“What are you talking about?” Yiran asked, exasperated.
But Rui was staring at Zizi. “He’s an Amplifier.”
“Like Lei Ying,” Zizi said, his face pale. “It’s all connected again.”
“That might be the real reason why the Guild is after him.”
Yiran glanced from Rui to Zizi and back to Rui. He was obviously missing vital information. “What’s an Amplifier? Who’s Lei Ying? What’s going on?”
“It’s as the name suggests,” Rui said. “An Amplifier is someone born with a spirit core that allows them to augment the smallest amounts of spiritual energy. In certain circumstances, they can also absorb spiritual energy from their surroundings. A spirit core like that is both powerful and dangerous because it’s highly unstable, and it risks uncontrolled surges of energy. It’s extremely rare for a person to be born an Amplifier, so there’s little recorded history about them.” She paused and exchanged yet another veiled look with Zizi.
“Go on,” Yiran urged.
“Most don’t survive for long because the Guild culls them out.”
“The Guildcullsthem? How do you even know what an Amplifier is?” This was all happening too fast, and it was too intense for Yiran to grapple with, and he had a feeling that things would only get wilder.
“It’s a long story,” Rui said, averting her gaze. “I gained some memories, and I also lost some.”
“She doesn’t remember me, specifically,” Zizi said. He’d tried to sound matter-of-fact, like he didn’t care, but it was obvious it bothered him greatly.
Yiran frowned. “I don’t understand how your situationship relates to me being an Amplifier.”
“Like she said, it’s a long story. Centuries old, in fact. And it somehow involves the three of us in the past.”
“I’m not in the mood for jokes, wizard.”
Zizi raised an eyebrow at Rui. “Do you want to tell him or shall I?”
In the end, they both told him.
Rui explained the tragic friendship between their past selves and her recent foray into the underworld, while Zizi shared the intertwining fates of Lei Ying and the Fourth King of Hell, along with a smattering of snide commentary whenever Emperor Burning Flame was mentioned.
Yiran’s brain was imploding. He stayed silent for some time, staring at the dark horizon, trying to process everything he’d just heard. Rui sat next to him, nibbling anxiously on her nails and sneaking glances at Zizi, who had sauntered to the water’s edge.Hewas staring at the stars in the night sky. It felt as if the boy—no, theimmortal—was carrying a silent burden on his shoulders.
Rui linked her arm around Yiran’s, surprising him. It was a softer side of her he hadn’t experienced before, and he wondered if her journey through the underworld had something to do with it.
She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. “I know it’s a lot to handle.”
“If we’re talking about revelations,” he said, “I’m about to one-up you and Lord Death over there.”
“It’sYour Majesty, if you want to address me properly,” Zizi said, walking over, eyes narrowed at how physically close the other two were.
“I’m still alive and in this realm,” Yiran sniped.
“Maybe not for long.”
“In that case, I’ll pray not to be sorted into your stupid Court.”
Rui groaned as they started to bicker. “Focus, you clowns.”
Both boys shut their mouths obediently.
“Go on,” she said to Yiran. “What did you want to tell us?”
He let out a long exhale. “My father’s alive.”
There was a moment of stunned silence.
