Chen's breath grew shallow as he staggered back, a harsh cough tearing through him. Blood spilled from his lips, staining the ground beneath his boots. His dragon aura flickered violently around him—unstable, raw, burning.
"Chen!" Yunxi rushed forward, but he raised a trembling hand, stopping her in her tracks.
"Don't come near me..." His voice was ragged, pained. "The seal inside me… it's breaking faster than we thought. If you stay, I'll lose control again. I—" Another cough. More blood. "You'll be in danger because of me."
Yunxi's eyes filled with tears, but they shone with defiance. "If you think I'll run now, then you don't know me, Prince Chen."
"Please," he whispered, almost desperate. "Stay away. If I'm not around, at least promise to protect Roa. She's the only reason I— We have a mission. A purpose."
Yunxi stepped forward, fearless, her voice unwavering. "You talk as if I'm not already involved. I saw the shadows. I've bled for you. I've seen your pain."
He looked at her, conflicted—torn between pushing her away and pulling her in.
"I won't walk away," she continued. "You're not alone, Chen. Share this burden with me. Whatever it is, we'll face it together."
There was silence, broken only by the distant howl of the wind and the faint pulse of dragon energy swirling through the night. And in that moment, something shifted—not in the world, but in Chen.
He lowered his hand.
Xiuming took a breath, ready to speak, but Yunxi's voice cut through the air—shaky, yet firm.
"I already know," she said. "Chen... he's the reincarnated spirit of an ancient dragon."
Chen froze.
Xiuming blinked in shock. "How do you—"
"But…" Yunxi continued, her voice lowering, "he can't show his true form. Not because he doesn't want to… but because of her."
She glanced in the direction of the Flower Blossom House. "Because his sister is a demon hunter. She'd never accept him if she knew."
A heavy silence followed. Chen's clenched fists trembled. Not from anger—this time, from fear. Fear of truth. Fear of rejection. Fear of himself.
But Yunxi wasn't done. Her eyes dimmed with confusion, and something in her shifted—like her soul remembered something her mind could not.
"But how do I know this?" she wondered silently.
"Why do I remember a story I never heard? Why does this feel like something I wrote... but never finished? I—I didn't write this ending. I only wrote the beginning."
Her heart thudded.
"Is this… a glitch?"
"Or have I entered the story I was too afraid to finish?"
The wind carried a soft whisper—one that no one else heard.
"You must complete it."
Just as Yunxi was lost in thought—confused, shaken, and wondering if she had lost her mind—
everything stopped.
The wind halted.
Xiuming's mouth was frozen mid-sentence.
Even Chen, who had just turned toward her, was paused like a statue.
Yunxi's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
"What… is going on?"
Then came a voice.
Not from any direction—but from within the space around her. Cold, emotionless, yet strangely familiar.
"System Activated"
Author Detected: Yunxi
Story ID: 'Wings Behind the Veil' – Status: Incomplete
Yunxi's eyes widened. "System?"
You are the creator. The writer of this world. But you never finished it.
This world became unstable… because it was left without an ending.
Yunxi took a step back. "Wait… I-I wrote this? But… this was just a draft. I never—"
Incorrect. You wrote the beginning, shaped their fate, and abandoned them.
If you wish to return to your real world, you must finish the story.
Complete it with a true happy ending.
Yunxi looked around. Chen, Xiuming, even the trees—all frozen in time, waiting on her. Depending on her.
"Happy ending?" she whispered. Her eyes turned to Chen, the dragon prince tormented by his past. To Roa, the sister who hunted demons. To Cheonsa, who lingered in shadows with secrets she never shared.
Could such a story… even have a happy ending?
The system will now assist you as your guide.
Complete the story… or remain trapped in it forever.
Yunxi stood frozen as the air around her shifted. Time itself seemed to pause. Chen was still, Xiuming's voice hung mid-sentence, and even the wind had fallen silent. A faint chime echoed through the stillness—a crystalline, melodic sound that didn't belong to this world.
Then, a voice—clear, mechanical yet strangely gentle—rippled through her mind.
