A Song for The Ages

The cavern was still shrouded in oppressive darkness when Feiyin stirred from his brief sleep. His back pressed against the cold, uneven rock, the only warmth coming from his own body. He opened his eyes to nothingness, only the sensation of the damp air and the faint scent of minerals in his nose telling him that he was still inside that wretched cave.

Even though he was awake, his mind lingered in the remnants of his dream, the Nexus. The ever-present eight figures standing amidst the boundless void, surrounded by the stars of infinite worlds. He had no memory of what had once been before his birth into this life, but he knew that the dream was something far beyond normal. Something other.

It was because of those dreams that he was the way he was. Smarter than his age, able to think more deeply, to control himself better. To endure. It wasn't that he wasn't a child, he was. He felt like one. But his mind worked in ways that often set him apart. The sorrow, the rage at being stolen from his home, the gnawing anxiety about his parents, it all still lived inside him. It still hurt. But unlike most children, he knew how to function despite it.

The cavern's air was thick with dampness and the lingering scent of earth, making it hard to breathe deeply without feeling the weight of the underground pressing against them. The hard rock beneath him was unforgiving, his muscles sore from both tension and exertion.

It was a strange feeling, being awake and seeing no difference from when his eyes were closed. But he wasn't relying entirely on sight. He listened, felt the vibrations through the stone, the oscillations of the faintest shifts around him. There were others in the cavern, shifting in their sleep, whispering, sniffling, breathing.

Even though he had tried to rest, his body refused to settle completely. His mind, even less so.

A soft rustling beside him signaled movement. He turned slightly and sensed Ren stirring.

"You're awake?" Feiyin asked quietly.

Ren let out a slow breath. "Barely."

There was a small yawn, followed by a flick of something soft. Yue stretched her limbs before settling again. "You two are way too tense," she murmured, though there was little true amusement in her tone. "I guess that makes sense, though."

Feiyin turned toward them both, leaning his forearms on his knees. "We should talk. About what we can do. What our strengths are."

Ren made a low noise, somewhere between intrigue and skepticism. "You're already thinking about plans?"

Feiyin glanced in the direction of the distant panicked whispers and muffled sobs. "Do you think we have the luxury not to?"

Ren exhaled sharply but didn't argue.

Yue shifted again, hugging her knees. "Alright," she sighed. "I guess it's better than just sitting here."

Feiyin nodded. "I'll go first. I'm at the peak of Body Tempering, and my senses are sharp. I can detect movement and sound better than most, so I'll be able to tell if something's approaching before it gets too close."

There was a pause before Ren muttered, "Peak?" He didn't sound disbelieving, just surprised. "How old are you again?"

"Eight."

"…Huh."

Yue hummed. "That's impressive."

Feiyin tilted his head. "What about you two?"

Yue flicked an ear. "I'm also at the peak." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I had… a lot of help. My clan pushed me hard when I was younger."

Feiyin caught the slight edge to her voice, there was something unspoken there.

"Your clan?" Ren asked.

Yue exhaled through her nose. "I'm from the Lynx Clan. Snow Lynx bloodline."

That caught Feiyin's attention. The Snow Lynx Clan was a well-known beastkin lineage. Their physiques were naturally strong, their senses sharper than even most beastkin, and they had an instinct for stealth and ambush tactics. It made sense that she'd be at the peak of Body Tempering at just ten years old.

"I've heard of them," Feiyin admitted. "That explains your sense of smell."

Yue nodded. "I can track scents easily. And even in a place like this, I can tell when something isn't right based on the air."

Ren scoffed softly. "Must be nice."

She shot him a look. "And what about you, oh mighty critic?"

Ren smirked, but it lacked true humor. "I'm not at the peak, but I've reached 3000 kg of inner strength."

Feiyin raised an eyebrow. "That's not bad at all."

"I taught myself," Ren added. "Watched soldiers train from the alleys of the city."

Feiyin considered that. "You learned just by watching?"

Ren shrugged. "Didn't have a choice."

Feiyin didn't push further. He already had a feeling about Ren's background. Life in the slums wasn't easy, if Ren had been alone, then he had likely learned how to survive purely by instinct and observation.

"And I have good instincts," Ren continued, his voice lowering slightly. "I know when something's wrong. When danger's close. It's how I stayed alive. I can also see better than most in the dark, due to my demon side bloodline"

Feiyin didn't doubt it. Survival wasn't just about strength. It was about knowing when to fight, when to run, and when to hide.

He nodded. "That's a good skill to have."

Ren exhaled through his nose. "Better than just sniffing the air."

Yue bristled. "Excuse me?"

Ren smirked faintly. "What? You think you're the only one allowed to tease?"

Yue narrowed her eyes but huffed.

Feiyin sighed, rubbing his temples. "Enough. You two bicker like siblings."

Ren made a noise in the back of his throat, but Yue seemed to take some solace in the comparison.

Feiyin refocused. "Alright. Between the three of us, we have good detection abilities. I can sense movement and sound. Yue can track scents. Ren can see better and feel when things are off."

Yue tilted her head slightly. "So what do we do with that?"

Feiyin tapped a finger against his knee, thinking. "We need to use it to our advantage. The others in this cavern are panicked, lost. Most of them will run blindly into danger. But we won't."

Ren let out a slow breath. "And what? Let them die?"

Feiyin's jaw tightened. "…I don't know yet."

Yue's ears flicked back slightly.

There was a pause before Ren sighed. "Tch. Well, at least we're not completely useless."

Feiyin smirked faintly. "That's the spirit."

Ren shot him a dry look. "Don't push it."

Yue finally relaxed slightly. "Well, whatever we do, we should move soon. Sitting here forever won't get us anywhere."

Feiyin nodded. The cave was vast. He could sense tunnels leading in different directions. Some led deeper into darkness. Others had faint movements, signs of life, though whether they were people or beasts, he couldn't tell yet.

One thing was certain.

They wouldn't last if they stayed in one place for too long.

Feiyin exhaled slowly. "Then let's start planning."