Ashes of the Throne
POV: Cheng Court / Xae Rin
Smoke choked the air as Xae Rin moved swiftly through the palace corridors, his eyes scanning every corner, every shadow. The rebellion had reached its bloody climax — ministers who had plotted against him now lay dead, wounded, or in chains. The treasury had been secured, but at a terrible cost.
The Empress, his mother, had tried to protect the servants and loyalists, standing between soldiers and innocents. Xae Rin arrived too late. The Prime Minister's loyalists had breached her quarters, and the sound of steel and screams had reached him before he could intervene.
He stumbled into the chamber. His mother lay on the marble floor, blood pooling around her, eyes wide but fading. "Mother…" His voice cracked, raw with grief.
The Empress reached for him, her fingers trembling. "Xae… Rin… you must… lead them… protect… the dynasty…"
"Mother, no!" His hands shook violently as he tried to lift her, but it was too late. Her last breath left her body, and the world seemed to collapse in silence around him.
The chamber was eerily quiet except for the distant screams of the dying and the crackle of fires. The Prime Minister's rebellion had claimed its first major victim.
Xae Rin's eyes hardened. "…They will pay," he whispered. "Every last one of them."
POV: Nae Yi / Cheng Dynasty
From her tower, Nae Yi watched, the blue flames of her altar reflecting in her eyes. She allowed herself a faint smile as she saw the chaos unfold. The death of the Empress would destabilize the court even further, making the Crown Prince more vulnerable and his loyalists more desperate.
Perfect, she whispered. The boy grows stronger, yet the girl I molded will now face the ultimate test.
She summoned Giyeok. "Tonight," she said, voice as cold as the marble halls below, "you will confront the boy. You will obey. And if you fail… you will die. The prophecy demands it."
Giyeok bowed silently, but the conflict in her eyes betrayed her. The girl who had never failed a mission now faced a choice that would either solidify her loyalty or shatter it completely.
POV: Giyeok / Cheng Dynasty
The night was thick and oppressive as Giyeok crept through the palace, every sense on alert. The corridors were littered with debris, remnants of the battle, and bodies of rebels and loyalists alike. Her heart pounded, not from fear of combat, but from the knowledge of the task ahead.
She found Xiao Xing in the inner courtyard, wounded slightly but resolute, tending to the few survivors. Her blade was drawn, trembling in her hand.
"Xiao Xing…" she whispered, stepping from the shadows.
He looked up, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "…Giyeok," he said cautiously. "Why are you here?"
"I…" Her voice faltered. "…I have orders. I must…" She could not complete the sentence. The weight of her master's command pressed against her chest like iron.
He stepped closer, sensing her conflict. "…Orders? From Nae Yi?"
Her lips trembled. "…Yes."
"Then," he said softly, "the choice is yours."
For the first time in her life, Giyeok hesitated. To obey Nae Yi meant killing him, the boy she had grown to care for. To disobey meant defying the only person who had shaped her entire existence. Her heart and her loyalty were at war.
"…I cannot kill you," she whispered finally, letting the blade fall to the ground. "…I will not."
Xiao Xing's expression softened. He stepped forward, gently taking her hands in his. "…Then we survive together. Whatever comes."
POV: Xae Rin / Cheng Court
Meanwhile, Xae Rin rallied the remaining loyalists. The rebellion had been crushed, but the city was scarred, the Empress dead, and the Prime Minister imprisoned. He moved through the court, calming nerves, issuing commands, consolidating power.
"I will be Crown Prince," he declared publicly, voice echoing in the hall. "And I will lead Cheng to prosperity, justice, and strength. Those who defy me will face the consequences of treason."
The court fell silent. Even those who feared him could not deny his authority. The prophecy had chosen him — and now, the world would see the weight of that choice.
POV: Nae Yi / Cheng Dynasty
Nae Yi's eyes gleamed in the darkness. The pieces were in place. Xae Rin was officially the Crown Prince, a symbol of power and prophecy. Giyeok had been tested and… survived her first moral trial.
But the game was far from over. "…Soon," she whispered, "he will learn that love can be a weapon, and loyalty a curse. And when the girl I raised faces the ultimate decision… one will live, one will die. And my will will be done."
Closing Scene: The Edge of Destiny
In the courtyard, Xiao Xing and Giyeok stood together, their hands intertwined, watching the fires burn across the city. The battle had been won, yet the cost was clear — the Empress was gone, the rebellion had left scars, and Nae Yi's shadow loomed larger than ever.
"Whatever comes next," Xiao Xing said softly, "we face it together."
Giyeok nodded, resting her head briefly against his shoulder. "…Together."
And far above, in her tower, Nae Yi's laughter echoed, cold and cruel. The storm was not over — it had only just begun.