Even though many years have passed, not only from the death of the Zhen family, but my new role as crown prince, I still dream of the fire that fateful night when everything turned into ruin.

My older brother, Zhen Zhi, spoke on the verge of death, his breath growing weaker by the moment. His body laid taunt on the ground, blood pooling around him, part of his face disfigured from the fire that burned down our home. “Little brother… I told you to run,” he said, coughing up blood. “Why did you come back to this terrible scene?”

Kneeled beside him, my body shook as I cried, barely registering his words. I clutched the front of his clothes in desperation, my grip growing tighter, as though by sheer willpower I could keep him alive. “No, no, no… Don’t say that like you’re going to die!” My hands shook with unbridled rage as I spoke, “How could you… How could you leave me alone?! You’re… You’re the only one I have left in this damn world.”

Why?! Why did this happen? The day began like any other in the Zhen household, but when I returned home, a sudden, unexpected tragedy shattered the normalcy, bringing about the unimaginable. Tears that I could no longer shed blurred my vision. I could feel nothing but the wind sweeping across my tear-stained face and the hollowness now placed in my chest where warmth used to dwell.

Zhen Tianshi, my younger sister who’s a year part from me, laid lifeless nearby beneath a mountain of ruin. What about the braised pork she promised to make when I passed my exams?

My throat bobbed, looking at the sole of her shoes. Waves of grief washed over my person like a tidal wave upon facing a reality without her. “Little sister… I got accepted into college today. Won’t you get up and celebrate with us?”

Zhen Zhi squeezed my hand, trying to bring me comfort. “She would be proud of you,” he said, holding my gaze. “I’m proud of you. You will survive this. Your life is just beginning to blossom.”

“While yours is ending before my eyes.” I shook my head at the ground, smiling brokenly at nothing. “What about our plans to see the Northern mountains? What about the field of flowers Tianshi longed to care for? When I made enough money for the three of us, we promised to live without regrets. We were so close to having that future, but… it seems my effort was too late.”

“Zhen Xue,” Zhen Zhi said, coughing again. “I have little time left. Please, little brother, don’t blame yourself. Tianshi and I want you to be happy.”

My hands tightened at my sides with a feeling of helplessness. “But how can I?! What is the point anymore? Tianshi and you were supposed to find happiness, too.”

He sighed heavily, seeming at a loss for words. The silence spread between us as he stared towards our younger sister. “Perhaps Tianshi is already in that field of flowers, caring for them,” he suggested. “Perhaps the three of us will reunite on the Northern mountains one day. You must live well so that we can hear your stories. We can not travel with you anymore, but that doesn’t mean our legacies have to be forgotten.”

Before his eyes could glaze over, I pushed through my sadness and announced, “I promise, Zhi.” I took a shaky breath, trying to calm myself. “I’ll live well and write the best stories you’ve ever heard.”

Without delay, I forced myself to close his eyes so that he may rest. I placed a kiss on his forehead and whispered, “When you reach the Northern mountains, I hope they are everything you imagined. One day, I’ll see them too. Tell Tianshi I’m waiting for her braised pork. We’ll sit around together, reminiscing about the good days, and I’ll share my stories with you both, so please… wait for me.”

Usually, at this point in the dream, I would wake up in a cold sweat, but this time, the nightmare didn’t end. The figure in white made an appearance. Though I could not make out his face in the darkness, I recognized his cocky smile. He approached me with haste, raising his ebony blade before himself as though to finish what he started.

“You should probably wake up,” he murmured softly. “Can’t have you losing your mind when we have so much to do.”

Before I could feel the strike of the blade, I woke inside my room with my heart racing inside my chest—a reminder of how I fully intended to keep my promise to Zhen Zhi. 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

When I was young, I had a best friend. 

Many times, I stared at him through my window when he returned home from school. He would pause in my driveway and share a smile with me. Sometimes he would return with friends, laughing at whatever jokes they made, and I swear for the first time when he laughed, it was like I saw a flicker of light. 

My lonely days didn’t seem so lonely anymore when he came around.

Even though I had siblings, my parents seemed oblivious to my need to socialize with other children. Being home schooled felt more like sitting within a pretty cage. I could watch others live their life, but couldn’t be a part of them. Playing with dolls and toys could only satisfy the ache for companionship for so long, so when I was particularly bored, I would sit alone in my room and create scenarios inside my head. 

