In the heart of Heiyun Kingdom's Witch Realm, hurried footsteps echoed down the marble corridor.
Feng Ruo burst into the chamber without knocking, breathless and pale. "Sister!" she cried. "You still have time to do embroidery? Do you not realize your life is about to be ruined?"
On the bed, a stunning young girl with flowing red hair and golden eyes calmly raised her head. Dressed in silken robes, she had been threading a blossom pattern while chatting with the quiet maidservant beside her.
Feng Ling blinked, her expression unbothered. "Why is Ruoruo being so dramatic again? What happened now?"
"You haven't heard?" Feng Ruo's voice cracked as she rushed forward. "A Regional Demon Lord just arrived at the palace. He claims that the Supreme Demon Emperor himself—Mo Tian—wants to marry you!"
The embroidery hoop slipped from Feng Ling's fingers, hitting the bed with a soft thud. She shot to her feet. "What did you just say?"
"You've been locked in this room too long," Feng Ruo said in a panic. "Don't you know what's been happening these past weeks? The Demon Realm has started attacking the outer villages—slaughtering people, claiming land.
Our Witch Kingdom is too small to fight them off. Today, the Demon Envoy declared a truce—but with a condition. You must marry there emperor."
Feng Ling didn't wait to hear more from her sister.
Without a word, she turned and ran—down the corridors, past startled servants, until she reached the palace's main throne room. She pushed the heavy doors open with both hands, ignoring the gasps of attendants who hadn't yet announced her.
Inside, her father, mother, and older brother stood in tense silence.
The room, usually warm with sunlight, felt cold with dread. Her father, King Feng Zheng, had a deep crease between his brows. Her mother, the Queen, wore a faint frown. Her brother's arms were crossed tightly over his chest.
They looked up as she barged in—three pairs of eyes full of worry.
Her mother, the Witch Queen, a striking beauty with flowing black hair and sapphire‑blue eyes, narrowed her gaze. Her voice was sharp.
"Feng Ling! What did I tell you about storming into the throne room like a wild child? You're a princess. You must carry yourself with dignity, or how will others see our royal line?"
But Feng Ling's golden eyes gleamed with emotion—flaring red at the corners as her temper rose. "Mother," she asked, voice trembling, "is it true? Am I to be married to that ruthless monster?"
Her words echoed through the throne room.
Her father looked away.
Her mother's face softened. She stepped down from the dais and walked toward her, taking her hand gently. "Xiao Ling… You are a princess. That means sometimes, you must sacrifice—for your people."
Feng Ling's lips parted in disbelief.
The Witch Queen continued, her voice low. "You know the witches in our kingdom cannot stand against the demon army. We are small.
They are endless. Already, three kingdoms have fallen under Mo Tian's hand. If we resist… our realm will be next. But if we agree to this marriage, we may buy peace."
"But Mother, I'm already engaged," Feng Ling cried, her voice breaking. "How can I be forced into another marriage?"
Tears slipped down her cheeks, warm against her cold skin.
Her mother looked away for a moment, pain flickering in her sapphire eyes. "Xiao Ling, your father and I have decided to annul your engagement to Prince Bai. The decision is final."
Feng Ling's breath caught. "You already broke it off…?"
"The Regional Demon Lord has given us three days," the Queen continued, her voice trembling. "In three days, you will leave with them… and marry the Supreme Demon Emperor in the Demon Realm."
Her words hit like a stone to the chest.
"I won't marry him!" Feng Ling shouted, yanking her hands free from her mother's. "I don't love him!"
"Ling'er!" her father called, but she had already turned and fled the throne room.
She didn't know where she was running.
Her vision blurred with tears as she stumbled down paths she barely recognized. By the time her legs gave out, she found herself surrounded by towering trees and unfamiliar silence.
This must still be the palace… but how come I've never seen this forest before? She thought.
She sank down against a tree, burying her face in her hands. Her sobs grew louder, echoing through the woods. For a moment, she let herself cry—truly cry—for everything that was slipping away.
Then, a sound broke the silence.
Rustling.
She quickly wiped her face and stood, thinking it might be her sister. But what she saw instead made her blood run cold.
A woman stood a few feet away—cloaked in a flowing white robe, her entire body glowing faintly with a soft, eerie light. Her hair shimmered with a soft golden hue, as if kissed by starlight. But it was her eyes that paralyzed Feng Ling—black and bottomless, like endless voids.
Feng Ling's instincts kicked in. She raised her hand and chanted a quick incantation—but nothing happened. Her spell vanished into the air like mist.
Her breath hitched. Why didn't it work?
Though she was born a witch, Feng Ling's powers were weak. Her training had only begun, and she wasn't skilled enough to defend herself. Still, she lifted her chin and forced her voice to stay steady.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want from me?"
The glowing woman only smiled, her footsteps light as she approached.
Feng Ling tried to move—run, escape, anything—but her body wouldn't respond. It was as if she were frozen in place.
The woman stopped before her and gently took her hand. Her black eyes softened like someone looking at a lost child.
"You can no longer run from your fate," she said in a voice that echoed with power. "The time has come. The prophecy is beginning."
Feng Ling's heart pounded. "What prophecy? What are you talking about?"
But the woman only smiled. "The world teeters on the edge of ruin. When the moon bleeds on the night of your eighteenth year, the sealed fate shall awaken. You cannot escape it."
"Do not fall for him again… or history shall repeat, and the world will fall with you."
"What do you mean?" Feng Ling shouted. "What are you saying? I don't understand!"
The woman's lips curled into a smirk—and in the blink of an eye, she vanished.
Darkness closed in around Feng Ling. Her knees buckled, and her vision went black.