Pov Anna
The world had gone unnaturally still.
Even the wind that always whispered through the cursed Aglibah jungle had fallen silent, as though the trees themselves were holding their breath. Torchlight flickered against the stone pillars of the underground chamber, but everything else—every sound, every movement—felt frozen in place.
Except him.
Shou Feng.
He was on his knees, head bowed, long dark hair falling like a black curtain over his face. Thick iron chains coiled around his arms, shoulders, and torso—thousands of them, each sealing talisman glowing in gold. A dagger was stabbed deep into the left side of his chest, and fresh blood glimmered along the blade.
I'd told myself I was ready.
I was not.
When I stepped forward, my breath staggered in my throat.
Shou Feng wasn't just handsome. He was… ruinous. Devastating. His presence alone felt like gravity—like something ancient and dangerous and impossible to look away from.
His clothes were ripped from battle, but even torn and blood-soaked, they resembled the ancient warrior robes I had seen only in old Japanese scrolls—layered, dark, fastened at the waist with thick knots of cloth, sleeves hanging loose enough to show the sculpted line of his arms. Not a kimono. More brutal. More masculine.
More him.
His jawline was sharp and clean, as though carved by a god with steady hands. His cheekbones were high, his nose straight and refined. His lips were full, parted slightly as though even breathing hurt, and his skin—despite the blood—looked impossibly smooth. And when the faint light touched the edges of his features, it revealed someone who should not exist in a cursed jungle, chained like a monster.
Someone who looked like he belonged on a throne.
I swallowed hard and knelt in front of him.
"Shou…" My voice cracked. "S-Shou?"
For a moment, nothing moved.
Then—slowly—he opened his eyes.
Dark charcoal black. I had never seen a color like it, deep and endless, like looking into the calm center of a storm. The flicker of torchlight reflected in them, and something unreadable flickered across his expression. His brows lifted by only a fraction—just enough to show he was surprised I existed.
"I am Anna," I breathed, forcing the words out. "Kiyoshi sent me."
That made him lift his head a little further. His gaze locked onto mine, and for a heartbeat I forgot how to inhale. The intensity of his stare made my skin tingle, as though my body knew something my mind hadn't caught up to yet.
His eyes traveled slowly, observing my face. My brown eyes. My very not-Japanese features.
My American features.
Something unfamiliar to him.
When he still didn't speak, I looked down at the dagger buried in his chest. My hands shook as I touched the hilt.
"This is going to hurt, okay?"
He didn't reply.
He didn't even flinch.
I pulled.
A sharp grunt tore from his throat—low, deep, and agonizingly human—and blood rushed out. I panicked and pressed my hands to the wound.
"Don't die, don't die—!"
I closed my eyes, forcing the trembling to stop. Energy surged through my palms—white light, hot and blinding. My powers, by some miracle, answered me. The wound sealed beneath my hands, skin knitting together as if time reversed itself.
When I looked up, Shou Feng's eyes were on me—wide, alert, piercing.
I exhaled shakily. "How do I get these chains off you? Is there a key or something?"
At last… he spoke.
"Just get the tailsmans off the chain," he said, his voice low and dangerously smooth. "I'll take care of the rest."
His voice sent a sharp chill down my spine. Deep. Commanding. Attractive in a way that felt wrong in a place like this.
I turned to the talisman papers. Each one glowed faint gold, ancient characters carved into them. I could reach all of them despite how high they were placed—maybe fate was helping me. Or maybe this was designed for someone like me.
I tugged one talisman.
It didn't budge.
I tried to tear it.
Nothing.
I tried cutting it with a rusted blade I found nearby.
Still nothing.
"Seriously?" I hissed. "What kind of supernatural tape is this?"
After trying a thousand useless things, I dropped to the cold stone floor, panting.
"I don't have much time… the fox isn't here… Kiyoshi didn't tell me anything…"
Frustration burned behind my eyes. "How am I supposed to deal with these stupid papers?!"
I pressed my hands together, trying to steady myself.
Close your eyes. Breathe. Think.
When I opened my eyes and looked at my hands, the veins were glowing faintly. White again. Power, waiting.