I imagined how the boy would stay and talk for a while. We’d go on adventures together under the stars, discovering the secrets of the world. When I went to sleep, he was also in my dreams, smiling brilliantly like always, but alas, we never crossed paths in real life. It wasn’t until my twenties, after I graduated with a computer science degree and moved to my house in London, that I finally met the boy who would frequent my dreams thanks to Xiao Yu and Jie Bai. I learned his name was Li Wei. He moved to London at a young age, so I never saw him during my college years, but I’m pretty sure that boy is standing before me right now.

The hand holding mine bared a warm, lingering touch that clenched my pulsing heart until ice-cold.

“You seem afraid,” murmured the celestial being, whose radiant presence outshone all others in the ballroom. He adorned a silver mask, towering above me by some length, despite that we were both grown men. Without need for approval, he gracefully kept our dance smooth and without faltering behind others.

I stared back at him with my waning anxiety, pursing my lips. “Time is running out,” I explained for the umpteenth time we’ve rehashed our current dire situation. “We’ll lose everything if we fail.”

Everything we’ve fought so hard to protect will have been for nothing if we don’t succeed tonight. Lumaria is a world full of magic, but to maintain balance, magic will seek compensation. It’s drawn to the largest source of mana within Lumaria, and surprisingly, such an object exists within this very ballroom.

If not for my divine contract with the gods, the core of magic within this room would’ve exploded much sooner, releasing centuries’ worth of unstable mana.

The impact could destroy my only chance at finding the truth behind my family’s death. Not only would it consume me, the entire kingdom of Cassanova, but potentially Lumaria itself.

The three gods I’ve formed a contract with were keeping a watchful perspective of the elaborate play we set up tonight. Our intentions are to capture the greedy sorcerers who ignore the laws of creation, trying to steal the core for themselves.

Upon pulling some strings, the palace was having an open house festival to celebrate the return of our lost ancient artifact, or at least that was the disguise.

After all, there’s no better way to grab your enemy’s attention than by presenting their desire on a silver platter to take for themselves.

To my right, the Fire God’s piercing eyes were the richest shade of purple that ever existed and resembled the deepest layer of floors within an inferno. “You have no faith in us,” he observed without revealing judgment. “I expected as much.” He gently snatched me away, having previously reached for my hand. “But Zhen Xue,” he spoke again, drawing back my attention like reeling in a spindle of unwoven yarn. “Keep an open mind,” he advised softly. “We haven’t lost yet.” 

A group of civilians across the room were ensnaring the ice god in conversation. He sipped on his glass of peach-colored wine a little too long before letting his frosty gaze drift to mine for a moment.

He looked uncomfortable.

I debated going over to help him, but the god with the silver mask pulled me away again, much closer this time around. We fell into sync with other nobles, waltzing across the paintings swirling across the marble floor. My feet moved with him, trying to keep his pace, but he easily overshadowed my steps. 

“Apollo has already consumed most of the mana,” he said upon twirling me around. “And Boreas is stabilizing the core.”

When he dipped me towards the floor, I caught sight of movement in the corner of my eye.

“Just focus on our targets,” he whispered sweetly near my ear. “The situation is becoming more dangerous. Stay by my side.”

Electricity crackled through the air, sending the ballroom into a state of disarray. Fear spread among the people, halting their dance while we kept moving. He continued to whirl me around the chaos, easily dodging our pursuers. The lights overhead flickered, bringing sparks that rained down upon us like falling stars.

There were glimpses of guards wielding swords, pursuing the sorcerers in the shadows.

Boreas chose this moment to move by my side. He kept the enemies at bay, freezing their shoes to the floor with his ice powers. While the scene continued in a heated display of quick movements, my father stormed through the entrance. His glare was even worse than the last time I crossed him.

“Go,” the god with the silver mask said softly, ushering me away from my father. “We’ll finish things here.”

I tried not to think this would be our last time together. After all, when our plan is done, there is no reason for them to stay.

Sensing my hesitation, he smiled faintly. “Our paths will cross again. As for the others... should the time come when you need their help, they will be there too.”

