“Your highness!” Nong dashed towards the apparition. Her footsteps echoed familiarly in the chamber. She stopped inches from him with a worried look on her face. “Is it really you?”

Prince Edan smiled, “Yes,”

She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Thank goodness,”

“I’m glad you made it. Both of you,” Prince Edan nodded towards Ru Feng. He turned back to Nong and smiled. The familiar sight warmed her heart. She reached to touch him.

“Are you alright?” Her fingers slipped through his chest.

“More or less,” the Prince chuckled.

Ru Feng quietly approached them. “Allow me,” He said.

A bright light shone from his center and swirled over to Prince Edan. Nong’s eyes widened. In a mere instant, Prince Edan was whole again and where Ru Feng had been a white see through tiger now sat.

Ru Feng’s spirit looked briefly to Nong. The color of his gold flecked eyes were still the same. He looked away and leapt over to the stone beast. His tail swished like a tendril of smoke.  “Take your time,” His words vibrated in the air. Ru Feng stretched out by bundle of weeds and closed his eyes.

Prince Edan patted off the dust on his cloak. “That feels better,” He said straightening his posture. “So, I trust Ru Feng has told you everything?”

Nong nodded, “You agreed to let him possess your body trusting that he’d come back and find me. Even though…this could have all gone terribly wrong,” She glowered.

The prince chuckled. “That sounds a bit reckless when you put it that way,” He offered Nong his hand. She took it and he led her over to a pile of stones they could sit on. Ru Feng made no move or comment from his spot. Nong couldn’t take her eyes off him. When they were all silent – they could hear the rain pelting from above.

“It was raining too when we stumbled upon these ruins,” Prince Edan started. “My men were wary and tired. And we believed we would be protected by our ancestors here. That night, I felt it in me. A calling…or a pull of some sort leading me to this cavern,”

He paused to brush away a loose strand of Nong’s hair. Her heart beat fast at the gentle touch. But her eyes again went to Ru Feng.

“I recalled your mother,” He smiled sadly. “She had told us about this beast and my father sent your parents here to slay it. Instead – they were ambushed by rebels,”

Nong’s breath hitched. And many years later she was here to do the same. Her eyes began to water. She blinked them away focusing on Ru Feng’s back. His tail no longer swished about. They could end it all right now. He was so vulnerable.

“I drew my sword…ready for vengeance,” The Prince turned over to Ru Feng. “And that’s when I met Ru,”

“And you trusted him?” Nong breathed.

“Just like you did,” Prince Edan said.

Her eyes roamed the poor room. It was dusty and dirty. There were cobwebs dangling from the ceiling. And funny enough – a small turtle had made its way in somehow perched on the stone tiger’s nose. Ru Feng was a kindred spirit to animals she thought.

Her gaze landed on the weeds. Even in the darkness…their tiny blooms were somehow able to grow. Ru Feng was not to blame. She believed it with all her heart. But she had no magic to fix all of this. And she couldn’t bear to tell him. Her vision back at the library was a stigma in the back of her mind.

And yet…a sliver of hope…that’s what Ru Feng had when he awoke to darkness. When everyone around him had lied to him, stole from him, and tried to kill him. Alone, he had travelled to the Lotus court to find her. She had to hold on to that hope as well.

“Governess Gao said we might be able to find some answers at the Bird Temple,” Nong responded.

Prince Edan stood up. “Then we mustn’t waste time. Ru will continue to use my body and go with you. I will stay safe hidden inside this lair,”

Nong stood as well and placed her hand on his heart, “You are a good person, your highness. I’ll come back for you soon,”

---

Trailing behind Ru Feng as they ascended the stairs back to the ruins, Nong was at a loss for words. She wanted to come clean to him about her powers. He deserved her honesty. And she found herself never wanting to lie to him again.

Realizing she had fallen behind she rushed up the steps towards him but as soon as she reached the top of the stairs – a gleaming sword pointed at her neck. She almost fell backwards but a rough hand grabbed the collar of her cloak and flung her forcefully towards a pile of rubble where a tied up Ru Feng was kicking about.