The Blossom of Fate

As I opened my eyes, my breath hitched. I wasn't in the chaos of the battlefield anymore. Instead, I found myself in the serene garden where Wei Xiaotian had once brought me. The air was calm, the wind carrying the soft rustle of leaves. I was lying on the ground, and as I pushed myself up, my eyes were drawn to a figure perched on a branch in the ancient tree at the garden's center.

I hesitated, then stepped closer. My voice came out quieter than I intended, but I managed to speak. "Who are you? And where am I?"

A deep, almost haunting laugh erupted, echoing around me. The figure leapt gracefully from the branch and landed a few steps away. My heart clenched as I got a good look at him. He was me—or rather, Yu Hengtian.

"I am you," the figure said, his lips curling into a faint smile.

I gasped, taking a step back. "Yu Hengtian? If you're here… then why can't you go back? Why am I in your body? I—I died…"

He nodded solemnly, his expression unreadable. "Indeed, you died. In the mortal world, your life ended that day. But here, things are different. This is the realm where time and existence weave together differently. Your soul walks, but your body no longer does."

Confusion and frustration bubbled up inside me. "But why? Why am I here? How am I in your body?"

Yu Hengtian's gaze grew distant as he folded his arms. "Because I cannot be. I cannot go back, nor can I truly remain. My existence now is but a shadow, a presence lingering within you. Even that would have faded if not for one thing… Wei Xiaotian."

The mention of his name felt like a knife to my chest. "Wei Xiaotian?" I whispered. "What does he have to do with this?"

Yu Hengtian gave me a piercing look. "You live because of him, and I remain because of him. But it's not as simple as it seems. My soul can no longer return, and yet it lingers because he binds it here—through his belief, his love, and his refusal to let go."

I clenched my fists, guilt and confusion swirling inside me. "So I can't go back? Is that what you're saying?"

He tilted his head slightly. "You can, indeed. But the question is, do you truly want to? Would you leave this life, this responsibility, and him?"

His words hit me like a wave. "I…" I struggled to find the right words. "I can't take your place. This is your life, your legacy. You fought for it, bled for it. I'm not brave enough to even wield your sword properly, let alone stand in your shoes. And Wei Xiaotian…" My voice faltered. "He's not mine to have."

Yu Hengtian's expression softened for the first time, though there was a glint of sadness in his eyes. "You're right. This life wasn't meant for you. And yet, here you are. A soul cannot simply replace another. No matter how strong Wei Xiaotian's devotion is, he cannot bring me back, and I cannot reclaim what was mine. You are not me, Zhen Wu. You are you. But neither of us belongs where we are."

I shook my head, frustration boiling over. "Then what can I do? I can't live your life, can't bear your burdens. I can barely hold your sword, let alone fight your battles. This isn't something I was made for!"

I stumbled back, Yu Hengtian's words slicing through my mind like a blade. "I can't do this. I can't take your place, your life, and the trust he's placed in you. He's so in love with you… so devoted that he'd die for you a thousand times if he had to. How could I even compare to that?"

Yu Hengtian's expression softened, though his eyes carried the weight of a thousand battles. "And he will live… as long as I am alive. That's what kept me breathing through every storm, every war, every wound. If not for him, I would have stopped long ago. Even now, when my soul teeters on the edge of oblivion, it is his voice that echoes in the void."

He paused, his gaze distant, as if lost in a memory. "I remember his plea, his trembling voice as he held me—'Yu Hengtian, don't leave me. Not yet.' Those words tethered me here when I had no strength left. But even love cannot defy fate indefinitely."

I stumbled back, Yu Hengtian's words slicing through my mind like a blade. "I can't do this. I can't take your place, your life, and the trust he's placed in you. He's so in love with you… so devoted that he'd die for you a thousand times if he had to. How could I even compare to that?"

Yu Hengtian's expression softened, though his eyes carried the weight of a thousand battles. "And he will live… as long as I am alive. That's what kept me breathing through every storm, every war, every wound. If not for him, I would have stopped long ago. Even now, when my soul teeters on the edge of oblivion, it is his voice that echoes in the void."

He paused, his gaze distant, as if lost in a memory. "I remember his plea, his trembling voice as he held me—'Yu Hengtian, don't leave me. Not yet.' Those words tethered me here when I had no strength left. But even love cannot defy fate indefinitely."

My throat tightened. "Then why… why me? Why this? Why give up everything you've built, everything you mean to him, for someone like me?"

Yu Hengtian stepped closer, his presence almost overwhelming. "Because I was given a choice. To keep breathing in my broken body, or to offer you a life through me. And in that moment, I chose something for us both."

I stared at him, unable to speak.

"For you," he continued, his voice unwavering, "I chose a chance. A chance to live the life you were denied, to know love and care, to feel what it's like to be truly seen and cherished. And for me… I chose peace. A chance to finally let go, to die knowing that Wei Xiaotian would live on. That he wouldn't follow me into the darkness, as I know he would have if I'd simply disappeared."

His words hung heavy in the air, each one wrapping around my heart like chains. "But how can I take that from you? How can I live his love, your legacy, and not feel like a fraud?"

Yu Hengtian smiled faintly, a sad and knowing expression. "Because you're not me, and you're not meant to be. But you can be the one to carry this forward in your own way. You are not stealing my life—you are continuing it. And in doing so, you honor everything I fought for."

He gestured to the world around us, the garden seeming to shimmer with his words. "You love to write, don't you? Then here, I'm giving you the chance to write your story, to live your own narrative. You've been given the quill—now, Zhen Wu, write."

Tears blurred my vision as I whispered, "And Wei Xiaotian? How will he feel when he realizes I'm not you? That the man he loves is gone forever?"

His voice softened, almost a whisper now. "Zhen Wu, this is no longer about who I was. This is about who you will become."

And with that, his form began to fade, dissolving into the soft light of the garden. His final words echoed around me like a gentle breeze.

As Yu Hengtian's form began to dissolve into the light, his voice carried the weight of centuries, weaving through the garden like a haunting melody. His eyes, full of love and resignation, locked onto mine one last time, and he spoke softly, his words etched with sorrow and wisdom.

**"Love is not always about holding hands beneath the stars,

Nor about walking the same path through life's endless wars.

Sometimes, love is the silent act of letting go,

A sacrifice unseen, so another may grow.

"Live, Zhen Wu. Not as Yu Hengtian, but as the person you were always meant to be."