[First place winner Eunoia Awards WangXian category July 2021]
After being apart for years, Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are reunited, finally starting their life together at Cloud Recesses. But, when Lan Zhan goes missing after investigating why people a...
Wei Ying quickly ripped his flute out of his belt and put his lips to Chenqing, playing a melody to distract the hordes attention away from Wang Xian. The notes floated across the air mixed with black smoke than emanated from Wei Ying himself. It swarmed around his frail body and grew thicker the more frantic Wei Ying played. His long delicate fingers danced over the holes, drawing out the most hypnotic sounds while his feet brought him closer and closer to the action as the puppets began to move in his direction.
'I have to save my Lan Zhan!' was the only thought in his mind as he continued to play feverishly to divert the puppets away from Wang Xian. His eyes glowed a devilish red color and his hair whipped around his face, the demonic energy growing out of control along with Wei Ying's fear for Wang Xian.
Wang Xian heard the strange flute melody as he tried to reach the road and flee back to the town he had passed through earlier that day. He couldn't determine from where it was coming, his senses only focused on surviving.
But then he saw Mo Xuanyu appear from the dark shadows, a black flute to his perfect lips. As the music played, Wang Xian noticed the puppets slowly losing interest in him and moving towards Mo Xuanyu who was now shrouded in black smoke that seemed to be coming from him.
As he watched in disbelief, Wang Xian noticed one puppet that was more fierce than the others and was running directly towards Mo Xuanyu, its arms reaching out to grab him. Without thinking, Wang rushed between Mo Xuanyu and the puppet and chopped off the puppet's arms with one strike of his sword.
Wang Xian's momentum carried him next to Mo Xuanyu and, as if reading each other's minds, they stood back to back. Mo Xuanyu continued to play his flute which caused puppets to start falling to the ground. Unfortunately, not all of them succumbed immediately to his power and he had to spin and dodge whenever a puppet got too close so that Wang Xian could protect him with his sword.
It was a dance they had never danced before. At least, that's what Wand Xian thought. But Wei Ying knew differently. The more they fought, the more it felt like their movements were once again becoming one. Neither had to speak or even look in the other's eyes, their bodies so in tune they followed each other's lead. So many times Wei Ying had fought side by side with this extraordinary man that he knew his style as if it were his own.
Together, they moved as one.
Tonight, they remembered.
One by one, the puppets fell until none were moving. Wang Xian's body was covered in sweat and blood and his arms shook uncontrollably from fatigue. He glanced over at Mo Xuanyu and was filled with worry. Mo Xuanyu was still cocooned in black smoke and his eyes still burned red. He had stopped playing but the hand that held the flute by his side trembled, his grip on the instrument so tight his knuckles were white.
"Young Master Mo?" he said hesitantly but Mo Xuanyu did not respond, he didn't even look at him. So, Wang Xian moved in front of him and looked directly into his eyes.
"Mo Xuanyu!" he said strongly.
He could see Mo Xuanyu close his eyes and shake his head slightly. He could sense the internal struggle that was going on in the beautiful man's body, that he was trying to let go of the power but was unable to subdue his feelings.
"Mo Xuanyu, focus!" With that, he grabbed Mo Xuanyu's forearm forcibly and didn't let go.
Slowly, the smoke dissipated and, when Mo Xuanyu looked into Wang Xian's golden eyes, Wang Xian saw those beautiful grey eyes that he missed so much staring back at him.
"Are you alright?" Wei Ying whispered. "Are you hurt anywhere? Is anything injured?" He gently moved his hands over Wang Xian's upper body checking for any cuts.
"No, I'm fine. I'm not injured."
Mo Xuanyu smiled his bright bunny smile and said tiredly, "Good. I thought you might not be able to carry me."
"Why would I carry you?" Wang Xian asked curiously.
Delirious, Mo Xuanyu put his palm to Wang Xian's cheek and spoke lovingly, "Because........you're my Lan Zhan, my Lan Wangji, my Hanguang-jun.........my Lan Er-Gege."
And with that, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body collapsed into Wang Xian's arms.
"Mo Xuanyu!" Wang Xian screamed.
They both crumpled to the ground and Wang Xian wrapped his arms around Mo Xuanyu's limp body, hugging him tightly, terror seeping into his heart.
"Mo Xuanyu! Wake up! Please wake up!"
"WEI YING!!!"
Ups! Tento obrázek porušuje naše pokyny k obsahu. Před publikováním ho, prosím, buď odstraň, nebo nahraď jiným.
"Being with no one is better than being with the wrong one. Sometimes, those who fly alone are the ones with the strongest wings." - unknown
