Chapter 266 - His mate
The orchard that once smelled faintly of ripe fruit and morning dew now reeked of smoke, blood, and medicine.By nightfall, they had carried every wounded Farian back from the crash site. The small house was overflowing — its hallways, kitchen, and even the front porch filled with groaning soldiers. The rest had been laid out in makeshift tents across the orchard, the peach trees now strung with pale linen sheets and flickering lanterns that cast a wavering light over the field of the injured.
The humans worked tirelessly alongside them. Li Wang barked orders, sweat running down his temples as he checked wounds and changed bandages. Eren and Varon hauled water and gathered whatever herbs they could find, while Nansich stood by to help lift the heavier soldiers whose armor still steamed from the crash.
Human medicine worked — not perfectly, but enough. The Farians’ strange physiology responded better than anyone expected. Wounds that should have taken weeks to close began to knit overnight, the golden blood slowing its flow as the salves and sutures took hold.
Inside the house, Jian sat beside the bed where the golden-haired man — his brother — lay unconscious. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the oxygen device Li Wang had managed to rig up, and the steady rhythm of the man’s breathing.
Jian dipped a piece of cloth into the basin beside him, wrung it out, and gently began to wipe away the grime from his brother’s face. Golden and black blood had dried thickly along his jaw and hairline, mixed with soot and ash. Jian’s hand trembled as he worked, the cloth smoothing across that familiar skin — the same golden tone as his own, the same faint luminescence under light.
Bit by bit, the dirt gave way to the face beneath: flawless, serene, still. A prince’s face — but softer now, humanized by pain and sleep.
"Will he be okay?" Jian whispered, barely loud enough to be heard. His voice wavered with exhaustion and fear.
Xing Yu stood in the doorway, silent as a shadow. His arms were folded, his expression unreadable, but his gaze lingered on Jian more than the man on the bed.
"He will be," he said after a pause, his tone calm but sure. "He carries the royal blood. Royals heal faster than any of us."
He stepped closer, the floorboards creaking softly under his boots. When he reached Jian, he rested a hand gently on his shoulder. Jian stiffened at the touch, the heat of Xing Yu’s palm seeping through the thin fabric of his tunic, but then — slowly — he let himself lean into it.
His legs felt weak. He didn’t even notice the way his body gave out slightly, leaning until his forehead brushed Xing Yu’s arm.
"I never thought..." Jian’s voice broke. He swallowed and tried again, quieter this time. "I never thought I’d meet him again like this. Not in blood and fire."
Xing Yu’s thumb brushed over his shoulder reassuringly. "He’s strong. He’ll live."
Jian’s eyes, still fixed on the man’s face, filled with the glint of reflection from the lanternlight. "Why was their ship in that condition?" he whispered. "It was... it was up in flames when I found it. There was smoke pouring out of the hull."
"It was likely attacked by Graylings," Xing Yu said softly, the words sinking like stones.
Jian’s fingers tightened around the cloth. The word sent a shiver down his spine. "Graylings... here?"
"Not here..." Xing Yu’s voice was low, almost a whisper, as he leaned against the edge of the bed, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the unconscious prince. "Most likely outside the black hole. They must have stayed there, waiting... waiting to hunt them down. After all, this fleet was supposed to be our secondary force, meant to defeat the Graylings."
Jian’s eyes narrowed, his ears straining to catch every word. "But... it took them so long..." His voice was barely audible, filled with worry and the ache of anticipation.
Xing Yu let out a soft sigh, his own shoulders tense. "The black hole... it sometimes... elongates the journey. Makes time stretch unnaturally. But I’m glad they made it back safely... we haven’t lost many warriors."
Jian exhaled slowly, letting his body sag against the bed while he sat half-reclined in the chair. His hand absentmindedly brushed the prince’s golden hair, still flecked with soot. "I just hope things are okay back home too..."
"They are. Gia is safe," Xing Yu replied gently, his tone reassuring yet carrying the weight of authority. "Your second brother would have taken care of everything. Everything will be in order."
Jian nodded faintly, his gaze falling to the prince’s face. "I... I just hope so."
The door creaked open, breaking the fragile moment. Li Wang entered, covered in streaks of golden and red blood, his expression a mix of exhaustion and urgency.
"Umm... I think we need to change the bandages," he said, climbing over the bed with practiced ease, moving carefully around the unconscious prince.
Jian instinctively moved aside, holding his breath as Li Wang began tending to the prince’s wounds. Each movement was careful, precise, as he cleaned and rewrapped the gashes and bruises.
And then — suddenly — the prince’s golden eyes fluttered open. A flash of light seemed to spill from within them, irises sparking like molten gold under the lantern’s glow. Jian’s heart skipped a beat.
Li Wang froze mid-motion, his hands trembling slightly as he felt a strange stirring deep within his own chest. It was subtle at first — a pulse of heat, a resonance that clawed at the edges of his soul — and then it bloomed into something utterly undeniable. A faint, strange shine rose from the prince’s chest, illuminating the room in a soft, otherworldly glow.
"What... what is..." Li Wang whispered, his voice cracking with disbelief.
"My mate..." the prince murmured, his voice gentle but weighted with a strange authority, cupping Jian’s face with a hand that felt impossibly warm and alive. "We finally meet."
And just as quickly as he had spoken, he collapsed back onto the bed, unconscious once more.
Li Wang sat back on his heels, stunned, his mouth slightly open, eyes wide. "What just... what just happened?" he muttered, voice trembling as he glanced between Jian and Xing Yu.