The Cold, freezing water closed around her. Her long hair played with the light of the corals around her and filtered in from the moonflowers as she slowly sank deeper. 

The walls around her were grey and unpopulated, at least at the beginning, as she sank deeper and deeper. The rocks were decorated with glowing corals that spread their light through the darkness. 

Eventually, she was surrounded by small, lightning-fast, glowing blue lights, fish as small as a nail, translucent and bioluminescent. 

It was completely silent.

The deeper she swam, the more all-inclusive it came, and as the passing of time turned blurry, the deeper they sank. 

She moved and turned around to dive deeper actively. 

Next to her was Jiang, and he pointed deeper as they slowly headed downwards next to each other. 

The more they dived, the colder it became, growing more bone-wrenching by the second, as the spirit energy inside her ran high. She remembered that from a certain point, water was always four degrees cold. It should not be that cold. The ground was still far away; it was a bottomless pit, this pond. 

Suddenly, Jiang shoved her aside, and she gasped; past her swam a carp. It was not just big; it was genuinely giant, its scales as large as its body. It turned around above them, its fins fanning outwards, shining in the colors of fire, like a koi fish as it stared down at them. 

What do you want? 

Its voice echoed through her head, breaking the silence, and she pressed her hands over her ears as it was too loud, almost like drums. 

She wanted to answer, but it wasn't possible, so she just blinked. Next to her, Jiang's eyes glowed, and scales covered parts of his skin. 

We are here seeking a millennium carp. 

His voice, too, was inside her head, but it wasn't as loud. More comfortable. 

You have come to hunt us. 

The water suddenly turned turbid. 

A traitor to your own kind. 

The giant carp hit Jiang with its fin and thundered him against the wall. 

No! I came for duty! To protect the graveyard. 

Yin grabbed the carp with her river grass, binding it with weave so it would not get closer to Jiang, but it tore through the bindings with frightening ease. The remainders of it flying around as Tang Yin swam towards the carp, her sword bared, the weave curling in between the cave around them. 

She might be hurt by Jiang, but that did not mean she would permit a stranger to hurt someone important to her. The carp looked at her. 

Leave, child, you are not welcome here. Your kind have wrought enough evil, have killed too many of my brethren. 

She narrowed her eyes, and her sword shone in the darkness as she did not move an inch. There was no communication necessary; the message was clear, a step further, and she would fight, even without a damn chance. 

The moon god is dying.

Jiang said. 

The guardian intends to die. 

The carp stopped and retreated. 

He is immortal, the god of eternal night and guardian of spirit beasts; he cannot and will not die. 

But he is. He is tired; no mortal being is meant to live forever. 

Then this human child? 

His heir. 

The carp stopped and then swam circling around Yin. 

She is weak, she is a child, her body is like a broken vessel stitched together like a patchwork. I admit it has been well stitched, but still, a person whose soul and body are so frail will not survive the path that must be taken to become a god. There is no harmony inside her. 

I know, yet she was chosen anyway. 

Jiang objected and swam forward, nodding at Yin, and then his hand touched her temple and stroked aside her hair, revealing the crescent moon on her temple. 

The carp came closer and Yin remained where she was, unmoving, at the same parts afraid and far too stubborn to show her fear. 

You will die. 

It said, and she felt her breath hitch before leaning back her head. She could not help but laugh. How often had someone prophesied her death, but she was still around somehow. It seemed to be a recurring thing. 

But then she did not care about fate. 

But since she could not speak, she merely grinned at the carp and made a gesture that clarified. 

I don't care, it doesn't matter. I am not afraid. 

Before glare at it. 

 I will live. 

The carp stared at her. 

Maybe there is a chance for you. But I will see none more of my brethren die. 

The carp swam around her. 

Tell me, child, have you killed for your rings? Have you ever killed?

Tang Yin shook her head. She had not. Never, despite her four rings, had anyone died for it. 

I see you have had a rare pleasure child. Promise me one thing. 

It stared at her, and she blinked before tilting her head. 

Promise me you shall never kill a spirit beast for any other reason but self-defence.

She wanted to nod but stopped herself. Then she pointed upwards and made a speaking movement. Since down here, she could not communicate well. The carp headed upwards, and following in its wake, so did Tang Yin, much, much slower. Until she was with her head above the water. 

"I cannot promise that, but I can promise that I will never kill a spirit beast if there is any other choice, I will always try to seek out another one." She told it, and the carp still in water at her feet brushed them. 

I understand. Then let me exchange that promise for another one.

Promise me to protect this cave, to protect the young ones to the best of your abilities, once and if you become a god. The same way the moon god protects the graveyard. 

"I can promise that." She said. "If I make it, I will protect this place to the best of my abilities."

Good. My people are not warlike; we merely exist in the stream of time. After having so many of them seen slaughtered by spirit masters, I cannot believe I am doing this.

Human girl.

I am trusting you because there is another century millennium spirit beast that trusts you. Protect this place. Keep it safe and slaughter those who slaughtered us. 

Then, beneath her, the water of the cave glowed crimson. Jiang left the water and stared. 

"I didn't know." He muttered when suddenly a scream tore from Tang Yin's mouth. The pain was overwhelming, like everything inside her was burning alive. 

Do what you said you would, human.

Survive.