Here is the English translation:
The tribunal fell silent.
The Featherfolk King tilted his head, looking at A-Tuo. In his gaze was a subtle, indescribable emotion.
“To choose a lie about love… humans are foolish, and yet—cruel in such a fascinating way.”
He raised a finger and drew a rift through the air.
In the next moment, the Gate of Memory opened—
Back to four years ago, when Ye-Ling and A-Tuo sat on the swings in a park, on that cold, wind-swept night.
“I think we should break up.”
Ye-Ling lowered her head, her hands clenched tightly and cold. Her eyes were red, but no tears fell.
A-Tuo said nothing—he simply looked at her in silence.
“You’re so distant. You probably stopped loving me a long time ago…”
A-Tuo remained silent for five seconds—then nodded.
The moment he nodded, the entire tribunal space trembled. Ye-Ling covered her mouth in shock—she was watching from outside.
At last, her tears fell.
“You… didn’t you say back then, there was no other reason? You said you were just tired…”
A-Tuo looked at her. This time, in the memory, he turned and walked away.
—
In the present, he knelt in the tribunal, voice choked with emotion.
“Back then… I found out my dad was in debt. The people collecting it threatened to hurt the ones I loved most.”
“I had to leave you, make them think I didn’t care about you anymore… I lied. And that lie—has haunted me every night with dreams of you crying.”
Ye-Ling’s legs gave out. She crouched by the edge of the space, fingertips gripping the Feathery Barrier with all her strength.
“You… why didn’t you say anything…”
The Featherfolk King stood quietly between them, a pure white feather slowly spinning in the air.
“This wasn’t your lie, Ye-Ling. This was your escape from love, A-Tuo.”
—
From A-Tuo’s chest, a third feather slowly emerged.
But this time, it wasn’t forced out—it was Ye-Ling who stepped forward, and pulled it out with her own hand.
Blood dripped onto her palm.
She said:
“This feather—I’ll bear it. You weren’t the only one lying. I didn’t see through you, either. I was selfish, too.”
The Featherfolk King paused—for the first time, a trace of surprise and uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
A-Tuo reached out and embraced her, his body trembling, like a child who no longer needed to pretend to be strong.
“I’m sorry… Ye-Ling, I let you be heartbroken all alone for too long.”
—
In the distance, Chu-Yao stood outside the rift, watching the scene unfold.
Behind her, black wings began to spread—
Her memories started to resonate as well.
She remembered why she came here—
She, too, was suffocating from a “long-unspoken lie.”
The Featherfolk King whispered:
“So, human feathers can burn… and they can be shared…”
“But now, let’s see if your feathers… can bear the weight—of the Origin of Judgment.”
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