Shadow Over the Heavenly Throne-Chapter 76: Why are you running in pajamas?

The night was thick with silence, like fog pressing against the windowpanes. Through the cracked-open window came faint sounds from the city beyond the capital — the clatter of hooves, the long yawns of guards, the creak of distant gates being shut.

Veynessa sat at a simple wooden desk in the corner of the rented room, leaning on her elbow, her gaze fixed on the sleeping form of Sylphia.

She loved that child. Sylphia was smart — maybe too smart for her age. But living in such luxury had clearly left a mark on her. It had given her a false idea that the world was inherently warm, protective, and comfortable. Her reaction to awakening a mediocre root proved it: instead of fighting to overcome it, instead of throwing herself into training or seeking a path to evolve her root, she simply gave up. She sank into apathy, as if her fate was already sealed.

Maybe she was still a child, but that kind of mindset was unacceptable for a cultivator. Veynessa sighed, realizing that perhaps she had spoiled her too much.

That’s why she had to show her the real world now. A world where people fight to survive every day. Maybe then Sylphia would understand that her pain wasn’t unique — and that she had no right to give up just because things didn’t go her way.

"Time to change that," Veynessa thought, a wry smile on her lips. She let out a quiet sigh and reached for the map.

Her finger traced a line across the map, sliding first toward Kiran — a city plagued by a problem that had supposedly spun out of control. Then a slight detour from the main route: Mount Aeylith, where sect activity had been spotted, something Veynessa had been keeping an eye on for a while. Silent Forest Village... there had been reports of strange Qi in the soil, something practically begging to be investigated. Then Crescent Valley, and finally Narael — the city where she was looking for someone specific. The route wasn’t simple, not even the most logical. Some places lay far off the shortest path. But each of them held something worth "addressing" along the way. And most importantly: they might just open Sylphia’s eyes to a world she couldn’t yet imagine.

She set the map aside and walked over to the bed. Sylphia was curled up like a kitten, her cheek pressed into the pillow, small fingers gripping the edge of the blanket. Veynessa sat down beside her, watching her for a long moment. How could anyone not spoil such an adorable thing? she thought with a fond chuckle.

After a moment, she lay down beside her, gently pulling Sylphia into her arms. The warmth of her little body, the softness of her skin, the steady rhythm of her breath... it wrapped Veynessa in a calm she seldom allowed herself to feel.

***

"Wake up, sleepyhead," she whispered, shaking Sylphia gently.

The girl frowned and rubbed her eyes. "Already...? Just a little longer..."

"Plans have changed," Veynessa said with a mysterious smile. "We’re going on foot."

Sylphia sat up slowly, suspicious. "On foot? Like... walking?" She stared at her mother like she’d gone mad.

Veynessa only winked. "Hope you can keep up."

Then she vanished.

Literally.

Sylphia gasped and leapt from the bed. For a moment she stood frozen, then bolted from the room, ignoring the stares of the inn’s patrons. Outside, she caught just a glimpse of her mother.

"Seriously?!" she shouted, breaking into a sprint.

Strangely enough, she wasn’t that slow.

Her feet barely touched the cobblestones, and the air whooshed past her ears. It felt... natural. As if her body remembered a rhythm her mind had yet to understand. And then she felt it — the Qi that had seeped into her since childhood wasn’t passive. Her muscles responded with frightening power, her heart beat fast but strong, not panicked.

A grin spread across her face, triumphant and excited. She leaned forward and pushed herself faster, toward the last place she’d seen her mother.

She dashed through crowded streets, barely keeping her balance at such speed. People jumped aside, shouting, as a small cloaked figure zipped past like an arrow. She nearly crashed into a rice stall, then almost collided with a vegetable cart.

Once, she thought she’d lost her. She stopped, panting hard, then caught a flash of familiar hair on the rooftop of a tavern. She gave chase again. Then lost sight of her again. But moments later, she spotted Veynessa leaping from one wall to another.

It happened several more times until they finally passed through the last city gate.

Sylphia flew out through an open gate and tumbled into the grass. There, leaning against a column, stood Veynessa, arms crossed and smiling.

"How did you like our game of cat and mouse?" she asked playfully.

