"Sylvia Blue, what exactly is going on right now?" Her voice was low and tense, echoing with the anxiety that seemed to seep from every corner of the room.
After sitting down, Rachel Lan immediately pressed me with concern. I nodded, then poured her a cup of tea from the kettle.
"In short, it's not looking good. The situation might be far more tangled and dangerous than we ever imagined."
Rachel Lan's change was obvious—her spirit and vitality seemed to surge, her eyes bright and determined.
"Has it been hard for you, Rachel?"
I asked quietly. Rachel Lan nodded, but her smile broke through almost at once, as if determined to reassure me.
"It's not that hard, really. Emperor Yan and Ancestor Emperor Huang are truly great guys—they know so much. Turns out everything I learned before was just a grain of sand in this world."
I began to recount everything that happened after we were separated. Rachel Lan listened intently, her chin propped in her hand, eyes never leaving mine.
So that means it'll take at least nine years before we can go back? That feels endless.
Rachel Lan let out a helpless sigh, the weight of our predicament heavy in the air.
I hummed in response, making sure she understood the gravity of what I'd already told her.
"By the way, Ethan, soon I'll be able to come find you. I'm almost done with the basics."
"That fast?"
I looked at Rachel Lan, surprise flickering across my face. She nodded, her expression calm but resolute.
Thinking about it, Rachel Lan is actually very smart—much smarter than me. She learns things quickly. When we were in Shadowwood with Emperor Yan, I already felt that way. Everything Emperor Yan taught her, she picked up fast.
It seems almost innate, or maybe it's because of her strong drive to act.
"Rachel, I remember you were always like this. Instead of overthinking, you just get to work first. Haha."
Rachel Lan shot me a glare, playful yet sharp, a flicker of old warmth beneath the tension.
"Ethan, is the barbecue restaurant still open?"
I responded with a hum.