In Captain Zhào's Xīnyù: The Silent Frost-Forest (寂霜林 - Jí Shuāng Lín), he stood observing the landscape of his own soul—a vast expanse of silent, winter-bound trees, their branches heavy with frost. A profound chill seeped into his bones, the very air a manifestation of his long-endured patience and hidden sorrow. His Guardian, the Rooster, appeared and led him to a specific clearing. There stood a massive tree, its trunk and branches encased in a thick, clear layer of ice. Yet, deep within its frozen core, a faint, desperate pulse of life fought to break free.

  [Rooster]: "This is your Tree of Regret. Go and touch it."

  Confusion warred with trust within Captain Zhào, but he obeyed. With each step forward, the thin layer of ice covering the ground splintered and cracked beneath his feet, a symphony of breaking fragility. He moved with deliberate caution until he stood before the colossal trunk. Slowly, he raised his right hand and pressed his palm flat against the icy bark.

  A sudden, visceral shock jolted from his palm straight to his mind. His vision swam, his eyes rolling back as he was violently pulled from the forest and thrust into the body of his younger self. Disoriented, he struggled to understand this shift in reality when a voice broke through his confusion.

  "Captain... Captain! Wake up, Captain!"

  He shook his head to clear the phantom sensation and looked at his junior officer. "What is it?"

  "Your sister is here to see you," the junior said, a hint of awe in his voice. "Since when did you have such a beautiful sister?"

  The words struck him like a physical blow. His sister was alive? He shot to his feet, his eyes wide with a disbelieving hope. His mind screamed that this was a cruel dream, but his heart, starved for this very moment, begged to believe it was real. He rushed outside, his gaze frantically scanning the compound until he found her, standing in the distance.

  Lin Wei saw him and waved, her familiar smile a beacon in his memory. A genuine, unburdened smile bloomed on his face for the first time in years. He ran, his military discipline forgotten. He collided with a soldier and stumbled, but he barely registered it, his entire being focused on reaching her.

  Lin Wei stood waiting, a six-year-old Jian Zhi at her side. The boy tugged at her sleeve. "Mom, who are we waiting for? Can I go look over there? It seems interesting." He pointed toward a group of new recruits receiving a survival lesson.

  "That's the surprise," Lin Wei replied softly. "You can go, but come back safely when I call you, okay?"

  "Okay, Ma!" little Jian Zhi chirped, his curiosity carrying him off to watch the soldiers from the sidelines, absorbing their lessons with wide, intelligent eyes.

  Just then, Captain Zhào reached her, his chest heaving. "[Panting... panting...] Sis! When did you get back? I've missed you so much!" The words tumbled out, his need to connect with her overriding his need for air.

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  Lin Wei laughed, her demeanor calm and teasing. "Calm down, you brat. You're a Vice Captain, all talk and no stamina?" She playfully punched his stomach to test his core strength, forcing a pained gasp from him.

  "Stop it, sis. It's not funny."

  "[Hahaha] Okay, okay, catch your breath," she said, her laughter a melody he had dearly missed. "So, what's the special occasion that brought you all the way here to see me?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in curiosity.

  Her smile faded for a fleeting second before she gestured toward where Jian Zhi was intently watching the soldiers. Captain Zhào followed her gaze, and the realization dawned. His eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated joy. "Really? He's that big now? From your last letter, I thought he'd be much smaller." A storm of emotions—happiness, pride, wonder—surged within him.

  "He's your nephew," Lin Wei said warmly. "A knowledge-hungry little thing. He just had to see what they were doing."

  "I couldn't expect less from your son, Sis," he replied, his voice thick with emotion. He strained to see the boy's face, but could only make out his back. As Lin Wei opened her mouth to call Jian Zhi over, her voice was drowned out by a sharp, urgent call.

  "Captain! You're needed immediately! It's urgent!"

  Captain Zhào's face fell, torn between his duty and a moment he had dreamed of for years. The weight of his responsibility pressed down, and with a heavy heart, he made his choice. "I'm sorry, Sis. Can you wait for me here? Just for a few minutes. I'll be right back, I promise." He began to walk away, his steps laden with conflict.

  Lin Wei offered him a final, understanding smile and a nod.

  As he hurried off, Jian Zhi came running back to his mother and hugged her. "Ma, I learned something new today!" he announced, his face a perfect picture of blossoming joy and excitement.

  Lin Wei waited for an hour before a guard finally approached and politely asked her to leave. She departed with a profound regret settling in her heart—the regret of a mother who could not give her son the gift of meeting his own family.

  Captain Zhào returned, running, only to find the space where she had stood now empty. "Tch! [He kicked the ground in frustration] AHHHHH! I should have stayed! I should have seen his face!" The weight of his decision crashed down upon him. He had chosen duty over a priceless moment, and now his heart filled with a corrosive, exponential regret—the grief of a lost opportunity that would haunt him for years.

  He was violently pulled back into his Xīnyù. "Why?!" he demanded of the Rooster, his voice raw. "Why did you show me that only to take it away? Let me go back! I need to be there!"

  [Rooster]: "It was always meant to happen this way. Now, look at your hand."

  Grunting in frustration, Captain Zhào took a deep, shuddering breath and unclenched his fist. There, resting in his palm, was a softly glowing green crystal. As he opened his hand fully, it levitated into the air.

  [Rooster]: "This is the Sapling of a Severed Bloodline (断血之苗). It is the wood of your regrets, the very substance you must now learn to burn. This completes your lack of the Wood element."

  "Now, go back."

  Before he could protest, he was pushed backward, tumbling out of the frost-laden forest and into another domain. This place was not one of silent cold, but of recent, smoldering devastation. The air was thick with the scent of ash, and the trees were charred skeletons on the verge of collapse.

  Staring at the wasteland, a cold dread settled in his stomach. "What fresh horror are you going to show me now?" he whispered to the oppressive silence.