Ren jolted awake with a ragged gasp. His chest heaved, sweat clinging to his skin, his sheets tangled tightly around his trembling legs. For a moment, the world was spinning—fire, chains, golden eyes—until reality forced itself back into focus.
His body felt… heavy. Every muscle ached as though he had truly been held down, claimed, and used. Ren's face flushed crimson as he shifted beneath the sheets—only to flinch sharply. A raw sting spread deep inside him, unmistakable, intimate, and utterly impossible.
"No… no, this isn't real," he whispered, clutching the sheets tighter. His heart pounded as memories of the dream came rushing back: Li Wei's molten gaze, the burning kiss of chains, the searing stretch of his body being filled.
It had to be a dream. It had to.
And yet—
Ren pulled at the collar of his shirt with shaking hands, eyes widening in horror. The snake-shaped mark on his shoulder was glowing faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat. The skin around it was red, almost bruised, as though someone had bitten and sucked at him there.
He scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping, his legs weak and unsteady. Each step made him wince, a deep soreness radiating from his core that left no room for denial. His reflection in the mirror only worsened his panic—his lips were swollen, his neck littered with vivid marks.
Ren gripped the edge of the sink, trembling. "This can't be happening. It was just a dream. Just a dream…"
But as he spoke, he heard it.
A low, familiar voice curling at the edge of his mind, husky and possessive.
"You can deny it all you want, Ren. But your body already remembers me."
Ren's eyes snapped wide, his blood running cold. He stumbled back from the mirror, pressing a hand to his mouth as his breathing turned frantic.
Because in that moment, he realized the truth:
The serpent hadn't just invaded his dreams.
He had touched him. Claimed him. Marked him—body and soul.
And Li Wei was still here. Watching. Waiting.