Shadow Over the Heavenly Throne-Chapter 69: A few fools thought challenging me was a good idea

Calista didn’t rush as she opened the door to the cultivation chamber. The warm stillness of night lingered everywhere, broken only by the pulsing rhythm of qi that hadn’t fully faded. She felt it instantly.

Her brow furrowed.

Shion lay on the floor, her body twisted unnaturally, as if she’d collapsed the moment the last pulse of energy left her. Tiny fingers twitched imperceptibly, and a thin stream of energy danced around her, hazy like vapor rising from sun-scorched earth. Her eyes were closed, her face tense, and her chest rose in uneven, shallow breaths, as if she were struggling to return to consciousness.

"You did it again," Calista sighed softly, stepping closer. She knelt and gently lifted her, as if picking up something too fragile to hold.

"You foolish, ambitious little rabbit."

She moved down the corridor, her footsteps nearly silent yet heavy with weight. As she neared the end of her room, her shoulders dropped slightly, her breathing lengthened, as if she too fought the temptation to stop and close her eyes.

When she crossed the threshold of her chamber, warmth hit her like a familiar embrace. The air was steeped in the scent of purple blossoms, bitter herbs, and damp softness that clung to the skin like mist.

Beneath her feet, moss gave softly, saturated with cool moisture as if freshly gathered from mountain slopes. Each step left behind a faint trail of dew that vanished seconds later, as if the room wanted to preserve every moment just for itself. Calista closed her eyes briefly, inhaling. The scent of purple and herbs settled in her lungs.

Silken streamers hung from the walls, swaying gently to an unseen breeze, their embroidery catching the dim light. Velvet navy curtains muffled the world beyond, separating the inside from all that lay outside.

When she approached the bed, she knelt and slid the blanket from her shoulder. Carefully, she placed Shion onto the soft sheets, arranged her arms, and smoothed the strands of hair on her forehead. She tucked her in, leaving only her nose and mouth exposed. The girl sighed in her sleep, curling into the pillow like a child safe in slumber.

Calista’s fingers twitched at the clasp of her robe. The fabric slipped silently from her shoulders and dropped to the floor. Her body trembled slightly as the cool air met bare skin.

With a sigh, she slid into the bed, every muscle demanding rest. She pulled Shion closer, cradled her head, and with ritual-like care, nestled it against her chest. She wrapped her arms around her, holding tight in a bear-like embrace that spoke more than any words. Shion nestled unconsciously into the warmth, relaxing into the cocoon. Calista’s fingers traced along her spine and stopped at her shoulder blades, as if guarding her dreams.

She felt sleep pulling her under like a soft whirlpool of silence.

Calista’s lips moved faintly as she rested her cheek on the pillow, her breath lengthening with the final drifting thought. Her eyelids dropped heavily, as if sleep was the only mercy the day had left her.

Something soft brushed against her cheek. The air smelled familiar—herbs, a hint of lavender, the warmth of another body. She was being held. Tightly, but not painfully. Like a cocoon that didn’t want to let go.

A soft breath brushed the back of her neck. Warmth surrounded her from every side.

Only then did Shion realize she wasn’t lying alone.

Her eyes blinked open slowly. Something heavy pressed down on her. Heavy but... pleasant? Soft? It smelled of oils and something else. Her hands were pressed against something smooth as silk.

"W-what...?"

She tried to move, but something held her tightly against another body. Calista’s arm was wrapped firmly around her, protective, as if shielding her from the world. There was no aggression in it, just certainty. Every inch of the embrace seemed to whisper: "You’re safe here."

Then she remembered.

A flash of light in her mind, a crack inside her body like something had torn. Her aura pulsed too hard, too fast. In an instant, everything around her had turned to milky mist. She’d tried to control the flow, but the essence wouldn’t obey.

Then, darkness—thick, heavy, suffocating like water in her lungs. Shion blinked hard as the memory returned.

She tried to rise, even shift slightly, but the hold around her wouldn’t loosen. She squirmed gently, then with more effort. Calista’s body didn’t move. Her arms were like iron rings, no room to escape. The heat of her skin, the softness of her chest, the steady rhythm of her breath—none of it let her go.

Teeth clenched, she tried again to wriggle free, but only managed to move a hand a few centimeters. Finally, she lifted her head. Her gaze, uncertain and trembling, rose to Calista’s face.

