The snow descends at a sluggish pace, and the once fierce wind now hovers in the air, crystallizing into a white trail. As the clouds dissipate, the sky reveals a frosty canvas adorned with white and gray brushstrokes, remnants of the night storm. Morning nears, but the tent's thick fabric shields them from the sun's rays. A-Yin tightly holds Rei as his breath quickens. He opens his eyes.

They don't seem to have moved much from the previous night. The fubai's hair tickles his chin, her face resting lightly against his chest. Rei is close, her body pleasantly warm and soft against his, making him smile. He unfolds slightly, just enough to observe her. A few white strands cascade over her closed eyes, covering her nose and lips slightly. With a few fingers, A-Yin gently pulls her hair back and tidies it behind her ear. His thumb pauses under her ear and then moves slowly in small circles. 

"Whatever you are doing, stop it, or I’ll fall asleep."

Rei's sudden voice startles him, and he chuckles nervously, like a child caught with hands in a candy jar. He runs his palm over her hair, brushing it back. "Are you always a ray of sunshine in the morning?"

Her lilac eyes widen, showing a tired look, surrounded by dark circles, that linger on the demon's amused face. "Shut up."

"Did you not sleep?"

"You snore so much I couldn't even if I wanted to."

His lips curl into a wry smile, and he says, "Oh." his voice deepens as he adds, "So you spent all night admiring me. How romantic."

Her gaze narrows mischievously, and she retorts, "Weren't you the one who was stroking me earlier?" Gray fingers caress his chin, lowering it gently while her lilac eyes linger on his lips. "You don't want cuddles, right?" Rei smiles more, her voice dropping sensually. "It would be so inappropriate. You are my boss."

A-Yin chuckles, "This is why it would be so fun." then he flicks her forehead and says, "Get some rest, or you'll fall asleep with a sword in hand." 

She massages her head with her fingers, a slight pout forming on her lips. The demon smiles at the scene as her hands clutch the blanket, rolling herself up in the heavy wool before turning around, leaving him uncovered. A shiver runs down his spine. The cold seems to climb quickly and voraciously on his body, swallowing all the warmth that held him to the fubai. A small moan escapes his mouth as he tries to regain some heat by rubbing his palms over his arms. "You’re just evil."

"I’m sleepy." Rei mutters, placing her head comfortably on the makeshift pillow.

A-Yin observes her curled up under the blankets, smiles, and exits the tent. The morning light is frigid, filtered through the gray sky, reflecting off the snow's whiteness and casting a radiant glow that makes him squint. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he toys with the magical fire stones, activating them to release some heat.

Some minor demons are already awake and packing their bags to set off again, while the recruits watch them with sleepy eyes, ready to imitate them. Wu sits on a fallen log with a flask in her hands, sipping its warm contents. As soon as she sees him, she smiles, and A-Yin returns it, shifting his gaze from one demon to another. They all look well-rested. Rei stayed up to keep them warm. The thought distracts him for a moment, but the sudden movements of Lì capture his icy eyes. Vigilant and operative as always, he heads briskly towards a tent, followed by another demon holding a sphere and blankets. The leader gives his subordinate a nod, who hastens to deliver the final instructions before approaching.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Hey.”

“We should be able to leave in about half an hour.”

"Don't rush. Rei didn't sleep last night, so we're leaving in a couple of hours."

Like a premonition, the sphere in Li's hands dissipates, drawing a faint smile from both of them. "She’s fallen asleep." Lì giggles, then looks up at him and adds, amused, "A couple of hours? Good luck waking her up."

“So she’s really that stubborn?”

The red demon shrugs. “She wakes up when she feels like it. There’s no way around it.”

“For someone who travels alone, I wonder how she’s survived this long,” A-Yin remarks, then adds, “Any trouble last night?”

“All quiet. Kahn wanted to patrol around just to be safe and had some of the more energetic new recruits take guard shifts.”

“Good boy.”

“I’ve been up for a couple of hours now, same as Wu. We sent the others to get a bit of rest before departure.”

“Good call. Let’s see where they’ve wandered off to.”

As they await departure, one of the younger demons embarks on a brief exploration. The crisp air infuses him with a sense of buoyancy as he whistles while climbing along the walls of a building with a deeply cracked and destroyed roof. Nimbly ascending to the second floor of one of the buildings, still quite intact. He begins perusing the sparse objects in the rooms. In one of them, the dust is less, and there are scorch marks on the stone in a corner, as if someone had ventured into a fire to stave off the night's chill. Remnants of what appeared to be rabbit bones and a cluster of worn-out blankets hint at a recent visitor.

The young demon jumps off the wall onto the old floor and snoops around until he reaches the corner with the blankets. Just as he was about to almost kick them, a hand seizes his hood, yanking him backward. The young demon's panic surges, stiffening as a scream escapes him. Only then does he notice the leader smiling at him.

"Sir, what are you doing here?"

"We are leaving, Madds."

He blushes awkwardly and then says, "I’m sorry, I’ll be down right now."

"I’ll follow you." A-Yin says, looking around as the kid walks away.

Now alone, A-Yin glances back at the pile and walks away. This region is more populated than many people think. Moreover, it is not governed by the Great Alliance of the major clans—it's a no-man’s land. Let’s make it a good day for everyone.

As the sound of footsteps fades from the bare, windswept room, two large, wide-open human eyes and a nose reddened by the cold emerge from within the double layer of fabric. A man scrutinizes the figure moving away and silently sighs with relief from his hiding place.