He didn't even glance at his son as he spoke,
"At last you're here, Eli… How many times must I call before you make time?"
Kim answered in a cold, detached voice,
"I already told you, Father… I have no interest in politics."
The King turned this time. His eyes carried a trace of irritation, and something else—suppressed tension.
"Whether you're interested or not, this kingdom is also yours. And there are matters you cannot avoid."
"Oh? And what matters are those?"
Kim smirked faintly. "Another war? Or perhaps you've already chosen a new princess for me to marry?"
The King rose to his feet. His voice thundered, heavy and commanding, shaking the hall itself.
"What I am about to say—you will neither laugh at nor refuse. Because this is not only your future—it is the future of our bloodline!"
Kim's expression hardened.
"Do you know the name of the Phoenixes, Kim?"
For a heartbeat, Kim's heart stopped.
Rehani…
"Yes," he muttered.
The King stepped closer, his gaze sharp and piercing.
"One of them has awakened again. Beneath the Blood Moon. And I know—you've already found her."
Kim's silence was enough to confess the truth.
The King's voice grew dark.
"This bond will bring ruin, Kim. You cannot imagine what Phoenixes are capable of. Once their fire ignites, this bloodline will be reduced to ashes."
Kim spoke calmly, almost defiantly,
"Maybe being reduced to ashes is exactly what we need."
The King's glare burned into him. The Queen was silent, the shadows along the palace walls flickering as though even the darkness trembled.
Kim stepped forward, eyes filled with an unyielding fire.
"You don't know what she means to me. She's not just a Phoenix. I've shared everything with her. Even…"
His voice grew heavier, but he didn't stop.
"…We were together. We had sex. That was my choice. I will not deny it. I will not hide it. And there is nothing you can do."
Silence. Absolute silence.
The Queen's eyes widened in shock. The King stood motionless, his face carved from stone.
Then suddenly—one of the guards stifled a laugh, smirking.
He leaned slightly forward, whispering with mock amusement,
"Well, well, my prince… you've jumped straight into the royal fire."
Kim cast him a calm, razor-sharp glance.
"My love was born in fire."
The King's voice rumbled again, colder, heavier,
"You do not understand, Kim… Kingdoms are not ruled by passion. Fire leaves behind only ashes—not love."
Kim replied firmly,
"Perhaps. But I refuse to live as a shadow any longer. I will live—on my own terms."
The King stared into his son's eyes for a long moment. There was fire in his gaze, yet an icy smile crept onto his lips.
"Very well…" he said slowly.
"If that is what you desire, I will not stop you. You wish to marry her? Then do it. You have my consent."
Kim's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're serious?"
The King moved closer, his voice dropping to a shadowy whisper.
"But… there is one condition."
The hall trembled as if under the weight of his words.
The Queen remained frozen, the guard's smirk vanished.
Kim asked cautiously,
"What condition?"
The King's tone was like steel.
"The fire of the Phoenix is eternal. Their power—limitless. If you truly wish to marry her, she must be bound into our bloodline. A Blood Oath must be made."
Kim faltered.
"A Blood Oath?"
The King narrowed his eyes.
"You don't yet understand, Kim… This oath means that once the bond is forged, her fire will merge with your blood. If one of you dies, the other will perish as well."
"This is not just love… it is fate-binding."
"Do you accept?"
Kim's breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling as though the entire hall was pressing down on him. His eyes locked onto his father's, but his words were no longer meant for the King alone. They were for the Queen, for the shadows, for the heavens themselves.
He took a deep breath.
"I accept."
The King narrowed his eyes. "You understand what you're saying?"
But Kim didn't stop. His voice grew steadier, louder, pouring out like a storm that had been caged too long.
"I accept, Father. Not because you command it. Not because this kingdom demands it. But because my heart demands it."
"She is my fire. My beginning and my end. I cannot imagine a life without her warmth. If you ask me to bind my blood with hers… then so be it. I will gladly let her flame burn through me."
"I know the risk. I know the curse. If she dies, I die. If I fall, she will burn with me. But isn't that what love is supposed to be? Not a safe cage, not a lifeless throne—but a vow to rise and fall together."
He stepped closer, his words trembling but unbroken.
"You call it fate-binding. I call it freedom. For the first time in my life, I know what I want—not politics, not crowns, not power, not shadows. I want her. Only her."
The Queen gasped softly, tears glimmering at the corner of her eyes, but Kim's gaze never left the King's.
"I will not let fear decide my life. I will not let tradition chain me. You built this kingdom on blood and steel. Let me build my future on fire and love."
He clenched his fists, his voice rising.
"Yes, Father. I accept the Blood Oath. I accept every risk, every scar, every burden. I accept to live bound to her flame, even if it means I will burn."
His chest heaved. His voice cracked, but his spirit did not.
"I accept… because if loving her means dying, then let me die a thousand times. I would rather be ashes with her than a hollow shadow without her."
"I accept… because she is not just my lover. She is my soul. My fate. My truth. And I will not deny her, no matter how heavy the crown becomes."
Kim's voice thundered through the hall, echoing off the marble pillars.
"I accept… because I was born for this fire. And I will embrace it, no matter the cost."
At last, silence fell again. But it was a different silence—one filled with trembling walls, racing hearts, and a truth that could no longer be undone.
Kim's final whisper carried through the chamber like a vow etched in flame:
"I accept."