Anna's POV
The ground trembled beneath my feet.
From the castle gates, I stood beside Shoto and stared down at the streets below—streets that only this morning were filled with markets, laughter, and children chasing each other between store stalls. Now they were drowning in chaos. People screamed, tripping over shattered stone and broken carts as they ran for their lives. Smoke blurred the shapes of buildings and homes collapsing like sand, and flames licked upward, swallowing roofs and windows one by one.
A temple near the central square shook violently—and then crumbled. The stone tower split in half, falling like a wounded giant crashing to the earth. The sound was deafening, drowning out every scream and cry for help.
The sky above us shifted. Clouds twisted together like coils of ink, turning dangerous and black, spreading fast — swallowing the sun whole. Just moments ago it was noon, bright and warm. Now it felt like the middle of the night. The light was gone, replaced by a suffocating, pitch-black darkness that pressed against my chest like a weight.
The air changed too. Soft winds turned sharp, cutting like blades across my skin. It smelled of burning wood, blood, and something foul—something ancient and wrong.
My fingers dug into Shoto's arm, trembling.
He looked down at me, jaw clenched, eyes stormy and determined.
"Anna," he said, voice steady, though pain flickered deep inside his chest. "I have to go."
My heart dropped.
"What do you mean?" I whispered, even though I already knew.
"My kingdom… my people need me." His voice cracked, only for a second.
He gently lifted my hand from his bicep, letting it fall. My fingers hung in the cold air, empty. I stared at him, unable to move.
He turned away, raising his sword high. His voice thundered across the courtyard.
"All soldiers—CHARGE! Protect the people at all costs! Fight until your last breath!"
His command shattered through the chaos, and instantly soldiers formed ranks and stormed forward. Their armor rattled like thunder, their boots shook the ground.
Before leaving, Shoto turned back to me. His eyes softened for the briefest moment.
"Stay in the castle. Evacuate everyone from here. Use the back exit, lead them to the Jungle of Aglibá—the monsters can't enter there. Do not step outside these walls. Promise me."
I nodded slowly, throat burning.
He stepped back. I stepped back.
Then—both of us stopped.
Something broke inside the air—like a string snapping—and without thinking, we ran back to each other, crashing into an embrace so fierce it stole breath from my lungs. His arms wrapped around me, desperate and shaking. I buried my face against his shoulder, holding on like the world was ending around us—and maybe it was.
Every soldier, every member of the council, every servant froze in shock.
This was two hearts colliding in the middle of disaster.
Slowly, painfully, we pulled apart—fingers slipping from fingers until only air remained between us.
And then he ran.
Sword drawn.
Straight into the darkness.
I turned and sprinted through the corridors, shouting orders to the servants.
"Get everyone out! Use the back gate! Lead everyone to the Aglibá jungle! NOW!"
People ran, children crying, women holding family members, elderly stumbling with trembling hands. I checked every hallway, room, and corner, pushing everyone forward.
The screams outside grew louder. I rushed to a balcony and stepped out to look.
What I saw ripped breath straight from my chest.
A little girl—the same child who once thanked me with teary eyes for saving her father in the medical tent—slipped and fell in the middle of the street. Before anyone could reach her, a monstrous shadow slammed down and swallowed her whole.
Her scream cut off instantly.
I stumbled back, covering my mouth with shaking hands as tears flooded my eyes. My vision blurred. My body refused to move. The sound of the kingdom dying echoed through my bones—every scream, every plea, every breath lost.
This kingdom—the one that welcomed me, trusted me, believed in me—was tearing apart in front of my eyes.
And it was my fault.
I freed Shou Feng.
I betrayed them.
I broke their trust.
I thought I was saving myself.
But I brought death to them.
I was supposed to heal people.
I was a doctor.
But because I wanted to go home—just once, selfishly—I unleashed a monster and now innocent people were dying.
When they find out…
God knows how much they will hate me.
They will not see a savior.
They will see a monster.
I pressed my back to the cold wall and forced myself to breathe.
Focus. Not now. Not yet.
Through the smoke, I saw Shoto fighting—cutting down shadow creatures, every movement desperate and furious. Blood splashed across the stones. His strength was brutal, unstoppable—but he was only one man against an ocean of darkness.
I turned and ran toward the Prince's chambers.
Inside the room, paintings covered every wall—paintings of me. Laughing. Smiling. Standing in light. Versions of myself I barely recognized.
"Prince?" I called out, breathless.
He sat motionless on the bed, hands limp, eyes empty.
"What are you doing!? We need to leave!" I rushed to him.
He didn't look at me. His gaze stayed glued to the floor.
"Everything is gone," he whispered. "My mother. My father. Now my kingdom. Everything is gone. There is nothing left for me."
I froze. Silence stretched between us.
Slowly, I knelt and lifted his face gently in my hands.
"Nothing is gone," I said softly, but firmly. "Everything will be fine. Just live. This kingdom will rise again. And it needs a king. You are that king."
His breath trembled. His eyes glistened. After a moment, he nodded and stood.
We ran.
The corridors shook as distant roars cracked the air. The cries of dying people echoed inside my skull like knives. With every step, guilt hammered into my heart until it felt bruised and raw.
I caused this.
This blood.
This suffering.
All because I wanted to go home.
I freed the monster.
I destroyed a kingdom.
My lungs burned as I reached the central staircase. I stopped—because the ground beneath my feet trembled violently.
A deep, monstrous grumbling rolled through the sky—so low and powerful that it vibrated inside my bones.
I turned slowly.
The sky grew even darker—if such a thing was possible. Clouds churned like boiling tar, twisting and folding over each other. A massive shape slithered beneath them—visible only through flashes of lightning bursting inside the black fog.
Long. Thick. Serpentine.
Moving fast—circling, coiling, stretching across the sky like a living nightmare.
I stepped outside into an open courtyard, unable to look away.
All the shadow creatures froze mid-movement—as if time itself stopped, air turning so still that even dust hung motionless.
Mountains far ahead began turning black, eaten by smoke that crawled downward like a living plague. Thunder cracked. Lightning flashed inside the clouds, bursting veins of blinding white light.
The rumbling grew louder—an inhuman roar rolling through the sky.
My breath broke.
I gasped, stepping backward, my legs almost buckling. Tears blurred my vision as I stared upward, petrified.
Something enormous pushed through the smoke.
A head.
A dragon.
It tore out of the clouds, massive and horrifying. Scales black as midnight glistened with molten streaks of gold, glowing through cracks like fire beneath a shell. Its body was long like a serpent, twisting with terrifying grace. Thick black fur ran down its spine, flowing like smoke. Its horns were long, sharp, ivory white, curving upward like spears.
Its eyes—God, its eyes—blazed gold, burning with ancient power and bloodlust. They scanned the kingdom like a predator savoring prey.
The roar that erupted from its throat shattered every window, split stone walls, and sent people screaming.
My tears fell uncontrollably. The cries of the people grew louder, filled with agony, terror and helplessness.
In the distance, I saw Shoto freeze where he stood—sword lowering, eyes wide.
And then I saw him.
Standing on a rooftop beneath the dragon's shadow—Shou Feng.
He stood tall, wind whipping his dark hair, blood dripping from his chest wound but he looked almost amused. His lips curled into a merciless smirk.
Our eyes met.
Mine were filled with fear—raw, trembling panic.
His burned with madness, power, and ruthless hunger.
The world seemed to collapse between us.
The dragon roared again, shaking every bone in my body.
And the kingdom fell silent—
As if holding its breath for death.
To be continued...