Anna ran through the corridors with water still dripping from her hair, her breaths uneven and sharp. The cold stone under her feet felt like knives with every step, but she didn't slow down, she couldn't. Her hands were shaking, her heart beating so fast she felt it might crash out of her chest.
The heavy doors of the royal bath slammed shut behind her with a deep echo that seemed to chase her, swallow her, trap her thoughts.
She didn't see where she was going. All she could think of was the prince—his shadow in the steam, the cold air around him, the look in his eyes.
Then—
She collided into someone. Hard.
Anna stumbled back, but the hands that caught her were firm and steady. Shoto.
"Anna?" he breathed, shocked. His eyes widened at the sight of her drenched clothes and trembling state.
And then… he glanced behind her, toward the bath doors—still slightly vibrating from the force at which she'd run.
Behind the doors, a dark silhouette stood unmoving in the shadows. The prince.
Shoto saw just enough before the doors slammed fully shut.
"What happened?" he asked, voice low, the kind of low that was already guessing a terrible answer.
Anna gulped, her throat painfully dry despite the water dripping from her chin. When she spoke, her voice cracked.
"T-The… prince. He… he—"
She stopped. She couldn't say it. Maybe she didn't even know how to say it.
Shoto inhaled sharply, eyes widening just a little.
He understood. Too quickly.
Without another word, he shrugged off his outer robe and wrapped it around her shoulders. It was warm compared to her freezing skin.
"Come," he murmured. "Let's get you home before you get sick."
Anna held the fabric tighter, her fingers numb.
"W–Wait… aren't you going to do anything?" she whispered, almost hoping for an answer she already knew she'd never get.
Shoto didn't reply.
How could he? He was a general, yes, but he wasn't the heir to the throne. He couldn't accuse the prince. He couldn't even speak against him without risking the lives of everyone in his family.
He felt selfish for staying silent, but at the same time… it was the only right thing he could do. That's what he told himself anyway.
His silence was heavy. And it was enough.
Anna didn't speak either as they walked through the dim corridor. Each step made her legs shake more. The memory of the bath, the coldness around her neck, the gaze she felt on her back—it all returned again and again.
Halfway through, her knees gave a small buckle.
Shoto didn't hesitate. He lifted her in his arms, holding her in a steady, secure way that wasn't gentle but necessary.
"Your gifts from the villagers," he said, as if trying to distract her or fill the heavy silence. "I sent them ahead with one of my soldiers. They should be waiting at your home."
Anna didn't reply. She stared ahead blankly.
The rest of the walk was silent—almost painfully so.
When they reached her home, Shoto set her down carefully on her bed. A maid hurried over with fresh, warm clothes. But Anna didn't move.
She didn't speak.
She just stared at the floor, her fingers curled over the robe like she was scared someone would take it away.
Shoto's chest tightened with guilt.
He wished he had the power to go back and do something—anything.
But he didn't. He was strong in the battlefield, yes, but powerless in the palace.
Just as he opened his mouth to finally say something—But
A healer rushed inside without knocking.
"Lady Anna! I need you to come with me immediately!"
Shoto stepped forward. "No. She is not well."
The healer turned to him, breathless.
"General… it's your father. He's not well."
Shoto froze.
His eyes widened, but he didn't even look at Anna. Without a word, he walked out—fast, almost running.
Anna blinked once.
She heard everything.
Every word.
The room became unbearably quiet after he left. The maid tried to get her to change clothes, but Anna didn't respond. She sat for fifteen long minutes—not thinking, not resting, just breathing… and even that felt heavy.
Then finally, slowly, she stood up.
Her feet carried her out of the house and toward the medical camp, the one set up for injured soldiers. It was closer to the forest, near the training grounds.
As she reached the camp, she heard whispers coming from one of the large tents.
General Kano is going to die…" one whispered .
"We can't save him… we've tried everything…" healer on the chair said with Tears in her eyes .
"Shoto is going to be devastated…" other one whispered.
Anna's chest tightened. She pushed open the tent flap and stepped inside.
The smell of medicine and blood hit her instantly.
Inside, on a simple mat, lay an old Japanese man—his hair grey, his skin pale, blood around the corner of his mouth. His breathing was weak, shallow, almost fading with every exhale.
Anna moved closer, trying to understand what she was seeing.
"W-What is going on?" she asked.
A middle-aged healer woman turned to her, surprise flickering across her tired face.
"You… you are Lady Anna, right? The healer?"
Anna nodded faintly.
The woman sighed, wiping tears from the corner of her eyes before they fell.
"This… this is General Kano. Shoto Kano's father."
Anna blinked, confused. "Shoto's… father?"
"Yes." The woman sat beside the old man, adjusting the cloth under his head with trembling hands. "He is the real General of the Army. He led our forces for over twenty years. Brave man… too brave sometimes."
Another healer sniffed, looking away to hide her tears.
The first woman continued, voice soft but shaky.
"During the war with Lord Feng… he took a fatal blow protecting his men. They brought him back half-dead. The king ordered his son—young Shoto—to take command."
Anna's eyes widened a little.
"Shoto was that young?"
"Barely. People doubted him at first," the woman said. "But he proved everyone wrong. He trained harder than anyone. Led better than anyone. He didn't complain even once. Just… carried his father's burden without a word."
There was a pause, heavy and painful.
"He's so much like his father," the woman whispered. "Even when he's breaking inside… he stays silent."
Anna looked around the tent, searching for Shoto, but he wasn't there.
Her heart grew heavier.
She quietly pulled a chair beside the old general and sat down
"Where are the injuries ?" she asked, forcing her voice to remain steady.
The healer pointed toward another section of the tent.
Anna nodded weakly, lowering her hand to place her fingers on General Kano's wrist, checking his pulse.
She tried, once again, to remember that boy—the mysterious figure whose face she still couldn't recall. She needed that memory, that power, that spark she once touched.
But nothing came.
Her breathing slowed. Her eyes fluttered closed.
Far away, deep in the jungle.
...
Chains shifted.
The sound echoed between ancient trees.
Metal scraped against stone.
Shou Feng lifted his head weakly, his hair falling over his face. His wrists were bound by heavy chains, each chain held down by thousands of golden talismans glowing faintly. His breathing was slow, tired.
He let out a faint sigh.
Then—his eyes snapped open.
Red.
Burning red.
The chains trembled
Back in the camp....
The air thickened suddenly.
A cold gust swept through the tent, blowing out two lanterns. Papers rustled. Medicine bowls clattered.
Anna gasped, her back arching as something surged through her.
Not the soft white light she had used before.
This one was different.
Dark.
Red.
Unstable.
Energy exploded from her hand, cracking across the air like lightning. The entire tent brightened with a red glow so strong the shadows fled from the corners.
The healers screamed and stumbled back.
General Kano's body jerked—
And he inhaled sharply, eyes snapping wide open.
Alive.
But at the same moment—
Anna grabbed her head, pain shooting through her skull. Her ears began to bleed, thin streams running down her neck.
"A-ahhh—!" she cried, falling off the chair as the red light vanished as suddenly as it appeared.
Her body hit the ground.
And everything went silent after That.
End of the chapter....
.