Star Crossed In Time - Chapter 181

Bai Lei stands before the burning palace without any emotion. Ren appears behind him and kneels before asking “Did you find Nova?” A flicker of emotion crosses Bai Lei’s face before it grows cold again. He turns away from the burning palace and walks past Ren while saying “She’s gone.”

Ren’s heart nearly stops as his head whips up to look at the burning palace then back to his Master. He jumps up and stumbles to run in front of his Master. He falls to his knees before his Master and asks “Please forgive this servant but… how is she gone? I… is she somewhere else?”

Bai Lei’s cold eyes slowly look down to Ren before saying “She’s no longer here. She’s gone.” Ren’s face pales as Bai Lei disappears. Ren stays kneeling in the same spot as he tries to wrap his head around what his Master just said. Gone… No longer here… dead? She’s dead?

~~~~~~

Bai Lei shifts back to the Demonic Realm and absentmindedly walks to his courtyard but when he sees the destroyed house, he falls to his knees. He couldn’t even climb into the bed that smelt like her… it was all gone, just like her.

Thunder rolls through the dark sky before a nasty mix of rain and snow begins to fall. He remains on his knees as he drowns in the hollow pain left in his heart. He stayed like that for three days until Ren appeared next to him.

Bai Lei finally moves as he says “Gather my Mother and the others… We’ll leave today.” Ren solemnly bows and quickly leaves. Suddenly, a little white thing flies straight at Bai Lei but he doesn’t try to stop it or catch it.

Little Bun lands before him and says “M.. m.. my Master… Where’s my Master?” Bai Lei looks down at the white fluff ball to find him looking up to him with large innocent eyes. Bai Lei leans over and picks the little guy up while saying “She’s gone.”

Little Bun’s eyes start watering as he yells “Bad man! You’re lying! Master wouldn’t leave me!” Bai Lei grits his teeth in pain and says “I do not lie, can you feel your Master?” Little Bun’s tears fall as he starts viciously biting Bai Lei’s hands.

Little Bun sinks his teeth into his hands over and over as he says “It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault!!” Bai Lei’s blood drips down onto the white snow below but he doesn’t stop the little guy. What he says is true… it was his fault. Instead, he grabs the little guy with one hand and lifts his finger to touch the little guy’s head.

A small pulse of energy is released, causing little Bun to instantly fall asleep. Bai Lei holds the little guy close as he finally stands up. He will keep the little guy safe, even if he hates him for all eternity. Nova truly cared for this little guy so he will too.

As he leaves the courtyard, he places a seal on the entire thing. He has no idea when Zhen or his granddaughter will be back but if they come here, this seal will tell them everything that happened. It’s the only thing he can do for now…

He walks into his mother’s courtyard to see her and her servant, including Chyou, waiting with confusion. Ren stands guard over them with sad eyes. “It’s time to return to my real world. I will give you all a choice, you can follow me or you can stay here.”

Lady Xue looks at her son with confusion and worry but she’s the first one to step forward as she says “I will follow you, my son, wherever you may go.” Her older servant steps forward and says “I will follow both my Masters.”

Chyou’s tears fall silently as she steps forward and says “I will follow the man my Lady loved.” Bai Lei then turns to look at Ren but Ren just nods his head in silent agreement. Bai Lei nods and says “Let’s go.” He walks closer to them as his power is suddenly unleashed.

Within a flash, they’re all standing before a large black gate. Lady Xue and the others all look around the dark and dead surroundings with confusion and fear. As Bai Lei steps up to the large gates, the blackened ground under his feet instantly comes to life. The second he touches the gates, they come to life with a brilliant golden light.

The golden gates swing open as everything around them starts to come to life as well! Plants that were once dried up, shriveled, and dead uncurl themselves with a burst of light. Bai Lei keeps his back to the others as he softly says “Welcome to your new home.” He then steps forward, leaving the rest in silence.

Lady Xue and the others all look around in awe as they see everything suddenly coming back to life. What was this place? Where were they?? They all walk forward with hesitation as they take everything in with large eyes.

Strange… so strange! Even though the sky was pitch black, they could still see everything clearly! As they walk closer, they look up in awe at the large, black and golden palace building in front of them. It was huge!!

When they hear a rustling noise, they all turn to see numerous trees coming to life as they grow taller and thicker. Who was Bai Lei and what was this place!?

Bai Lei appears in a large round room with no ceiling. Large golden pillars line the entire room around the outer walls. As he walks to the middle, a large crystal ball quietly sits upon a smaller golden pillar. Bai Lei lifts his hand and places it onto the black orb, watching as it instantly comes to life with a swirl of light.

The ground under his feet also begins to come to life as star constellations of all kinds are seen lighting up and swirling around on the black floor. Almost as if he was standing in the middle of space himself. Suddenly, the dark sky above comes to life as bright green, purple, yellow, pink, and blue strips of lights begin slowly swaying in the dark sky like silk scarfs as stars slowly come to life.

A dark mist suddenly appears next to him, taking the form of a man as he bows and says “Welcome back Master.” Bai Lei nods and gently says “Help the others get settled, I want to be alone.” The man elegantly bows and disappears, leaving Bai Lei alone in the large room.

He looks up to the dark sky with all the bright swaying lights before looking at the stars quietly shining beside them. The star constellations on the dark floor below continue to slowly move around as he slowly closes his eyes. “I wish you could have seen this, my little star.”

When he feels something falling, he reaches up and touches his face with surprise. He was crying… Hah… his face twists up as more tears begin to fall. The Celestial Night Deity was crying… he falls to his knees, causing the star constellations on the floor to quickly spiral before gathering around him in silence.

All these stars and yet none of them was her… not a single one.

Her look of fear and pain was permanently etched into his heart and mind as she says ‘I’m sorry… I love you.’ An enormous pain takes hold of him as he clutches his chest. Streaks of lighting crawl across the floor under him and up the walls as powerful thunder follows.

She was gone… he was a deity but he couldn’t even save her… what’s the point in having all this power if you can’t even protect the ones you love!? He only went to the lower realms to complete a Heavenly trail… partly out of boredom, the other part was for more strength.

He never intended to find her… fall for her. He had everything planned out except for her. He chose his mother and the trail he’d have to face but not her… she was never part of it. He struggles to breathe as his pain consumes him but nothing helps.

“Nova… my little star… come back to me… I’ll do anything…” He says in a broken voice as lightning slowly crawls across the black floor under him.

~~~~~~

The lower Realms experienced the worst rains they’d ever seen, nearly flooding the whole world but even then, it wouldn’t stop. Crops were being ruined, cattle were unable to survive and flourish under such conditions causing death and famine to hit them hard.

After experiencing it for five long years, the people all came together to plead and beg the gods to show mercy. Even going as far as sending offerings to the temples but nothing seemed to help. It was like the gods had turned a blind eye to them. They began to blame the Under Realm for all their misfortunes since it all started after that. The gods must have been angry and disgusted with them…