The scent of ash still lingers in the air as I sit cross-legged on the cold stone floor of Shangjue's quarters, carefully grinding medicinal herbs into a fine powder. Outside, rain patters against the windows, matching the rhythm of my mortar and pestle. Shangjue stands by the window, his back to me, watching the water streak down the glass. His broad shoulders are tense, the muscles visible even through his robes.

We've fallen into a pattern these past few weeks - he trains relentlessly, I study the healing arts of my lineage. We share meals in silence, but it's a comfortable silence now, not the empty kind I knew before he took me in.

Without turning, he speaks suddenly. "The elders want to see you tomorrow."

I pause, the pestle halfway to the mortar. "Me?"

"You," he confirms, finally turning to face me. His expression is unreadable, as always, but there's something in his eyes - concern, maybe, or something harder to identify. "They've noticed your... interest in medicine."

I resume grinding, focusing on the movement to hide my unease. "I'm only learning what my father taught me."

"They don't trust it," he says bluntly. "They don't trust you."

The herbs are almost powder now. I set down the pestle and meet his gaze steadily. "Because I don't cry?"

Something flickers across his face - anger, or perhaps pain. "Because you're different, Yuanzhi. And different makes them afraid."

The silence returns, heavier now. I know what happens to those who make the elders afraid. I've seen it.

Shangjue takes a step toward me, his voice lowering. "Whatever they ask tomorrow, remember this - you are my didi. No one touches what is mine."

I look down at my hands, stained green from the herbs. Then back up at him. "What if they try to take me from you?"

For a moment, his eyes burn with a fierceness that makes me glad he's on my side. "Then they'll learn what happens when Jue lineage blood is spilled."

The threat hangs in the air between us, unspoken but clear. Outside, the rain continues to fall.