Hidden Presence
She stepped inside.
It was colder here. Heavy.
The hall was exactly as she remembered. Carved dragons twisted along the pillars, as if roaring silently. In the centre was a stone platform—empty now.
No chains. No one.
Yunxi's fingers trembled.
Was it all in my head?
She took a slow breath and stepped forward.
But then—there was a flicker in the corner.
A shadow moved.
She turned sharply. Her heart leapt.
Someone was there. Half-hidden behind a column.
He turned toward her just slightly—dark robes, a regal presence, and those haunting eyes. Blue with a tinge of red.
Just for a second.
And then he vanished into the shadows.
Yunxi stood frozen.
"You..."
Her voice broke the silence.
She still didn't know who he was.
But her soul remembered.
And for a moment, so did his.
The Shimmer of Truth
Yunxi stood at the centre of the forgotten hall, her breaths shallow, the air tinged with something ancient. Her eyes scanned the room one last time, trying to convince herself it was just her imagination—until she saw it.
Caught on a sharp edge of the stone pillar…
A piece of torn fabric fluttered gently.
Dark, rich silk with a faint gold embroidery—the same pattern she'd seen on Prince Chen's sleeve during the royal banquet.
Her eyes widened. Her pulse quickened.
Chen? No… it can't be…
The edges of her vision began to blur. A wave of dizziness hit her, stronger than before. The memories of the chained man, the blood, the pain—her blood—all returned in a rush. Her knees buckled.
But she didn't fall.
Instead, she clutched the cloth and whispered, "It's him."
And with that one realization, her body moved on its own.
Back at the Palace
Chen stood in the training yard, blade drawn but unmoving. He hadn't touched his sword all morning. His mind, once a fortress of silence and control, now churned with questions.
Why did she come there?
Why did she help me… even when I begged her not to?
Xuming stood nearby, pretending to polish a blade but watching Chen closely. "You're not yourself today."
Chen didn't answer. He was about to walk away—
When a palace maid rushed into the courtyard, panting.
"Your Highness! The girl—Miss Yunxi—she's looking for you. She looks pale… she insisted on finding you."
Chen stiffened.
She came… again?
Before he could react, footsteps echoed behind him. He turned.
There she was.
Yunxi. Pale. Out of breath. Holding a piece of cloth tightly in her hand.
Her gaze met his, stormy and confused. "It was you… wasn't it?"
An Unspoken Alliance
Yunxi's fingers trembled slightly as she held the torn cloth in front of Chen. Her eyes searched his with a quiet desperation.
Chen, as always, remained unreadable—his face cold, his lips sealed. But Xiuming, standing beside him, took a step forward and broke the silence.
"Wait, Lady Yunxi," he said, gently placing himself between them, his tone respectful but urgent. "We… we need your help."
Yunxi blinked. "My help?"
Chen turned away, clearly displeased, but didn't stop Xiuming.
Xiuming continued, lowering his voice. "There's something happening—something not even the prince can face alone. You were… there, weren't you? That night. You saw him. You helped him."
Yunxi's heart skipped.
"You… know something, don't you?" Xiuming asked. "Please. I don't think this is a
coincidence anymore."
She clutched the cloth tighter. "I don't even know what I saw."
"You weren't supposed to see it," Chen said coldly, finally speaking. "You should forget it. It's not your world."
Yunxi looked straight at him. "Then why was I pulled into it?"
A silence settled between them.
Xiuming, watching both, spoke again. "We don't want to involve you in danger. But… someone already has."
Who really started this?
Her voice came soft but firm. "If you want my help… then I need the truth."
Chen stared at her. For the first time, his expression wavered—just slightly.
"I can't give you that," he said.
"Then I'll find it myself," Yunxi replied, and began to walk away.
But Xiuming called out one last time. "Lady Yunxi… the fate of more than just us may rest on what you choose now. If you truly want to know what's going on, meet me tonight—at the Moonwell Hall."
She stopped.
Did she just step into a war she never asked for?
She didn't turn back. But her answer came like wind through leaves.
"I'll be there."
Chen's voice dropped to a whisper, heavy with steel and shadow.
"Even now, I don't believe in her."
He turned away from the window, the moonlight casting his sharp silhouette across the stone floor. His cloak shifted slightly as he moved, but his expression remained unreadable, frozen beneath the mask he wore so well.
Xiuming, who had paused in the corridor, looked back over his shoulder.
"Is that your fear talking, or your heart?" he asked quietly.
Chen didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
His silence was louder than any denial.
The room echoed with a strange tension, as if even the walls knew that something inside him had begun to crack.
Then he muttered under his breath, barely audible:
"She makes me weak."
Xiuming, still not turning fully, replied with a calm firmness,
"No. She makes you human."
Xiuming sighed, folding his arms. "You don't have to believe her. But you can't ignore the truth. She risked herself for you—twice."
Chen turned sharply, his dark cloak sweeping behind him. "She appeared in that place. At that time. Tell me, Xiuming, does that sound like a coincidence?"
Xiuming's jaw tightened. "Then what are you saying? That she's the enemy?"
"I'm saying she's part of something," Chen hissed. "And until I know what that is, I won't trust her. I can't afford to."
The room fell into silence, the weight of unspoken truths pressing in like mist.
Outside, the moonlight shone with a pale glow.
Far from the palace walls, in a hidden courtyard bathed in shadow, a fan spun slowly in a woman's hand.
Cheonsa stood alone, a faint smirk curving her lips.
"Good," she whispered to herself, watching the moon.
"Let them doubt each other. That's how it begins."
