The first blade had struck true, piercing and impaling deep into the heart. 

 

The victim on the receiving end of the blade, gasped in pain, body flinching with more assaults and blades being driven deep into his flesh. 

 

And the victim, the person- was none other than the person formerly known as the Yiling Patriarch in his past life. 

 

Wei Wuxian. 

 

He had left Cloud Recesses just to stroll through town, and drink some Emperor's Smile and had been ambushed while heading back, right on the path leading to the Cloud Recesses. 

 

He hissed in pain as the ones who had all ambushed and attacked him, yanked out their swords from his stomach, side, and his chest. 

 

They were old-fool hardy, revenge seeking men -hadn't Wei Wuxian paid enough in his past life, and done nothing considered villainous in his new life? He didn't even know their names, nor remember ever seeing their faces before in either of his lives. 

 

Mo Xuanyu's body had very low cultivation,   and Wei Wuxian too distracted to notice the threat when normally he was quick to be on guard and notice danger. 

  His mind had been too full and focused on his husband returning in two days and Wei Wuxian was currently making a gift for him. 

 

Lan Zhan...

 

Wei Wuxian coughed, hacking up blood as he blinked slowly and sank to his knees, hands pressed to the holes on his body to stop the bleeding but to no avail. 

 He winced with muted whimpers and a whine he tried to hold back. His eyes were filled with pain and he struggles to breathe and keep himself upright.

 

Lan Zhan...His Lan Zhan...he couldn't leave him alone again...not like this...

 

Lan Wanji left three days ago and was said to be coming back in two days. Wei Wuxian stayed behind and wanted to make him a gift, as a surprise, their anniversary would be in two days. 

 

The ones that had boldly ambushed him were gone and he was alone.

 

Was this his end this time around? 

 

Wei Wuxians body sagged and slumped forward onto the blood soaked ground beneath him. 

 

No. It couldn't end like this. He couldn't leave Lan Zhan alone again. Never again-not like this...

This can't be happening...

Lan Zhan...

 

"Wei Wuxian?!" 

 

"Young Master Wei?" 

 

Two familiar voices called out in shock and alarm.

 

Ah, he was so tired.

Lan Zhan, where was Lan Zhan?

Wei Wuxian wanted to see him. 

 

He vaguely and dimly felt someone gently try to turn him over into his back.

 

Wei Wuxian whined lowly, wheezing out bloody wet gasps at the pain. 

 

He called out for Lan Zhan, blindly searching.

 

He sensed two people at his side, and neither were Lan Zhan.

 

"What the fuck?? Who did this?!!" One cursed bitter and angrily. Hands were pressed on his body, trying to cover all the bleeding wounds. 

 

"-Wei?? Young Master Wei? Can you hear us?" 

 He heard someone call for him. 

 

Wei Wuxian opened his lips to reply but all that escaped was a wet raspy gurgle, and he coughed up blood.

 

"Shit." One cursed, hands pressed a little harder. But the wounds were too many, too deep. He'd already lost too much blood. 

 

Oh.

Ah, Jiang Cheng and...Sect leader Lan Xichen?

He turned to one side to look at Jiang Cheng and realized his eyes weren't open but closed, and they wouldn't obey his command to open them. He felt both of them sending spiritual energy and yet even that wouldn't be enough.

 

"Hang in there, Young Master Wei." Lan Xichen spoke gently, eyes saddened - he can picture them. The two sect leaders were talking.

 

Lan Xichen decided to go to Cloud Recesses and rush back with supplies, his wounds were too great to move him. 

   He heard another string of cursed from his former adoptive brother, who must have come here on business.

  Wei Wuxian tried open his eyes and look at Jiang Cheng. He was so, so weak but he was trying to hold on and stay awake even though he knew it was useless. 

 

His poor Lan Zhan...he wished to see him and the young Lan Juniors, Jingyi and Sizhui.

Ah, and Jin Ling...

 

He opened his eyes a slit, looking at the still daylight sky as it just began to slowly darken. 

 

He looked at Jiang Cheng and could see his lips moving, he tried to focus and listen.

