Yang Guang danced over the meadow, joyfully twirling on the spot, slowly moving over the place with his sun-kissed limbs bending gracefully. Light shone down on him, seeming to ignite his golden hair like a blaze. There was a faint smile on his lips as if his thoughts had wandered off to a faraway realm, lending this spot in the mortal world a bit of its beauty.

A breeze brushed through the grass and flowers, bringing with it a sweet scent and a hint of coolness on this hot day, refreshing everyone close by that had felt pressured by the unending hotness. Yang Guang slowed down in his dance, his hands still raised in the air. For a moment, he remained like that. Finally, his eyes cracked open, uncovering a dazzling blue iris with specks of white just like the blue summer sky with white clouds drifting past. The black pupil reflected a person on the other side of the meadow.

Gray hair, a dark robe, and a pair of piercing eyes.

Yang Guang smiled further when he saw the man and his blue eyes curled with his lips. They looked at each other and the breeze seemed to pick up, dispelling the oppressive heat. Yang Guang took a step in the other direction and transitioned back into his dance, the bracelets around his wrists and ankles twinkling faintly with each movement. The breeze brushed over his body as if caressing it and made his golden hair and the skirt of his white robe fly as if they wanted to join in his dance.

Yang Guang had closed his eyes again, the sunshine painting his face an even warmer color. The blue stone embedded in his frontlet refracted the light, adding a blue corona to his hairline.

Bao Feng Yu’s gaze rested on that beautiful face, his gray eyes not even blinking as if he was afraid to miss out on the slightest change in Yang Guang’s expression. When Yang Guang had almost reached the other side of the meadow, he followed suit but with each step he took, Yang Guang retreated by one.

Bao Feng Yu did not seem to notice. At the very least, he did not stop in his tracks and instead continued to follow him persistently, one step at one moment, one turn the next. In this way, they traveled through the grass to their feet. The sun was still shining down on them, warming their skin and shrouding them in a faint halo.

In the distance though, the blue sky lost its splendor and turned a faint gray. The wind pushed the white clouds further toward them and the ones following were gray, hinting at an incoming storm.

Yang Guang cracked his eyes open, his gaze accurately landing on the other man’s face. He smiled sweetly and turned in a circle, the skirt and the sleeves of his white robe forming two arcs that threw back the light, almost blinding. Then, he stood in place, just looking at Bao Feng Yu as if to lure him over, as if to invite him.

One step and the distance shrunk. Another step and they were close enough to see their own figure in the other’s eyes. A third step and they were separated by a mere arm’s length. A fourth one and they could feel each other’s breath on their face.

The wind picked up further, blowing through their long hair. The dark gray strands intermingled with the golden ones, a stark contrast in the middle of the meadow. Bao Feng Yu reached out his arms and Yang Guang stepped in-between. A white robe and a black one painted a harmonious picture. He craned his neck and for the faintest moment, their lips met in the middle.

A raindrop fell on Yang Guang’s hair, trailed down the length of his cheek, and finally dropped from his chin. A second followed and then a third. Above their heads, there was the faintest hint of a rainbow shimmering in the air.

Yang Guang smiled and pulled back. The colors separated, leaving only their fingertips against each other until they as well lost touch.

Pushing off the ground, Yang Guang rose into the air. His feet seemed to step on the last remaining rays of sunlight, propelling him upward and upward even further, until he reached an expanse of blue sky among the clouds that were turning darker each second, encircling them and the meadow around.

Yang Guang turned around and glanced at Bao Feng Yu, his lips hooking up in another enchanting smile. For just a spell, the clouds turned golden and the storm around them seemed to pause. Then, his figure blurred and disappeared between the clouds, reappearing in the realm above while the storm down below started to rage again, now even more ferociously than before.

The grass that had been swaying faintly was pressed down by the platter of the raindrops. The trees whose leaves had been whispering faintly, promising a bit of shade on this hot summer day, were now whipped by the wind as if they would be ripped out of the ground the next moment and topple onto the meadow, burying everything in sight.

