mark—mud-slick paths, broken branches, and a sharp dampness that clung to the air. In the distance, disciples bustled to repair lantern posts and sweep the flooded courtyards.

Inside the pavilion, Lyra Mo sat upright on the bed, her fever easing thanks to the bitter medicine. Her body was weaker than she remembered—Huang Ying Yue’s cultivation had already been damaged before her possession. The villainess’s reckless overuse of forbidden techniques had left scars deep within her meridians.

Lyra pressed a hand to her chest. This body… it’s strong, but flawed. If I don’t tread carefully, I’ll burn out completely.

The sliding door opened without warning.

Cassian Ruan entered again, robes fresh, his aura sharp with morning discipline. His gaze swept over her like a sword’s edge, pausing briefly at the half-empty medicine vial on the table.

“You took it,” he said flatly.

She nodded. “It helped.”

His brows knit faintly, as though the words unsettled him more than a threat would have.

Before she could say more, a disciple appeared at the doorway, bowing urgently. “Senior Brother Ruan! A beast has broken through the forest barrier. Elder Zhao sent me to call for aid!”

Cassian’s expression hardened. “Where?”

“The eastern training grounds. Two junior disciples are still trapped.”

Without hesitation, Cassian turned on his heel. His presence crackled like drawn steel.

Lyra’s heart clenched. She remembered this event—it was in the novel. A minor demonic beast attack, one that Cassian handled easily. But there was a detail: in the original timeline, Huang Ying Yue had followed him, only to sabotage the fight, hoping to draw attention to herself. That was one of the reasons Cassian’s hatred had deepened.

If she stayed behind, she would avoid suspicion—but the disciples could die. And if she followed, she risked everything.

Her fists tightened around the sheets. This is my chance to change her fate.

Ignoring the trembling of her limbs, she rose and followed.

The eastern training grounds were chaos. A black-furred beast, twice the height of a man, thrashed amid the shattered bamboo, its crimson eyes burning with demonic hunger. Disciples scattered in panic, their lower cultivation unable to withstand its aura.

Cassian moved with lethal precision. His sword sang through the air, silver light carving arcs that forced the beast back. His expression was unreadable, calm in the face of fury.

Lyra arrived breathless, her heart hammering. Every instinct screamed at her to run. But two disciples—barely teenagers—were pinned against a collapsed wall, the beast’s claw tearing closer.

If I do nothing, they’ll die. If I act, Cassian will think I’m plotting something again. But I can’t… I won’t let them die.

Her palms burned as she gathered what little spiritual energy she could. It was faint, sputtering like a dying flame, but she shaped it into a talisman seal she recalled from Huang Ying Yue’s fragmented memories.

The seal burst with a flare of golden light, striking the beast’s flank. It howled, stumbling sideways—just enough for the trapped disciples to scramble free.

Cassian’s eyes snapped to her. His blade pierced forward in that instant, driving through the beast’s chest. With a final shudder, it collapsed into the dirt.

Silence.

Lyra’s breath came ragged, her hands shaking from the drain of energy. The disciples she’d saved stared at her in shock, then quickly bowed. “T-thank you, Lady Ying Yue!”

Her heart twisted. That thanks wasn’t meant for me… but for her name.

Cassian sheathed his sword, striding toward her. His gaze was unreadable, but his presence bore down on her until she felt her knees weaken.

“You,” he said softly, dangerously. “Why did you interfere?”

“I…” She swallowed, her throat dry. “They would have died.”

“That has never stopped you before.” His voice was sharp, each word an accusation.

Lyra forced herself to meet his eyes. For once, she did not play coy, did not sneer or flirt. She simply said: “I am not the same as before.”

The wind tugged at his robes. His eyes searched hers, cold yet uncertain. For a moment, she thought she glimpsed hesitation—then it was gone.

“We’ll see,” Cassian murmured, turning away.

But as he walked ahead, she caught the faintest pause in his stride—the smallest crack in his certainty.

And in that pause, hope sparked within her chest.

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