 

"Wei Wuxian! Why do you always find trouble?? Fuck! Are you a fucking magnet or something?? You idiot!" Jiang Cheng stared down at him, scowling and cursing, his eyes looked suspiciously wet. Wei Wuxian blinked at him and mouthed "sorry" in a low whisper. He felt something like rain faintly upon his face, only his face and he realized-

 

It was Jiang Cheng's tears. He didn't hate him still? 

 

While Jiang Cheng kept cursing lowly and watch as his brothers blood was still leaking out of the wounds inflicted on his body, much slower because he'd already lost so much blood. 

 

How his brother was still hanging on while nothing but a useless miracle. Jiang also knew that when Xichen went to get more help and supplies he had gone to have someone send word to his brother Wei Wuxians husband. He also thinks back to the day in the temple with the events involving Jin Guangyao and the truth of his golden core. 

 

How he and Wei Wuxian parted... Jiang Cheng grit his teeth. Deep down, under the anger and pride - he still saw Wei Wuxian as his brother.

 

 He always had, and always would. And yet-His brother lay pale and bloody before him, dying. 

 

He could do nothing and it enraged him more. Jin Ling, despite his attitude, knew Wei Wuxian was still an uncle to him and he cared. The Lan Juniors as well. Not to mention the idiot husband.

 

Jiang Cheng saw Wei Wuxian slit cracked eyes had closed again and he was wheezing lowly and gasping for air to breathe, and Jiang pressed his hands down even harder as though he could scoop up all the blood pooled around him and force it back into his brothers body. 

 

Wei Wuxian gasped in pain and whimpered. Besides Jin Ling, Wei Wuxian was all he had left of his family. He couldn't lose him and yet it was out of his control and he wanted to scream and lash out at the culprits who had done this. 

 

Tears kept falling from his eyes onto Wei Wuxian face but he no longer cared. 

 

He heard and saw Xichen finally arrived, and noticed the two Lan Juniors had followed behind him with more of their sect members. They all rushed to Wei Wuxians side.

 

 Jin Ling had left earlier to find the two Lan Disciples to go on a night hunt and Jiang Cheng noticed him standing by the two Lan disciples. All of their expressions were of horror and shock, grief. Tears fell from their young faces, and Jiang Cheng hated to see Jin Ling cry. 

 

Though he hated to do so, he moved back from his brothers side, clenching his blood soaked fists and watching them desperately work to save Wei Wuxian through the looks on their faces, they knew it would be of no use. 

 

"Lan Wangji is coming, master Wei, he's on his way, please hang on." Xichen was looking down and murmuring. Though Wei Wuxian was still fighting for breath, Xichen knew he didn't have the strength to talk. 

 

  Lan Xichen regretted the words he had spoken to him in the temple, calling Wei Wuxian the only mistake his brother ever made when he knew his brother has been so happy because of him and he knew the truth of Wei Wuxians character, Wei Wuxian had tried to be there as a brother-in-law and helping him heal. Helped him to leave seclusion. Xichen saw him as family, as a brother-he was in fact-his brother-in-law. 

 

But now it's come to this....have Wei Wuxian and his brother not suffered enough? 

 

Tears stung Lan Xichens eyes as he and a few a others of his sect worked to save Wei Wuxian. Not to mention the three young juniors watching from behind, crying. 

 

Lan Xichen paused what he was doing as Wei Wuxian weakly lifted his hand and placed it upon his, trying to smile. Tears spilled from Lan Xichen eyes. 

 

Wei Wuxian forced his eyes open as best as he could, taking in all the faces around him. Lan sect members, Lan Xichen, Jin Ling and two younger Lan disciples, and Jiang Cheng. 

 

Lan Zhan was on his way. Oh Lan Zhan- he wanted so desperately to see him but he didn't want his husband to see him like this...

 

Wei Wuxian wondered how much time has passed, he was so tired. He tried to smile at Sizhui and Jingyi that stood behind Lan Xichen, his nephew Jin Ling- They were all crying and now trying to talk but their words incomprehensible due to tears.

   He chuckled inside his mind, what an adorable little dear juniors, he would no longer be able to go on anymore night-hunts with them, not ever again. Wen Ning wasn't sure here but he knew that Wen Ning would look out for them. 

 

Strangely-though not all that strange he supposed-despite three people he had thought would always dislike or hate him, he felt loved and it warmed his poor struggling, beating heart.

  Wei Wuxian tried squeezing Lan Xichen's hand to say that everything was alright, he hoped he could feel the weak grasp. 

