"H-how did you do that?” the Torch shrieked, spewing sparks from her mouth.

Hong Li Mai stepped in, motioning for Rynn to back away from the old woman. "Silence, Torch. I think the better question is why have you attacked us?"

She flared her aura, holding up her hand to reveal the mark of a flaming sword. "Leave us, before I report you to your betters."

"A Warrior?" The supervisor brought her whip back to bear, scrambling to her feet.

Mai used a technique of her own, conjuring a spear of dense flames. "Yes, Torch, a Warrior. Now leave! And if I hear that you have told anyone of what you saw today, there will be severe consequences. Understood?"

"Y-yes, honored Warrior."

The Torch scurried off like a spooked rabbit, and Mai rushed to kiss the Sun.

"Rynn! Oh, Saints’ skies, you just took down a Torch! You… are you going to be ok?"

He laughed. "You should worry less, Mai. The heavens will be kind to us, no matter what."

The woman shook her head, brushing her long hair from her face. "But you still, you were wonderful..."

Something fell from above. Her eyes widened, and on instinct, she flipped back, catching herself on her hands and pushing off again to put even more distance between herself and the foreign aura.

Then, she realized that Rynn was still back there. She cried out, hand outstretched towards him —

And a note glided to the ground, made of normal parchment and seemingly written in normal ink. She reapproached, giving Rynn a bashful look.

“What was that?”

He smiled at her, bending down to pick up the message. “A letter, I think. But what does it say...”

She leaned over his shoulder, and they read.

Dear Mai and Rynn of the Hong Clan,

I know that you don’t know me, but I hope this note finds you well. If you wish for strength, and for a space where you will no longer have to hide your love, I may be able to aid you. I will be waiting for you today at dusk, at the silver tree in the middle of the forest.

Best,

Aeripha, Saint of Wind and Storms.

He pulled her in, wrapping his tanned arms around her waist. “This is amazing, Mai! This Saint is blessing us both, and if I gained the strength of a Warrior, they would be sure to let us marry!”

She put her head against his chest, but a second later, she frowned. “Wait, Rynn. Why do you believe this? Just because it fell from the heavens? What if some prankster from the Huang Clan threw a bunch of these into the wind, and they’re just waiting at that spot to kidnap us?”

“Well, then I trust you to protect us, Mai. And I just have a feeling that this isn’t a fake. Like I said, the heavens have always been kind to me. And if I became powerful —”

She pulled away, looking at him incredulously. “Rynn, if the heavens were kind to you, they would have just made you a Warrior so that we wouldn’t have to risk ourselves for some supposed Saint’s blessing.”

Rynn winced.

“Wait, no! I didn’t mean it like that. I love you just as you are, which is why I think we shouldn’t pursue this silly note. My father will be out of the house tomorrow evening, so I’d love to spend it there with you instead.”

He grabbed her hands, kissing her once more. “Of course, Mai.”

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

Supervisor Ba limped through the Warrior’s district, her aura concealed and a plain brown hood covering her wrinkled face. Yesterday, she had been shamed not once, but twice by noble scum, and while she couldn’t touch the Tang family just yet, she was more than happy to channel her vengeance in a different direction.

She stopped before a particularly ornate estate, checking the crest to make sure it matched with the symbol emblazoned on the girl’s robes. Yes. This was the one.

She straightened her back, and with a cackle, she threw off her hood, knocking onto the Li family’s large redwood doors.

“Excuse me! Please, I have urgent news!”

A servant answered, and the supervisor bowed, making sure to hide the mark on her hand.

“Greetings, honored servant of the esteemed Li family. This humble Scout has witnessed your heir in the process of doing something disastrous.”