Kaen and Ryoma were making their way down the temple steps of Zhaoyan Temple, the last of the evening incense drifting behind them like fading smoke trails. The lanterns along the road were already being lit, one by one, their glow soft against the deepening dusk.
Ryoma ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Nothing. Not a single trace of her. We searched the whole temple."
Kaen exhaled slowly. "We'll find her. She couldn't have gone far."
"That's what you said three hours ago," Ryoma snapped. His steps were sharper, his jaw tight. "Tomorrow is the Bloom. If something happens to her before that—"
"We're not letting anything happen," Kaen interrupted softly, though his own worry bled through his voice.
They continued down the crowded street until the chatter around them shifted.
Two women hurried past them, whispering loudly.
"—I saw it with my own eyes! That girl flipped the man's arm like a twig!"
"And that beggar…poor thing they almost executed him!"
"But the Seventh Prince himself arrived! Imagine! In the middle of the marketplace!"
A group of elderly men chimed in from the side:
"They say the whole row of jars shattered! The expensive ones!"
"And the girl kept shouting at the crowd!"
"And the prince defended them! The Seventh Prince! What luck…"
Kaen and Ryoma froze mid-step.
Their eyes slowly turned to each other.
"…Could it be?" Kaen asked.
Ryoma's jaw twitched. "It is."
A spark of heat practically ignited around him, anger rolling off in waves.
Kaen lifted a hand carefully. "Ryoma… calm down."
"Calm?" Ryoma snapped. "Calm? The Divine Bloom is TOMORROW! And the very things I didn't want to happen are happening RIGHT NOW! You expect me to be calm?!"
Kaen stepped closer, lowering his voice. "We finally know where she is. That's good news. We can find her before anything worse happens."
Ryoma glared at him sharply. "No."
Kaen blinked. "No?"
"You're not using that method."
A faint tension crossed Kaen's face. His fingers curled against his knees, steadying the tremor of urgency beneath his calm.
"It's the only option we have at the moment," Kaen said quietly. "We don't have time to prepare another plan. I have to use the Blood Thread technique."
"But the side effects," Ryoma snapped, stepping closer, voice sharp with memory. "The last time you used it, you collapsed for two weeks straight."
Kaen pressed his lips together, jaw tight. "That was years ago. I can handle the effects now."
"Still a no." Ryoma's tone hardened. "And don't forget where we are…the capital. That technique is random, Kaen. It's more of a waste than a time-saver. And more than that…" His voice dropped, tension coiling in his shoulders. "What if the Emperor or the others get the marks?"
Kaen closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Ryoma… this isn't the time to think about every possibility. The incident happened here not long ago—they can't be far."
The Blood Thread Method is a forbidden blood technique used to locate a close blood relative. To activate it, the user must release their own blood onto the formation; a crimson mark immediately appears on the user's wrist, and the same mark manifests on any close blood-related person within the technique's range.
The technique cannot be targeted to a specific individual every close relative within its limit will receive the mark, whether intended or not. As the blood continues to drip, it lifts and forms a thin, living thread that extends toward the nearest activated relative, pulling the user toward the one whose presence resonates strongest with their intent.
The thread remains active only as long as the blood keeps flowing, meaning greater distances demand more blood. This method does not affect distant relatives and cannot recognize bonds beyond true bloodline.
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Meanwhile, inside a rattling chariot, Astra and Akira sat side by side, their wrists tied with the same rope. Astra glared daggers at Daita without blinking. Akira sat stiffly, doing everything he could to pretend he wasn't present. In front of them sat Daita, legs crossed, arms folded, staring at the two tied prisoners with the look of someone who regretted every life choice that led him here.
Noticing the heated stare, Daita raised a brow, then smirked. He leaned slightly forward. "What? Are you so captivated by my charm that you can't stop staring at me?"
Astra huffed sharply. "I don't want to be executed for punching the Seventh Prince."
Both Akira and Daita choked at the same time.
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!" Daita sputtered, nearly falling off his seat.
Astra turned away with a sharp flick of her head, refusing to indulge him further.
"…You still haven't thanked me," Daita muttered under his breath.
Astra snapped back, "Thanking you? Your Highness…thanking you for arresting us?"
"It had a reason!"
"A reason? What reason? We're clearly innocent! Right, Dan?"
Akira gave a nervous nod. "Huh… yes, we are."
"Ohhh, so you're innocent, are you? Dan…?" Daita repeated slowly, his voice dripping with mischief.
Akira's expression froze. He subtly raised his bound hands, making a frantic shut up gesture at Daita.
Daita, of course, ignored him completely. "You know," he continued casually, looking at Astra, "ever since the Crown Prince disappeared from the palace, we've been searching for him everywhere."
Astra blinked, startled. "The Crown Prince disappeared?"
Daita sighed. "I wonder where he is right now… hopefully not running through the streets disguised as a beggar with some random girl."
Astra gasped. "Is that even possible? The world would see that as terribly… shameful, especially for a royal."
Akira nearly slammed his head into the chariot wall.
"Right? Imagine that—His Highness, supposedly dignified, sneaking around like some escapee."
Astra nodded with genuine curiosity. "But I heard the Crown Prince never left the palace walls until now?"
"That's what everyone believes," Daita said, leaning closer with a conspiratorial tone. "But the truth is—"
Akira mouthed "STOP TALKING" at him with increasing desperation.
Daita continued anyway, eyes gleaming with wicked joy.
"You'd be surprised to know the Crown Prince has been escaping the palace for years."
Astra's jaw dropped. "What? Seriously?"
Daita chuckled. "Trust me, if you met him, you'd—"
Akira let out a small, miserable groan and slumped forward, the sound of utter suffering.
A moment passed, then Astra narrowed her eyes slightly. "…But why are you telling this to me?"
Daita casually glanced toward the blindfolded figure beside her. "Maybe I thought you should be aware. What if you accidentally run into him somewhere?"
Astra scoffed. "I don't think so. Even if that happens, it's useless. I've never seen His Highness before. I probably wouldn't even recognize him."
"Right…" Daita said slowly, letting the word stretch as he looked very deliberately at Akira. "It would be impossible for you to guess who the Crown Prince is. Even if he were sitting right next to you."
Akira muttered under his breath, voice low and offended, "You annoying little menace…"
Astra tilted her head. "Hmm?"
"Nothing," Akira said quickly.
Astra with curiosity lacing her voice. "By the way, Your Highness… where are we heading? Are we going to prison? If that's the case can I get to infrom my family? They will be worried."
Daita smirked faintly, shaking his head. "No… not prison." He let the words hang for a moment, his eyes glinting. "We're heading to the Crimson Veil Waterfall."
Astra frowned, confusion knitting her brows. Meanwhile, Akira's voice came out in a shocked whisper, "Your Highness… that place is…"
Daita leaned back in his seat, a slow, teasing smile spreading across his face. "Forbidden."
Astra froze, more bewildered than ever. "Right Isn't it forbidden? we're not supposed to go there?"
Daita's grin widened. "Exactly. That's why we're going."