 

Wei Wuxian was so tired, he gazed at the others, trying his best to show the love and affection he had for them inside, one by one. The other Lan members stood to the side now, heads down and quiet, respectful.

 

Lan Xichen grasped his hand in return as his eyes closed again and murmured urgently, "Wangji will be here soon. Please hold on..." Wei Wuxian was trying his hardest but his body, the body Mo Xuanyu sacrificed to him-wasn't obeying him anymore. He hurt, so much, and he was exhausted. 

He hummed faintly in response, to give Xichen a reply.

 

"Wei Ying!" 

 

Wei Wuxian forced his eyes open again. Lan Zhan fell to his knees beside him, pain and horror in his pale golden eyes. 

 

Ah, his Lan Zhan was here. 

 

"Wei Ying.." Lan Wangji kept murmuring desperately calling his name as if he could keep him grounded to the earth. Lan Zhan ever so gently, pulled him to him to cradle him in his embrace. Wei Wuxian shuddered, he was so cold. His Lan Zhan was so warm. He closed his eyes and snuggled close to his husband. 

 

"Wei Ying.." Lan Wangji gripped him to himself tightly, as if trying to merge them as one so Wei Wuxian could never leave. Newly shed tears dropped onto his cheeks. 

 

  He lifted a hand, aimlessly grasping for his husband's face, Lan Wangji gripped the hand and pressed it to his cheek, leaning into Wei Wuxian cold hand, and pressed a gentle kiss into his palm, and held Wei Wuxians hand, keeping it placed in his cheek. 

 

"Lan Zhan.." Wei Wuxian whispered, pressing his fingertips into his husband's face, to wipe away the tears, and also using his finger tips to write what he was about to say as he was speaking with what little strength he had left.

 

                             I  - L - O - V - E -  Y - O - U.

 

Wei Wuxian squinted his eyes open, watched Lan WangJi's eyes widen and shimmer with more tears, and Wei Wuxian tried to give him his best smile, using his eyes to say-please don't cry-I'm not worth it, and using his non-held hand and placed it over Lan WangJi's beating heart-also using his eyes to say-

 

I will always be with you. 

 

Wei Wuxian closed his heavy eyes as he started brokenly humming their song for Lan Wangji, and keeping one of his hands over Lan Wangjis heart, the other cradled his cheek, with Lan WangJi's hand atop his own. 

 

More tears spilled from Lan WangJi's eyes when he closed them, and listened to his broken, bloody, and dying husband hum their song on his last heartbeat, his last and final breath of life. 

 

The humming came to a stop. Lan WangJi felt the hand in his grip, holding his cheek go slack, and the fell limply where from where it was once pressed over his aching heart. Couldn't bear to open his eyes and see his husband's were forever closed. He just gripped the now, cold and lifeless body in his arms, to his chest; never wanting to let go. 

 

He bowed his head over his dead beloved,  and cried, sobbing his heart and soul out.

 

It was silent, save for the cries of the Juniors, the two Young Lan Disciples, and Jin Ling, the cry of Lan WangJi who had once again lost his love for the second time, for The Lan Sect Leader to cry over his brothers heartbreak and loss of his brother-in-law, and for Sect Leader Jiang, to curse and cry over his dead brother.

 

They stood in the night, while one knelt bowed over the earth, over his dead beloved, grieving with a heart wrenching cry, under the light of dusk which had fallen.

 

~~~~

 

 The moon began shining bright with a mournful glow lighting a starry sky. One voice lost and forever silenced, a sunshine smile long vanished, a soul now departed from the living - hovering and watchful with love and sad filled eyes before finally fading away. 

 

Even so, the gentle music of a flute could be heard distantly, like playing a lullaby, that sound - that song would echo on forever, cradling the hearts and souls of the living who had lost a dearly departed loved one, all that were gathered together on the same night. 

 

Their memories forever filled of a man with a smile brighter than the sun, of laughter so loud and lively it warmed the heart, remembering silver eyes winking - forever mirthful with mischief, twinkling in the light of day and the dark of night. 

 

Brighter than any star in the sky. 

 

Everyday, when dusk falls and night rises - on and on, the distant flute music would play, a gentle soft melody.

A lullaby following them wherever they went-

 

Until the end of time.