Chapter Text
The sky burned with the colors of dusk, the war’s embers fading into the horizon. The dust had settled, and for the first time in what felt like lifetimes, the world was quiet. Aobing stood at a distance, watching as Nezha—transformed, changed—stood at the edge of the ruined battlefield, the wind tugging at the demon orbs tattered robes.
Aobing stood at a distance, watching as Nezha’s silhouette cut against the rising sun. He had changed—taller, sharper, his once-childish recklessness tempered into something controlled yet still burning. His long hair which used to be tied up in girlish buns stood straight up, swaying and flickering in the wind like black flames.
“You’ve been staring for a while,” Nezha said, not turning.
Aobing huffed. “Just making sure it’s really you.”
Nezha finally faced him, smirking. “And…?”
Aobing hesitated. His rival—no, his equal—had grown into something both unfamiliar and deeply the same. “You’re different…taller, less childish, more attractive…better than before, i guess.” he admitted.
Nezha gaped at him. “Was i really that ugly in toddler form?”
Silence stretched between them, not heavy, but full of unspoken things. The war was over, their past rewritten, but something remained—something unbreakable.
Aobing took a step closer. “What now?” He asked, ignoring Nezhas previous question.
Nezha met his gaze, fire flickering in his eyes. “We decide for ourselves.”
>───⇌• :☯️: •⇋───<
The journey back to Chentang Pass was eerily quiet. The land, once ravaged by war, had begun to heal, but the scars remained—burnt villages, broken statues, the lingering scent of ash in the air. Nezha walked ahead, his long strides steady, while Aobing followed, his gaze flickering between the ruined landscape and the warrior beside him.
"You sure about this?" Aobing finally asked.
Nezha scoffed. "No. But since when have I ever done things the easy way?"
The dragon prince stayed silent.
He understood—Nezha had spent lifetimes at odds with his father and Taiyi Zhenren. Coming back now, in this new form, after everything that had happened, was as much a battle as any war.
As they approached Chentang Pass, the sight of the once-grand Li mansion filled Nezha with something unreadable. The gates, slightly worn, creaked as he pushed them open.
Inside, Taiyi Zhenren was waiting, his expression serious, unlike usual. Li Jing, Nezha’s father, stood beside him, his usual rigid posture betraying a hint of tension.
"You've returned," Taiyi said. Nezha met his gaze head-on. "Isn’t that what you wanted?"
Li Jing exhaled slowly. "You disappeared without a word. And now you come back like this."
Nezha shrugged. "Would you have preferred I didn’t come back at all?"
Silence. The weight of unspoken words hung heavy between them. Aobing watched carefully, unsure whether to intervene.
Finally, Taiyi spoke. "The past cannot be changed, Nezha. But the future is yours to shape. Why have you returned?"
Nezha glanced at Aobing, then back at his teacher and father. "Because I want to decide for myself what comes next."
Li Jing’s expression softened, his brows unfurrowing. He looked like the father that had tried to sacrifice himself for his son again. "Come inside, Zha-er." (Chapter 2 is a longer chapter btw, sorry for the short debut)