I couldn’t explain why, but I felt a powerful urge not to leave him behind. However, after thinking further about his response, I sprinted upstairs, taking two steps at a time. When I was alone, I found the nearest balcony for a moment of relief.

A hand abruptly clamped over my mouth. The edge of cold steel brushed against the skin of my neck, and all movement ceased. I held my breath, unable to pull away.

There was a loud thud. The sorcerer keeping me hostage fell to the ground, unconscious.

Just as swiftly, a hand grabbed my waist, pulling me towards the railing.

In a panic, I struggled to pull away but failed. The hand was pale and wrapped in black fabric from heavy sword practice. “Oh, it’s just you,” I said, relaxing a bit. The ribbon tying back my long brown hair came loose and fell near the floor.

The guard handed back my ribbon, the other hand still gripping my waist. Unlike the time we met, when Ming Yi was skin and bones, he now resembled a beautifully trained shadow and stood as the strongest among the royal guards.

“I thought you could use some company,” he said with a frown. “How did you notice it was me?”

“How could I not notice you?” I stepped away, retrieving one of my inventions from my pocket. It was a small cube with a simple design of bolts and screws, but the twisting motion helped me think and relieve stress.

Ming Yi surprised me as he tilted his head and watched the object spin in my hands. “What’s that?” he asked.

I offered him the object, and he took it, studying the structure.

He glanced at me for a moment, his green eyes glowing more than usual. “It looks like a puzzle,” he said with some fascination, returning to study it with interest

I smiled at him fondly and took back the cube. “It’s rather useless,” I said. “But I like it.”

Ming Yi was staring again, like he would often do sometimes. I didn’t understand what he saw when he looked at me that way. “Zhen, let’s get out of here.”

I looked up from the cube I was playing with to see his outstretched hand. Attempting to hold back my laughter, I stared at him as firmly as I could. “Ming Yi, I know you’re a skilled swordsman, but we both know you can’t fly. You’re the only one that can climb from this height.”

Ming Yi chuckled.

Did he… just laugh? My waist abruptly got snatched in response.

We fell weightlessly out the window. Air rushed through my hair and I found Ming Yi grinning broadly by my side, eyes sparkling both wide and brilliant. The wind was too harsh for me to watch him any longer, but I knew Ming Yi enjoyed the thrill of making me suffer.

“Zhen,” he whispered. “Open your eyes.”

I did as he said, noticing we were standing in another bedroom. There were ebony and golden engraved swords mounted on the wall, but what really grabbed my attention was the chimes I gifted Ming Yi when we were kids. He had them hanging by the window. They jingled from the light breeze as if greeting us.

I touched the chimes with a faint smile. “So, you kept them.”

“And you kept the ribbon,” he said in return.

I moved the ribbon behind my back with embarrassment. Ming Yi promptly took notice and, with endearment, he looped around me to snatch the ribbon from my hold. He began gently tying the item back into my hair.

I waited for him to finish, never knowing what to say when he’s unexpectedly affectionate.

He peeked around my shoulder to study my expression. Whatever he saw made a smile grow on his face that met his eyes.

Sometimes Ming Yi’s subtle gestures were the only reason I could keep smiling when my home life seemed lost, but of course, I’d never tell him that. 

“Just wait a little longer, Zhen,” Ming Yi whispered. “When I make enough money for the both of us, I’ll buy you beautiful clothes.”

I wanted to retort, but I was too tired. “You don’t have to do that. I’d rather see you chasing after your dreams instead of wasting time on such nonsense.”

Ming Yi didn’t reply, focusing on something outside the window. “Stay here,” he ordered before slipping outside again.

The palace after dark was entirely different. No bustling servants, no crystal-adorned walls. Just a quiet, gloomy palace. Hours later, Ming Yi still didn’t return.

I lifted my robes and grabbed hold of the vines that would lead to the courtyard below. The old plants were rough against my skin as I tugged hard, testing the vine’s strength. When they stayed, I climbed to the ground rather easily.

As I moved through the garden, my sandals made a loud crunching sound on a twig that snapped beneath my foot. Moments later, I noticed a flickering light nearby, signaling someone’s approach.

From the darkness, a young man appeared, his metal braces glinting in the torchlight. With a single, swift motion, he unsheathed his sword, which astonishingly burst into flames.