—
"The world fears what it cannot name. But names hold power — and power demands blood."
— Ancient Fox Demon Proverb
—
The forest was unnaturally quiet the next morning.
No birds sang. No wind whispered. Not even the restless rustling of beastkin that usually echoed through the trees.
Only silence.
And the faint, shallow breath of the man who should have been dead.
Li Yuan knelt beside Jiang Wuhen, watching the rise and fall of his chest. The wounds along his side had stopped bleeding, but they were deep — claw marks, burns, and something stranger… thin black cracks that pulsed faintly under his skin.
"What are those?" Li Yuan whispered.
"Cursed chains," came Tian's voice behind him. "Old magic. Forbidden in all five kingdoms."
She stepped forward, hands glowing faintly with a soft blue light, her silver hair unbound and glimmering in the light filtering through the canopy.
Li Yuan stepped aside as she crouched over the prince, placing her palm over his heart.
"I can remove the outer damage," she said. "But the chains inside his soul… I cannot touch. Only he can break them."
"You said he was once a prince."
Tian didn't answer right away.
"Not just any prince," she said finally. "He was the crown of the Crimson Nine-Tailed Fox clan. The last heir of the Huo Empire — the only demon royalty who once defied the High Demon Council."
"Why did they turn against him?"
Tian's smile was bitter. "Because he loved a beast woman. Because he dared to dream of peace."
Li Yuan's eyes widened. "He—he was like me?"
Tian looked at him. "Yes. But unlike you, he lost everything. And now, if he lives, he will remember why vengeance is colder than death."
As if summoned by the word, Jiang Wuhen stirred.
His body tensed. His breathing quickened.
Then—his eyes snapped open.
Golden. Sharp. Ferocious.
Li Yuan stepped back as the prince shot up, grabbing Tian by the throat.
"Where am I?" he growled, voice raw.
Tian didn't flinch. She raised an eyebrow, still calm in his grasp.
"You're in the Forest of Withered Light. And unless you wish to die again, you will let me go."
For a moment, Jiang Wuhen stared at her, confused — uncertain. Then his grip loosened, and he slumped back, coughing.
"Why... why did you save me?"
"Because I was bored," Tian replied simply, dusting off her sleeve.
Li Yuan moved cautiously beside him, offering a water gourd.
Jiang took it and drank greedily. His hands were trembling.
"What's your name, boy?"
"Li Yuan."
The prince squinted. "Your eyes…"
He leaned closer. "You're not full beast. You're... like me."
Li Yuan nodded, unsure whether to feel pride or fear.
Tian turned her gaze toward the treetops, distant and unreadable.
"It seems fate is tying knots again," she said softly. "The last prince of the Fox Clan. The last mixed-blood born under a cursed moon. And me…"
She trailed off.
Neither boy noticed her fingers flicker — a glowing circle briefly appearing before vanishing again.
[System Notification:
— Target "Jiang Wuhen" registered.
— Dramatic Energy increased.
— Side Quest "Burned Thrones and Broken Bonds" unlocked.]
Behind her veil, Moria smiled.
Let the game begin.
—
By dusk, Jiang Wuhen was able to stand, though barely. He moved like someone who had forgotten how to live.
Tian handed him a staff carved from bone.
"You'll need this to walk," she said. "Or to kill."
He raised a brow. "Which one do you prefer?"
"I don't answer obvious questions."
Li Yuan watched their exchange, sensing the tension — not hatred, but something rawer. Like two wild wolves circling the same fire.
Finally, the prince turned to the boy.
"I need to leave," he said. "If they were chasing me, they'll come again."
"They won't find this place," Li Yuan said quickly. "Tian made sure of that."
"You trust her?"
He hesitated.
"Yes."
Jiang looked at Tian, then back at the boy. "Then you're either brave… or stupid."
Li Yuan tilted his head. "Maybe both."
The prince laughed — a short, bitter sound.
"I like you, kid."
That night, the three of them sat around a low fire, the silence between them heavy but not hostile.
Jiang stared into the flames. "There's something I must find. An artifact. One that was stolen from my clan before their execution."
Li Yuan's eyes lit up. "The Flames of Water?"
Jiang's head snapped toward him. "How do you know that name?"
"I overheard some traders talking about it once. They said it's not a flame, but a flower. It only blooms once every century, at the edge of the world."
"That's what they say," Jiang murmured. "But I know where it last bloomed. And I'm going to find it."
Tian's voice was calm. "You won't survive alone."
He looked at her, eyes narrowed. "And you want to come with me?"
"No," she said. "He does."
She pointed to Li Yuan.
Jiang looked startled. "The boy?"
"I'm not a boy," Li Yuan muttered. "Not anymore."
Tian's eyes glinted with mischief. "He needs to learn the world. You need protection and a guide. I need… amusement."
She stood. Her red veil fluttered in the wind, revealing a flash of her flawless face beneath.
"Three paths. One quest. And a thousand enemies."
She extended her hand. "Shall we make a deal, ghost prince?"
Jiang hesitated.
Then, slowly, he placed his hand in hers.
"I don't trust you," he said.
"I'd be disappointed if you did," she replied with a smile.
Behind her eyes, something ancient stirred.
And somewhere far to the north — in the dark lands where the High Demons ruled — a bell tolled.
The goddess had moved.
The game had begun.
—
End of Chapter 3