Sylphia huffed, but her face lit up with a smile. "It was amazing. Truly... amazing to feel such strength in my body. For the first time, I can tell how much I’ve changed. What all that Qi has done to me."

Veynessa nodded in approval. "Good. Then it’s time for the first stop on our journey."

Her smile widened. Without another word, she dashed off down the dirt path, a trail of dust in her wake.

Sylphia laughed softly and followed instantly, chasing that wind, that freedom — and that strange spark in her heart that was starting to feel like joy.

After a while, Veynessa slowed, letting Sylphia catch up. They ran side by side, hair streaming in the wind. Sylphia beamed, and Veynessa couldn’t help but smile back.

"By the way..." she began casually. "Why are you running in pajamas?"

Sylphia blinked, looked down, and tripped over her own feet. She hit the ground with a loud thud, staring in horror at the cheerful moon-and-cloud patterns on her pajamas.

Her cheeks turned crimson.

Veynessa burst out laughing. Her shoulders shook, her head tilted back, and a full-bodied laugh echoed through the morning light. "Oh gods... that face!" she wheezed, clutching her side.

"It’s your fault!" Sylphia snapped, sitting up and brushing herself off. "All my clothes are in your spatial ring! You just disappeared before I could even change!"

But Veynessa wasn’t listening. She was still laughing, tears welling up as her whole body trembled with mirth at her daughter’s mortified face.

***

By noon, two figures — one tall and composed, the other small and radiant — ran through the open countryside, leaving a dusty trail behind.

The earth underfoot shifted from hard-packed gravel to lush green grass that shimmered gold in the sun. Tall stalks swayed in the breeze, and among them grew flowers with crystal-like petals that shimmered like rainbows. Each motion left a faint glow, as if specks of light danced among the grass.

A scent of pure freshness filled the air. Far away, trees with silvery leaves whispered as if speaking. The sky was cloudless, a deep blue with birds wheeling high above, reluctant to leave.

Sylphia ran beside Veynessa, feeling grass tickle her ankles, flowers brushing her knees, heart beating in rhythm with nature. New colors, new shapes, new wonders bloomed with every step. Her eyes sparkled.

"This is..." she whispered, slowing and turning in place. "Like a fairytale."

The meadow was quiet. But not ominously — more like the world held its breath.

The grass shimmered silver. The flowers grew in perfect, geometric clusters. Every petal gleamed like silk. The scent in the air wasn’t one thing, but all beautiful things at once.

Sylphia took a step forward, enchanted. Her lips parted in awe.

She leaned down to smell the nearest flower.

Something yanked her back.

"Aah!"

The ground where she’d just stood vanished. As if the grass had never been there. As if the air itself had sucked away.

A massive mouth, lined with stone-like teeth and a tongue like mud, snapped shut.

Then vanished.

As if nothing had happened.

Sylphia lay on her back, eyes wide, struggling to breathe. Her whole body trembled, the realization of how close she’d come to death slowly sinking in. Her heart pounded like a drum. Sweat trickled down her neck.

Veynessa doubled over, laughing. One hand on her hip, the other clutching her belly, shoulders shaking. Giggles turned to loud chortles, head thrown back, eyes watering.

"You... you thought they were just flowers?" she gasped, wiping a tear.

Sylphia didn’t answer. She stared at the spot she’d nearly vanished into.

A sweet, almost hypnotic scent wafted from the spot. Something between honey and summer grass. The air shimmered just above the ground. The grass around was dented, as if something pulsed beneath. For a moment, the earth moved again — subtly, but enough to feel the lurking life below.

Veynessa pointed. "Field Maw. The scent is bait. It reacts to warmth... and swallows prey whole."

Sylphia turned toward her, outraged.

"YOU KNEW?!"

Veynessa shrugged. "You need to start watching your step."

Sylphia groaned, flopping back onto the grass. "This place is kind of dangerous..."

Veynessa sighed and sat beside her. "The world is dangerous, Sylphia. You’ve just never seen it before." She winked.

At that moment, a barely perceptible wave passed through the air. As if something unseen had descended. The flora froze. The flowers quivered, sensing something far stronger had arrived.

Veynessa stood, brushing her hands. The stillness lingered.

She nodded, satisfied.

"Come on. Time to keep moving," she said calmly, looking back at her daughter.

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