"System Activated. Welcome, Creator."
Yunxi's eyes widened. Creator?
"This world… this story… is of your making. But it remains incomplete. To return to your world, you must finish it—with a happy ending."
What is this? I… wrote this? Her memories fluttered like broken pages of a book she never fully read. She had started something… but never finished. Somehow, she had entered her own story.
The voice continued:
"You are now the central piece. However, to succeed, you must follow the rules:
Do not reveal your true identity. Complete all hidden missions. Ensure a happy ending for all key characters. Survive until the very end."
Yunxi gasped. Survive? So I can die in here…?
Her heart pounded as the world resumed—Chen coughing blood, Xiuming shouting her name, Roa somewhere waiting. But everything had changed.
This wasn't just a story anymore.
It was a test.
And now, the real game had begun.
A soft sound echoed in the air—like pages flipping in a book.
Then—
Time resumed.
Chen gasped and fell to his knees, breathing hard. Xiuming stumbled forward.
"Yunxi! What just happened?" he asked.
But Yunxi's gaze was distant, haunted… and ready.
"I'm the author of this world…"
"Then it's time I write the ending I never had the courage to."
Yunxi stood still, her hand quietly clenched at her side.
Her chest ached from the truth, but her eyes… they held new determination.
"No one can know."
Not Chen, not Roa, not even Xiuming.
If this was truly a story she had written—if these people were living inside her imagination, her memories, her emotions—
Then she wouldn't let it end in sorrow.
"A happy ending… even if I have to fight fate itself."
The system's voice lingered softly in her ear:
"Main Quest Activated"
Objective: Rewrite the destined tragedy. Create a true happy ending.
Yunxi took a deep breath.
Chen had collapsed again moments ago—his powers unstable, his truth half-revealed.
But now, she knew it wasn't just a curse he carried…
It was her unresolved storyline.
She turned to him as he struggled to rise. "Are you okay?" she asked gently, the same way any ordinary girl would.
Chen glanced at her with wary, tired eyes. "You're still here?"
Of course, she thought. I created you. I'll stay until I set you free.
She gave him a small smile. "I said I'd protect your sister, right?"
Xiuming looked between them, confused by the change in her. But Yunxi only nodded as if nothing happened.
The game had just begun.
Behind her back, a new icon lit up in her vision—unseen by others.
"Secret Mission: Restore Roa's past"
Status: Locked. Conditions unknown.
Yunxi knew: every answer would come at a price.
But if it meant rewriting the fate she'd left behind, she was ready to face her own story.
The Shadow Clan's Hidden Lair
A cavern soaked in silence. Mist slithered over the stone floor as dark-robed figures knelt in a circle. At the centre stood a tall man, face hidden behind a crimson mask, violet cloak billowing even without wind—the Shadow Master.
One of the shadows stepped forward, bowing deeply.
"Master, we attempted to break the seal during the full moon, but… we were interrupted."
The masked man's voice echoed, deep and sharp like steel.
"By whom?"
"A girl. We believe her name is Yunxi. She… gave him blood."
A long pause. The master's hand twitched.
"That girl again."
Another shadow muttered, "The dragon's transformation was incomplete. He tasted her blood… but regained control."
The Shadow Master turned slowly.
"That wasn't supposed to happen. Who is she?"
Silence.
"She carries something... unnatural." The master's fingers crackled with dark energy.
"No ordinary soul dares touch a sealed dragon. Keep eyes on her."
"Yes, Master."
He looked up at the ceiling, where veins of red light pulsed like a living heart.
"The veil is weakening. Our time draws near. Let the prince suffer his confusion. Let the girl believe she is in control."
"Soon, the wings shall fall."
After the Shadow Clan meeting…
Yunxi sat by the window of her room in Moonlight Pavilion, the moonlight casting silver streaks across her pale face. The events of the day still echoed in her heart—Chen's pain, her blood awakening something ancient within him, and the strange chill of being watched.
Suddenly, everything stilled.
The world blurred.
A soft chime echoed in her ears, and a glowing screen appeared before her eyes—only visible to her.