THE DRAGON'S BRIDE.

Chapter 37: THE ECHOES OF WAR

An-li and Heiying were oblivious to the specifics of the conflict brewing below, but they could feel its effects. The mountain itself seemed to groan with the unrest of the land it was a part of."The earth is… agitated," Heiying commented one day, his head lifting from their game board. "There is a disharmony. A fever in the land. The streams run with fear."He could sense the distant echoes of skirmishes, the faint, psychic scream of violence. He could not see the battles, but he could feel the land’s pain as it was scarred by them. This new, constant, low-level agitation was a distraction to their work. It was a constant reminder of the stakes, of the world that was suffering while they prepared.The unrest also seemed to affect the curse. The shadow-chains around Soul-Tether seemed more active, pulsing with a faint, hungry rhythm."It’s feeding on the conflict," An-li realized with a dawning horror. "The chaos, the fear, the hatred of the war… it’s a banquet for the curse."This added a new, terrible urgency to their mission. The longer they waited, the stronger the curse would become, nourished by the strife her brother was causing. Their window of opportunity was not infinite.The external pressure forced them to accelerate their training. The sessions became longer, more intense. Heiying pushed An-li to the very limits of her mental and spiritual endurance. She learned to maintain her focus even as the mountain shuddered with the psychic echoes of a distant battle. She learned to find her inner stillness while the very air around her vibrated with fear.She was being forged in a crucible, tempered by the conflict of the outside world.One night, the echoes became sharp and clear. A major battle was taking place not far from the mountain’s base. It was one of the Regent’s legions attempting to force a pass against a smaller, more agile force loyal to General Kaelen.Heiying and An-li stood at the cavern opening, looking down into the darkness where faint, distant flashes of light—no doubt from cultivators’ magical attacks—could be seen. Heiying described the battle to her as he sensed it: the clash of steel, the screams of the dying, the surge and retreat of the battle lines.An-li listened, her heart aching. These were her people, killing each other. Her hands were clenched into fists, her knuckles white. A feeling of profound helplessness washed over her. All her training, all her power, and she could do nothing but stand and watch.The feeling of despair was a sharp, sudden pang.Instantly, the shadow-chains on Heiying flared. Soul-Tether hummed, drinking in her despair. Heiying let out a sharp, pained hiss, stumbling back from the opening."No!" An-li cried, realizing what had happened. Her own grief had just fed the enemy.She immediately slammed the walls of her meditative training back into place, forcing the despair down, finding the calm, still center within herself. The glow from the chains subsided.It was a terrifying, vital lesson. Her emotional state was now directly linked to his. Her despair was his pain. Her hope was his strength. From this moment on, she could not afford a single moment of weakness. She was not just a participant in this fight; her own heart was the battlefield.