Melting Jade

Chloe woke to the sound of dripping water.

She opened her eyes. She was back in the Frost-Jade Palace.

But it wasn't freezing anymore.

The jade walls were sweating. The ice sculptures were melting into puddles. Outside, the eternal winter clouds had parted, revealing a warm, golden sun.

"Han?"

She scrambled up. She was in the Hall of Tranquility.

Han lay on the dais. His robes were tattered. His hair was loose, no longer black, but streaked with gray.

Chloe ran to him, checking his pulse. It was there. Strong. Human.

He groaned and opened his eyes. They were blue—just blue. Not ice. Not glowing.

"Chloe," he croaked.

"You idiot," Chloe sobbed, slapping his chest lightly. "You absolute moron. You destroyed your Core. You're... you're normal."

"I know," Han wheezed. He tried to sit up, wincing. "It hurts. Is this what back pain feels like?"

"Yes," Chloe sniffled. "Welcome to being in your thirties."

Han looked around the melting palace. "I lost. I am not a god."

"You won," Chloe corrected. "You beat the system."

Han looked at her. He reached out and took her hand. His grip was weak, but he didn't let go.

"The energy," he said suddenly. "The explosion... it opened the rift. Look."

He pointed to the center of the hall. A shimmering portal swirled there. Through it, Chloe could see a city street. Cars. Rain. A Starbucks.

"Go," Han said softly. "I promised."

Chloe stood up. She walked to the portal. She smelled the exhaust and the coffee. It was home. It was safe. It was lonely.

She looked back at Han.

He was sitting in the puddle of his melted godhood, looking at her with a longing so raw it broke her heart. He had given up eternity for her.

Chloe looked at the Starbucks one last time.

"I hate their coffee anyway," she muttered.

She waved her hand. The portal collapsed, vanishing into mist.

Han’s eyes widened. "Why?"

"Because," Chloe walked back to him. She knelt down and began checking his bandages with professional efficiency. "You're a mortal now. Which means you're going to need a nurse. You have no survival skills. You'll starve in a week."

"I can learn to cook," Han protested weakly.

"You'll burn the palace down."

Chloe finished the bandage. She placed her hand on his cheek.

"Besides," she smiled. "Someone needs to teach you how to have fun."

Han looked at her. A slow smile spread across his face, making him look younger, freer.

"Teach me," he whispered.

He leaned in. Chloe met him halfway.

The kiss wasn't cold. It wasn't perfect. It was warm, and messy, and full of life.

Outside, for the first time in ten thousand years, a flower bloomed on the mountain peak.