That night, Syaoran didn't move an inch. He sat beside Fang, gently rubbing her cold hands, refusing to let go—his eyes never leaving her pale face.
Her skin had begun to freeze. Ice crystals crept over her arms like death's silent fingers.
"Fang… are you cold?" he whispered, his voice trembling. "Wait—I'll warm you up… I'll melt this ice…"
Desperation filled his eyes as he summoned his magic. A golden light sparked in his hands as he moved them over her body, trying to thaw the chill clinging to her like a curse.
Just then, the physician rushed in, holding a bowl of prepared medicine. His eyes widened in alarm.
"Your Majesty! Stop!" he shouted.
Syaoran turned to him, distraught. "You expect me to just sit here while she turns into ice?! I can't—I won't—watch her fade away!"
But the physician knelt beside him, voice calm but firm. "Your Majesty, listen to me. If your magic touches the curse, it will clash violently with the poison within her. That conflict will only push her further from waking. Please… trust her strength."
Syaoran's hands faltered, the light in them dimming. He lowered them slowly, clenching his fists in agony.
"She's strong," the physician added softly. "If she can overcome her inner fears—if her heart still longs to live—she will wake up."
Syaoran nodded silently and slumped beside her, his eyes fixed on her frozen face.
---
Inside the Dream
Within the depths of her unconscious mind, Fang wandered through a land shrouded in smoke—dark, swirling clouds of black and grey wrapped around her like a maze.
She turned in every direction, her voice echoing in the void. "Is anyone there?"
A gust of cold wind rushed past her, like a shadow darting behind her back. Fang spun around—but there was nothing.
Her heart pounded as she walked forward, drawn to the thickest part of the smoke. A deep, chilling voice echoed all around her:
"You are a god… Reveal your true power…"
Fang froze. "Who are you? What do you want from me?!"
Suddenly, a shadowy figure leapt from behind and struck her down. She gasped—and everything turned black.
---
When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in the middle of a battlefield. The sky was grey, and the ground beneath her feet was soaked in blood. Even her own hands were stained crimson.
She looked around in horror.
What… is this?
Before she could think, a warrior approached her, blade in hand, his eyes wild. Fang shrank back, covering her face with crossed arms. She screamed.
But the blade never came.
Peeking through her arms, she saw the man turn away—his gaze fixed on someone in the distance.
"If you don't give me the stone," he growled, "I'll take it from you."
Before he could move, another figure emerged from the mist and pierced the man's heart.
Time froze. The entire world around her stood still.
The voice returned.
"You are a god. Reveal your true form."
Fang shouted into the silence. "Who are you?! Why do you keep saying that? Why me?!"
She touched the frozen figures. They didn't move. They weren't even breathing.
She stumbled back in fear, her hands shaking. A shadow surged behind her once more, consuming her.
---
Again, she blacked out.
This time, when her eyes opened, she was lying in a field of mist—soft, white, endless. She sat up, confused.
Suddenly, the mist parted.
A hole formed in the clouds above, and from it spilled golden light—pure, radiant, warm. Fang shielded her eyes.
A glowing figure floated down through the opening, surrounded by divine energy.
Fang blinked in disbelief as the woman descended, her body glowing with ethereal light. She hovered gracefully in the air.
"Who… who are you?" Fang asked, lowering her hand from her face.
The woman smiled gently, her voice echoing with power. "You are a god. Reveal your true form."
Fang stepped back, frustration filling her chest. "Why does everyone keep saying that? Ever since I overheard Syaoran and the Queen… What does it mean?"
The glowing woman descended slowly, her feet touching the mist.
"I am Langshen," she said. "The god of wolves."
Fang's eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Langshen…?"