Chapter 24: Awakening the Pact
Ling Huai stirred from her restless sleep with a groggy groan, her body aching from deep within her bones. The faint morning light crept through the cracks of the cave, casting a hazy glow over the mossy stone walls. Every muscle in her body protested as she slowly sat up, beads of sweat clinging to her skin.
Then it hit her—the flashback came rushing in like a violent wave.
The pain, the searing heat coursing through her veins, the golden-pink hue flooding her dantian... her eyes turning pitch black with starlit sparks, the ancient runes burning into her back, her body glowing like she had become a living constellation. Her teeth had lengthened—sharpened—and her snowy white hair had grown longer, cascading down her back like moonlight.
She trembled as she remembered the vast space that opened in her mind during the transformation—a boundless, terrifying place filled with ancient whispers and primal power. She had screamed. She remembered that clearly. She had screamed so loud it echoed even in the spirit realm.
She gritted her teeth and pulled out a small vial from her pouch—a pain-relief potion she'd brewed herself. She popped the cork and drank it in one gulp, the bitter yet soothing mixture flooding her system. The tension in her limbs slowly began to ease.
"I survived," she whispered. "Barely."
Tu Tu was curled up beside her, eyes opening lazily, but there was a protective glint in them. Bai and the Omen sat nearby, watching her silently.
"Welcome back to the world of the conscious," Bai said gently.
Tu Tu tilted his head. "You scared us. You passed out after the transformation."
Ling Huai rubbed her temples. "That wasn't just evolution. That was something... ancient. Something awakened in me."
"You need to anchor that power," the Omen said seriously. "Before it consumes you."
Ling Huai nodded slowly, then looked at her three bonded companions. One by one, she reached toward them.
"I've made my decision," she said, voice calm but firm. "We're doing the Blood Pact. All of us. No more half-measures."
Tu Tu's ears perked up, and even the Omen's eyes widened.
"You want to bind us through blood?" he asked.
"I need you, and you need me," she replied. "If I'm becoming something different, you'll grow with me."
She walked to the center of the cave, pulled out a ceremonial blade, and cut a light mark across her palm. Each of them stepped forward—Tu Tu with a tiny paw prick, Bai with a silent nod and a single drop from his palm, and the Omen with a slash of his claw-like fingers. She touched each of their wounds in turn. As their blood mixed with hers, a radiant crimson light pulsed, forming shimmering threads that wove around their bodies.
The Blood Pact.
Symbols of glowing red appeared faintly on their foreheads before fading into their skin. Her aura surged and shifted again—more stable now. More connected.
Suddenly, her dantian pulsed. Not painfully this time—but powerfully. She felt a connection not only in her mind, but in her spirit. Her bond with them was no longer just spiritual—it was lifeforce-bound.
Tu Tu looked up with a bright glint. "Now that's what I call being chosen."
The Omen crossed his arms. "You've created a family now, not just a tamer's bond. We live through you, and you through us. This is rare. Dangerous. Powerful."
"Which is why we need to talk," Bai added.
They all sat near the fire as it crackled quietly. The atmosphere grew serious.
"She's evolving too fast," Bai said. "Not just the runes or the hair or the strength. She's unlocking elements. She's talking to plants. Her poisons are too advanced for her age. Her cultivation speed is unnatural."
"It's the luck force," the Omen nodded. "Part of it is from Tu Tu. But some of it... isn't."
Tu Tu wiggled on her shoulder, then looked proud. "I did accelerate her transformation. Sorry, not sorry. She was going to break through anyway. I just added extra sparkles to the explosion."
Everyone gave him a blank look.
Tu Tu grinned. "But now that we've formed a Blood Pact, my luck force is fully hers. Her fate's been rewritten."
Ling Huai sat quietly for a moment, then said, "That's why we have to leave. I need more than peace and hiding. I need to control this."
"The Poison Forest," the Omen agreed. "It's the only place wild enough, deadly enough, to match your current power—and refine it."
Tu Tu's expression turned serious. "It's also where I came from. My kind used to live deep within its core. There's something there that might... resonate with you."
"We tread carefully," the Omen warned. "The Hunters have eyes in strange places. They don't like what you're becoming."
"If they come," Ling Huai said coldly, "they better come prepared to bleed."
Everyone nodded.
Bai chuckled dryly. "You used to be the quiet one, you know?"
"I'm still quiet," she smirked faintly. "Just not powerless anymore."
They began preparing supplies, sharpening blades, bottling poisons, gathering herbs, and Tu Tu summoned a strange golden compass from thin air.
"What's that?" Ling Huai asked.
"A lucky finder," he said proudly. "It'll point to opportunities. Treasure. Or danger. Depending on your mood."
She smirked. "I like that."