The sky cracked with the lightning as if it would be torn asunder and reveal the world above. The clouds looked eerie, a mixture of gray and violet like demons that stretched out their hands to whisk away any unassuming travelers. The thunder had turned from a faint growling in the distance to booming bangs that seemed to come from right next to one’s ears.

Near and far, people rushed to return to their houses or find some other place to seek shelter. But in the middle of the meadow, Bao Feng Yu still stood in the same spot where he had been when Yang Guang left. He looked up to the sky, the raindrops splattering against his face, the blinding lightning strikes making it look cold and pale in the surrounding darkness that had long replaced the sunny summer day. The gaze from his gray eyes seemed to pierce through that thick layer of clouds, peering into the world above and seeing the person that had already vanished there.

While the tempest was spreading further down in the world of the mortals, soon engulfing not only the meadow where Yang Guang had danced but half a mortal kingdom, things were exceedingly calm in this higher realm that Bao Feng Yu was thinking of.

Yang Guang’s golden hair had dried at once when he stepped foot into this place and the warm breeze brushed his cheeks. He glanced at the portal behind him with a smile as if he could still see Bao Feng Yu behind him. Then he walked down the paved road, making his way through the marketplace with its stalls and the crowd of gods gathered around.

In the distance, the buildings stood further apart and the simple houses were replaced by spacious estates and finally, magnificent palaces greeted one’s gaze. Yang Guang walked in that direction, his steps leading him to a staircase made of white stone that led up to one of the palaces. One step at a time he walked up, his white robe swaying around his legs with every move, the bracelets at his ankles tinkling faintly.

When he reached the top of the staircase and stepped below the eaves of the curved roof that was held up by sandy columns, he stopped for a spell and turned to look over his shoulder, his gaze roving over the streets behind as if searching for something. He didn’t seem to find what he was looking for though and turned back around, stepping through the gate in front of him.

A plaque hung over the entrance: 'Palace of the Sun God' was written on it in golden letters that sparkled in the light. Yang Guang passed through below that plaque, not even sparing it a glance. Too often had he seen it already as that he would still pay attention to it. Instead, he walked in further, past the servants that were there to wait on him, and to the courtyard on the other side of the palace.

This place was framed by a corridor of columns that let in the faint breeze from outside while not allowing others to take a look inside unless they came close. A natural spring lay in the middle of this courtyard, bushes and flowers having been planted around it, covering it further from sight. Only here and there could the surface be seen from outside, glittering in the light that fell in from above.

Yang Guang walked down a small path that led through the flowers, their leaves brushing against the skirt of his robe when he passed, leaving a faint flowery scent wafting in the air.

Yang Guang stopped at the edge of the spring and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he sighed. He untied the golden sash around his waist, making the fabric glitter in the light. Without opening his eyes, he turned to the side and let it fall. The sash landed accurately on a small stone bench that was hidden between the bushes. The god did not pause and brushed the white fabric of the robe off his shoulders, making it rustle in the process. He let it follow the sash and stepped into the water, the cool sensation making him pause for just a spell.

He walked further inside, his white inner robe turning translucent when it became wet and clinging to his body, showing every curve beneath. The God of the Sun did not care. He merely walked to the middle of the spring, scooped up some of the water, and started to rinse his body, another sigh escaping his lips at the cool touch.

Meanwhile, in the realm below, Bao Feng Yu still stood in the very same meadow. The wind was roaring around him, making his hair and the black robe flutter violently. His head was still raised as well, the gaze out of his dark eyes still fixed on the spot where Yang Guang had disappeared.

He did not seem to feel the cutting wind or the raindrops falling onto the bare skin of his face. He just stared upward, his gaze intense. Clearly, he at least felt the pain of parting ways.

Bao Feng Yu stood for a moment longer, the wind yanking on his figure before he rushed over the meadow, his steps becoming faster and faster. Then, he jumped. Lightning struck around him and his toes seemed to touch the snakes of light, push off them and catapult him higher into the air. Like an arrow finally released from the bow, he shot into the sky and broke through the barrier between the realms.