Yunxi stepped cautiously into the Flower Blossom House, the soft scent of blooming petals wrapping around her like a gentle embrace. The delicate pink and white flowers swayed in the breeze, their beauty almost too serene for the undercurrents of tension that filled the room.
Cheonsa sat by the window, her fan resting loosely in her hand. Her eyes flicked up as Yunxi entered, a knowing smile playing on her lips — one that didn't quite reach her eyes. Roa stood nearby, her expression calm but unreadable.
"Lady Yunxi," Roa greeted, her voice warm but formal. "What brings you here at this hour?"
Yunxi swallowed her unease and stepped forward, meeting their gazes. "I... I have questions. About Chen, about what happened. And about you."
Cheonsa's smile deepened just a little, but she made no move to answer. Instead, she gestured toward a low table set with delicate tea cups. "Sit. Let us talk."
As Yunxi settled herself, she felt the weight of their eyes—watchful, careful. There was something unsaid between them, a secret hidden beneath the blossoms. And Yunxi knew she had only just begun to unravel it.
Roa's eyes softened as she spoke, the usual regal poise giving way to something more vulnerable. "I am a demon hunter," she said quietly, "a duty passed down through our family for generations."
Yunxi's breath caught. The word demon felt heavy in the air, as if something dark lingered just beyond sight.
Cheonsa remained silent, watching Yunxi intently.
"One day," Roa continued, "I was gravely injured in a battle with a powerful demon. It left me weak, recovering slowly. That is why Chen has been so protective of me — because I am vulnerable."
She glanced toward the window, the light casting a faint glow on her face. "No one else knows the truth. Not even the king. Chen guards me fiercely, but it's a secret we must keep."
Yunxi's heart pounded. A demon hunter, a secret injury, a brother's fierce protection... everything felt suddenly tangled in shadows.
Cheonsa finally spoke, her voice low and smooth, "There is much you don't understand, Lady Yunxi. But trust must come with time."
Yunxi nodded, though questions swirled in her mind like restless winds.
Cheonsa's eyes gleamed with a knowing look as she stepped forward, holding out a small, ornate compass. "There will be Wings Behind the Veil," she said softly, her voice almost a whisper. "It's a secret that must never be exposed."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle in the room. "You must be very careful when handling this. The forces at play are dangerous, and not everything is as it seems."
With that, she placed the compass gently into Yunxi's hands. "This will help you… in time."
Yunxi looked down at the compass, feeling its cold metal against her palm, and understood that her journey was only just beginning.
Xiuming approached Yunxi quietly, his expression serious yet calm. "Lady Yunxi," he said, lowering his voice as if afraid someone might overhear, "your blood carries a power that can help me suppress the darkness within. If you truly want answers—answers even Princess Roa does not know—then follow me."
Yunxi's heart pounded. Questions swirled in her mind, but something about Xiuming's steady gaze made her hesitate… and then nod. She was ready to step deeper into this mysterious world, no matter how dangerous it might be.
Xiuming turned and began walking away, glancing back once. "Trust no one," he warned softly. "Not even those closest to you."
Just as Yunxi took a hesitant step to follow Xiuming, the air shifted.
A cold wind swept through the quiet courtyard. Shadows slithered along the ground, forming a formless, twisting figure cloaked in dark aura. Without warning, it lunged straight for Yunxi.
Yunxi gasped, frozen in place.
Before the shadow could strike, a silver flash cut through the darkness. Chen appeared from above, sword blazing with energy. His usual icy demeanour was gone—his eyes glowed bluish-red, ancient symbols rippling across his skin. As he slashed at the shadow, his body shifted—the remnants of dragon scales flickered on his arm, and power pulsed from his core like a raging storm.
Yunxi stood, wide-eyed. Is he… not human?
Xiuming rushed to Yunxi's side but couldn't get close to Chen. "He's losing control again!" he shouted. "He's burning through his seal!"
Chen roared, half in pain, half in fury—his aura whipping around like a violent storm. The dragon essence in him surged toward the moonlight.
"He can't come back unless you help!" Xiuming yelled, turning to Yunxi. "Your blood, Lady Yunxi—give it to him!"
Without a second thought, Yunxi reached for her dagger and slashed her palm once more. "Chen!" she cried, rushing forward and holding her hand out.
The scent of her blood reached him—and in an instant, the madness in his eyes dulled. The storm slowed. His body trembled as the aura faded. Slowly, his breathing steadied.
He looked up, confused and dazed. His gaze met hers—soft, questioning, and vulnerable for the first time.
As the last traces of the black aura faded into the night sky, Chen collapsed to one knee, gripping his sword. His body still trembled, but the madness had passed.
Yunxi stared, breathless. Her bleeding hand still hovered in the air. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him—this man, who just moments ago, looked like a creature from another world.
Xiuming stepped forward and caught Yunxi's wrist gently, wrapping it with a cloth. "This… this is the secret we've been hiding, Lady Yunxi," he said in a low voice. "His powers… they aren't just martial. They are ancient, buried—sealed inside him since birth."
Yunxi's lips parted. "Then… who are you really?"
Chen slowly stood, avoiding her gaze. His voice was cold again, but not unfeeling. "I never asked for this power."
She looked at him, eyes full of questions. "And those shadows… what were they?"
Chen turned toward the dark, disturbed ground where the figure had vanished. "They are
the Shadow Clan," he said flatly. "Creatures born from cursed energy. They have hunted my bloodline for centuries… and now, they're after you."
Yunxi stepped back. "Me? Why?"
Xiuming glanced at Chen, then at Yunxi, his expression serious. "Because you're not just an ordinary girl. Your blood… it reacts with his power. And that means—"
Chen interrupted, voice sharp, "That means she's in danger. And it's my fault."