Anna's POV
My breath froze.
My eyes widened the moment I saw him — Shou Feng.
He stood on the high stone ledge above me, the sunlight carving sharp lines across his face. And then, without a sound, he jumped, landing right in front of me with a force that shook the ground beneath my feet.
He looked nothing like the blood-covered prisoner I had seen days ago.
He was clean now — breathtakingly handsome, almost unreal. He wore ancient white Japanese clothing, flowing and royal, but not a kimono. The fabric clung to his tall, sculpted frame, and his presence alone swallowed the entire space around us.
I stepped back instinctively, but he stepped forward — closing the distance, dominating the air between us like a storm preparing to break.
His thumb lifted to my lips, brushing them slowly, his touch cold yet burning through my skin. My heart slammed in my chest.
His voice dropped deep, velvet and dangerous.
"He kissed you."
My breath hitched.
"I know him," he continued, eyes locked on mine, unblinking and unreadable.
"His name is General Shoto Kano. When I first saw him, I thought he was just a kid. But after witnessing his battle skills… I realized he is the finest soldier alive. I wanted him in my army. But he refused." A faint smirk tugged his mouth. "He is loyal."
"He is," I whispered before I could stop myself.
Silence swallowed us — thick, suffocating.
Standing so close to Shou Feng, I couldn't think. Every word felt dangerous. Wrong.
I was terrified of saying anything that could offend him… or worse.
His eyes narrowed, studying me like I was something he had waited centuries to understand.
"You look different from the girls here," he said at last. "Where are you from?"
"If I tell you, you won't believe me," I whispered. "Let it go. Just tell me where I can find Kiyoshi."
His silence returned — longer, heavier. The air turned colder, and I felt like I was choking on it.
"Please," I finally said, voice trembling. "I really need to meet Kiyoshi."
"I don't know where he is," he replied calmly.
"We have to find him," I insisted. "I have to go home."
"I can send you home."
His tone shifted — sharper, powerful, like a blade resting against my throat.
"Tell me where it is."
"You won't believe me."
His hand suddenly lifted — his fingers gripping my chin, tilting my face up to his effortlessly.
"Just tell me, little girl."
My voice shook.
"I'm from America. 2025."
I braced myself for laughter — mockery — anything.
But he only stared, expression hardening.
"So the world still lives…" he murmured. "I thought I would destroy it."
My eyes widened.
"You actually believe me?"
He nodded once.
"You are not the only one who is stuck here, Anna."
The way he said my name — it sent a shiver straight through my spine.
"Who else is—"
Footsteps.
The door burst open. I gasped, spinning around — healers rushed inside.
"Miss Anna," one of them said breathlessly. "Shoto needs your help."
"What happened?" I demanded.
"He is being punished by the King. With a whip."
My heart stopped.
"What? Why?!"
"We don't know, but this must stop!"
I ran — faster than I ever had — through the stone corridors, up endless stairs.
The sound hit me first — the brutal crack of leather tearing into flesh. Then I saw him — Shoto, on his knees, hair loose, blood pouring down his back with every strike.
Crack.
"STOP!" I screamed, the sound tearing from my chest.
Everything froze. The prince turned. The soldiers lowered their whips.
I ran forward, fury shaking through me.
"What is going on? Why are you doing this to him?"
The King raised a hand to silence me, then stood — stepping close, his voice cold and proud.
"He violated a rule of our kingdom."
"What rule!?"
"To fall in love with the enemy."
He pointed at me.
I stared, disbelief numbing my veins.
"You may have saved our dying soldiers," he said, voice dripping venom, "but you are still Kiyoshi's pupil — and that makes you our enemy. When the soldiers recover, we will throw you out. As proof that we are strong. Strong enough to have Shou Feng on his knees before us. We are the only kingdom who brought that monster down — that son of a— that god-forsaken beast who tried to take over the world, God's favorite, the god of dark—"
CRACK.
Everyone froze.
My eyes widened as a hand burst through the King's chest from behind — blood spilling like dark wine.
A voice like thunder growled behind him:
"Since when do you speak my name like that, bastard?"
Shou Feng appeared, ripping his hand free. The King collapsed, lifeless.
Chaos exploded — screaming, soldiers panicking.
Shou Feng looked at me once — then at Shoto, still bleeding on his knees.
Shoto pushed himself up, standing in front of me protectively. I met his eyes — full of pain and loyalty — and something inside my chest cracked open.
Shou Feng smirked… and vanished into smoke.
I pressed my hands to Shoto's back — tears falling — and light surged through my palms, healing his torn flesh.
The council erupted into madness. Outside, a tremor shook the palace walls. A temple collapsed. People screamed.
We ran outside — and my blood turned to ice.
From the darkness crawled a shadow creature, massive, living black smoke.
No eyes, no face — only a jaw lined with thousands of razor-sharp teeth, ripping through people, devouring everything in sight.
My heart stopped.
"What… is… that?"
End of the chapter