Shou Feng watched silently, studying me as though trying to understand what I was.
"Most people who were brought here before…" he said quietly. "They melted. Or exploded. One of those."
I gulped and looked up at the talisman again. The characters glowed brighter as I reached toward it.
"Okay," I whispered. "Please Work ."
I touched it.
It detonated.
A shockwave burst across the chamber, dust exploding from the stone walls. Shou Feng's.
But I wasn't.
My hand…
My hand wasn't even scratched.
"Huh," I blinked. "Okay. That's new."
I stood up, dusting off my knees.
"If we overdose something," I muttered, "even if it's power or medicine, it becomes poison."
A lesson the talismans apparently understood.
Some talismans blasted instantly when I touched them. Others pulsed for long minutes, sucking out my magical energy before exploding. Each one drained me. Each one shook the chamber. Sweat dripped down my neck, my limbs trembling, my vision blurring.
But I kept going.
One by one.
Dozens…
Hundreds…
Time lost meaning.
"Almost…" I gasped, reaching for the final talisman. "Almost there…"
It glowed fiercely—brighter than any of the others. When my fingers touched it, the paper clung to my skin like it was alive.
Minutes passed.
My magic drained like water spilling through a cracked bowl. My breath hitched. My arms shook violently. I fell to my knees—
Still touching it.
Still fighting.
When it finally exploded, the blast sent me backward. I hit the ground hard, face pressed against the freezing stone. I tried to push up, but my arms gave out.
"Shou… I…"
My vision darkened, edges blurring into black.
He stood.
Chains falling from him like rain.
And then—
Nothing.
Everything went dark.
I woke up to sunlight.
Warm, soft, golden.
I blinked rapidly, confusion twisting inside my chest. My room. The familiar wooden ceiling. The scent of burning incense. My bed.
"What…?"
Was it a dream?
No. My muscles ached too much. My hands felt raw. And my magic—my magic had been drained completely.
Something had happened.
Before I could sit up fully, the door burst open.
"Anna!" Shoto Kano rushed toward me, eyes wide in panic. He grabbed me, pulling me into a tight hug. "Are you okay?! Gods—I thought—Anna, you scared me!"
His warmth hit me all at once. I hugged him back, burying my face into his shoulder.
"I'm okay," I whispered. "I think…"
He pulled back slightly, hands cupping my face.
"The prince is looking for you," he said, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "That's why I didn't answer earlier—I couldn't risk anyone tracking your location."
My heart raced. "Why is he after me?"
"Because he is obbessed with you and..." He hesitated. "Shou Feng escaped."
I froze.
My breath lodged in my throat.
"What…?"
"Anna," Shoto said softly, brushing my hair back.
"Everyone is searching for him. And for the person who freed him. This palace is not safe anymore. You have to stay inside. Don't go near the outer court. Don't talk to anyone you don't trust."
His concern, his fear for me… it warmed something deep inside. We talked for a while, whispered about what I remembered, about what the king might be planning. His touch lingered on my cheek, trailing down to my lips.
He kissed me, soft and slow.
I kissed him back.
For a moment, the world was simple.
But the world never stayed simple.
A soldier suddenly slid the door open. "General Kano—His Majesty has summoned you."
Shoto exhaled sharply, brushing a final kiss to my forehead. "I'll be back soon. Stay here, okay?"
"I will."
He left, and the room fell silent again.
I leaned back against the pillows, letting out a long, trembling sigh. My body was still exhausted, but my energy was returning slowly—too slowly. I stared at the ceiling, trying to piece together everything.
Did I really free Shou Feng?
Or…
A faint, soft sound interrupted my thoughts.
Crack.
I froze.
Another crack. This one from above.
Very slowly, I looked up.
My breath vanished.
Shou Feng was sitting on the thick ancient ceiling beam—high above me—one knee bent, the other hanging loosely over the edge. His long black hair fell around him like silk, the still-torn warrior robes revealing the sculpted lines of his chest and throat. His dark eyes were fixed on me.
Alive.
Free.
Watching me with an expression I couldn't read.
And in that moment, the whole world seemed to stop again.
End Of The Chapter .