Her face was quiet as a sealed book—still, breathing deeply, evenly, as if the world had ceased to exist. Lashes cast gentle shadows across her cheeks, and her slightly parted lips revealed the vulnerability of sleep.

Shion sighed softly and let herself fall back, nestling her cheek into Calista’s body. There was no point in fighting. The embrace held her, and her body wouldn’t obey. All she could do was wait...

Hours later, as the sun climbed higher and filtered through the velvet curtains in a soft glow, Calista’s eyelids fluttered. She opened her eyes slowly, sleep still clinging to her gaze. For a moment, she stared straight ahead, vision unfocused, until her eyes dropped.

Nestled against her chest like the smallest creature was Shion. Their eyes met. Calista said nothing at first, simply remained still, as if waking from a dream.

Shion flinched, like she’d been caught doing something forbidden, and looked away, blushing faintly. Calista raised an eyebrow, her gaze still sleepy. The corner of her lips curled just slightly, too subtle to call a smile.

"Good morning, little rabbit."

Her voice was husky, drowsy—warm like silk steeped in morning tea.

"G-good morning..." Shion mumbled, still pressed against her, unsure what to do. "And... thank you. For yesterday."

Calista looked at her lazily. She was silent for a moment. Her eyes nearly hinted at scolding... but she sighed.

She propped herself up on an elbow, yawned, and stretched slowly like a cat waking from a nap. Her hair spilled across the pillows.

"We’re going on a trip today."

"W-what? I can’t!" Shion sat up abruptly. "I have to continue my cycle! I need to—"

Calista looked at her.

Her eyes narrowed just slightly, gleaming like a blade in the dark. She said nothing, but the silence buzzed with tension. Shion felt it on her skin—not violent, but unrelenting. A shiver ran down her spine before she could form a reply.

Shion fell quiet. Her will melted beneath that gaze.

"...Alright."

Calista smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly. She raised a hand and gently patted Shion’s head.

"Good rabbit." Calista ran her fingers through her hair, then added with a soft murmur:

"It’s for your own good, too. If you keep ending cultivation cycles on the edge of collapse, you’ll be taking trips like this far more often."

Shion lowered her gaze and nodded in surrender.

Meanwhile, Calista rose from the bed, her feet gliding over the cool moss. She paused for a moment, closing her eyes in quiet pleasure.

She reached for a black robe, stretching the fabric with lazy grace. As it fell over her body, she glanced over her shoulder at Shion.

"After what happened yesterday, I wasn’t in the mood... And the best way to improve a mood is shopping." Her voice carried a shade of self-satisfaction that was hard to resist.

She gave Shion a long once-over, then smiled broadly, almost predatorily. Her eyes sparkled playfully.

She stepped closer, leaning in slightly, as if revealing the world’s greatest secret. "You need more than one outfit, little rabbit. A lot more."

Shion simply nodded, still dazed, and a moment later looked up to ask in a whisper, "What exactly happened yesterday?"

Calista didn’t answer right away. She moved toward a mirror above the ornate dresser and began fixing her hair. With one hand, she removed her earrings and replaced them with a longer, more elegant pair.

"There was a tournament yesterday," she said casually, weaving her long dark hair into a sleek braid. "A few fools thought challenging me was a good idea. Ended up with their asses handed to them."

She smirked at her reflection, adjusting the braid.

Tilting her head, she inspected the result. The braid fell elegantly over her shoulder, and the new earrings shimmered softly in the candlelight. Against the lace cuffs of her black robe, she looked like a figure carved from a dark fairy tale—beautiful, confident, and dangerous.

"Done," she murmured, smoothing a fold in the fabric along her hip.

She turned, her gaze settling once more on the girl watching her in fascination. Calista raised her chin slightly and gestured for her to come closer.

Shion moved slowly, hesitantly, her feet barely brushing the moss. When she stood beside her, Calista pulled her gently into her lap. The girl stiffened briefly, then settled, as if the gesture was more natural than she wanted to admit.

Calista reached into her short hair, running her fingers through it. Every motion was slow and deliberate, as if handling something rare and fragile. She smoothed out the unruly strands, tucked a few behind her ear, never looking away from their shared reflection in the mirror.

"Once it grows out a little, you’ll be able to wear braids too," she said with a soft smile, adjusting the last strand like sealing a promise.

Shion nodded lightly, eyes fixed on the mirror. Her cheeks took on a faint blush, and her lips curved into a quiet, uncertain smile.

Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m