A royal edict was announced at dawn, its red ribbon stained with urgency. The bells in the outer court rang—three times.
Palace Eunuch (shouting):"By the King's command—All princes and court ministers are to assemble! A new decree shakes the balance of the empire!"
The capital stirs with whispers. News spreads like wildfire.
Prince Chen's Courtyard
Chen is meditating when a guard rushes in.
Guard:"Your Highness! The king has issued an edict—the palace may fall into chaos. You must come to the throne room immediately!"
Without hesitation, Chen stands. His eyes narrow.
Chen:"What did Father do now?"
Throne Room – Royal Palace
Ministers are already arguing when Chen enters.
Crown Prince (angrily):"This is madness! We're not prepared for war!"
General Li:"Your Highness, we don't even know who sent the cursed letter. Yet His Majesty is insisting we summon the Demon Clan to the capital?"
Chen (stepping forward):"What's going on?"
King (seated, weakly):"There has been unrest in the shadowed borders. The demon tribes are stirring... and a figure calling herself the 'Phoenix Queen' claims dominion over them."
Gasps echo across the court.
Minister:"The one from the old prophecy…?"
Chen (frowning):"She saved a village. Solved a sealed curse. The demons call her Queen. But she's not our enemy."
King (stern):"You think she's not. But I can no longer ignore the warnings. There is a growing belief that she is gathering power… perhaps for war."
Outside the Court – Yunxi overhears
Hidden behind a decorative screen, Yunxi hears everything.
Her fingers tremble slightly.
Yunxi (thinking):"So ... they want to fear me now. After I saved them all?"
Royal Palace – Courtyard Outside the Throne Room
The shouting continues. A sudden magical pulse ripples through the air. The wind stills.
Chen grabs the Crown Prince's shoulder.
Chen:"Protect the Crown Prince. Harry—guard him with your life. I'll be right back."
Harry (serious):"Got it. Be careful, Chen."
Chen turns and dashes out, his figure a blur against the palace steps.
Moon Pavilion – Yunxi's Secret Chamber
Yunxi kneels in a circle of glowing sigils, her fingers weaving through the air as she casts an ancient spell.
A large orb hovers in front of her, swirling with fragmented images—fire, a dragon's cry, a crumbling palace, blood on silk…
Yunxi (softly):"No… this future can't happen."
She reaches deeper, forcing the spell. Her phoenix mark glows on her back, burning brighter.
Suddenly—an image locks into clarity.
Chen—wounded, kneeling before the king's throne. Betrayed. Alone.
Her eyes widen.
Yunxi:"Chen…!"
She extinguishes the orb and grabs her cloak.
Outside the Palace – Moments Later
Yunxi's crimson veil billows behind her as she leaps onto a rooftop, then into the palace gardens. She's moving fast, her eyes scanning.
Yunxi (thinking):"I must find him before the decision is made. If the edict is sealed… his fate is doomed."
Scene Split – Chen at the Royal Temple
Chen has gone to an old forbidden temple inside the palace—searching for answers the king would never give him.
He stares at an old prophecy carved into stone:
"When the phoenix rises veiled in fire, the dragon shall bleed beneath false light."
Chen (reading aloud):"False light… Is that what this all means?"
He hears footsteps—and turns quickly.
Yunxi appears.
Chen:"You?"
Yunxi (serious):"I saw the future."
Chen (tense):"Then tell me. Do I survive?"
Yunxi:"No… not unless you listen carefully."
Royal Temple – Stone Hall Dimly Lit by Fire
The silence is thick between them. Yunxi's veil flutters as she steps closer to Chen, her voice grave and low.
Yunxi:"Chen… You will become the dragon."
Chen (blinking):"What are you saying…?"
Yunxi (voice trembling but steady):"Not just any dragon. The one foretold to burn everything. When the time comes, all will fear you. Even Roa… she will stand against you."
Chen (taking a step back):"You're lying."
Yunxi:
Royal Temple – Stone Hall Dimly Lit by Fire
The silence is thick between them. Yunxi's veil flutters as she steps closer to Chen, her voice grave and low.
Yunxi:"Chen… You will become the dragon."
Chen (blinking):"What are you saying…?"
Yunxi (voice trembling but steady):"Not just any dragon. The one foretold to burn everything. When the time comes, all will fear you. Even Roa… she will stand against you."
Chen (taking a step back):"You're lying."
Yunxi:
"No. I saw it. I used an ancient spell—the threads of fate do not lie."
She pauses. The torches around them flicker unnaturally, reacting to her phoenix aura.
Yunxi:"If you participate in the war, your power will awaken—and it will consume you. The emperor's edict, the palace unrest, even the demons… it's all a trap. A path laid to turn you into the weapon they fear."
Chen (bitterly):"So what? I run? Hide while my people suffer?"
Yunxi (stepping closer):
"No. You don't fight on their battlefield. You forge your own path… and I will help you."
Chen (eyes narrowing):"Why do you care so much?"
Yunxi looks down for a moment, then raises her gaze—her phoenix eyes glowing faintly.
Yunxi (softly):"Because if I don't… you'll die, and the world will call you a monster."
Chen (quietly, eyes sharp):"How can you see the future? That spell… it's not normal. Not even the royal mages dare to use it."
Yunxi (calm, almost too calm):"Because I'm not bound by this world's limits."
Chen (suspicious):"What does that mean?"
Yunxi turns away slightly, her veil catching the firelight. Her voice lowers, wrapped in sadness and secrets.
Yunxi:"There's a place beyond time… where fate flows like threads. I found a way in. But it has a price."
Chen:"What price?"
Yunxi (pausing):"Every time I look forward, a piece of my soul fades. If I keep doing it… I may not return the same."
Chen (softly):"You're risking your soul… for me?"
She doesn't answer directly. Instead, she holds out her hand—and a shimmer appears in her palm: a fiery thread, glowing and twisting, then fading.
Yunxi:"I saw the fire devour you. I won't let that happen."
Yunxi (firmly, taking a step back):"No… Don't follow me. I've said what I must. You should be careful. That's all I'm saying. The rest—it's your choice."
She turns to leave, her crimson veil catching the wind, but—
Chen (grabbing her wrist):"Wait."
Yunxi freezes.
Chen (stepping closer, voice low and intense):"Why do you know so much about me? Why do you care this much if you're just a stranger?"
Yunxi (quietly, not turning):"Let go."
Chen (not letting go):"You told me to be careful… but what about you?"
She doesn't answer, but he can feel the slight tremble in her hand.
Chen (his voice gentler now):"Your eyes… I've seen that fire before. It doesn't just burn. It protects."
Yunxi finally pulls her hand away slowly.
Yunxi (softly):"Maybe it's better you don't know me. The closer you get, the more dangerous it becomes. For you… and for me."
She vanishes into flame and wind—leaving Chen standing alone in the flickering torchlight, her warmth still lingering in his hand.