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The guest chambers of the BlueMoon Kingdom were draped in translucent silks that shimmered like the inside of a seashell. Outside, the eternal blue moon bathed the world in a haunting, tranquil glow, but for Jade, the beauty was a suffocating shroud.
The Restless Night
Emily lay beside her on the expansive, velvet-soft bed, her voice a relentless chatter of excitement. "Can you believe the stars here, Jade? They don't just sit there; they pulse! And the water—it tastes like liquid starlight. Why was I born in the mortal realm? If I had been born here, I could have spent my life carefree, dancing in these gardens instead of scrubbing floors."
Jade didn't answer. She lay on her side, her knees tucked toward her chest, her fingers tracing the empty space where her necklace used to be. Every shadow on the wall looked like a flicking tail; every rustle of the wind sounded like a predatory step. What if he finds me? The question was a drumbeat in her blood.
"Jade! Are you even listening?" Emily asked, shaking her shoulder.
"What do you want?" Jade snapped, her voice sharp with exhaustion. "Your voice is so annoying right now, Emily. Just... stop."
Emily sat up, huffing with indignation. "Fine! If you're going to be a brooding mess, I'm going back to my own room. I won't disturb your precious nap." She gathered her silk robe and marched out, the heavy doors clicking shut behind her.
Silence finally descended, but it was worse than the chatter. Jade closed her eyes, trying to force sleep, but the image of Justin—furious, bleeding, and golden-eyed—seared into her mind. She turned over, pulling the blankets to her chin.
Suddenly, a strong, unnatural breeze swept through the sealed room. The temperature plummeted.
Jade froze. She felt a weight on the mattress behind her. A presence so familiar and so terrifying it made her heart stop. She slowly turned her head, her eyes widening until they hurt.
Justin was lying there, propped up on one elbow, staring at her. His face was a lethal mix of simmering anger and dark, possessive intensity.
Jade blinked rapidly, her breath hitching. "I'm... I'm dreaming. You're a hallucination."
"You aren't hallucinating," Justin said, his voice a deep, gravelly vibration that vibrated through the bed. "It's me."
Jade's instinct was to bolt, but before she could even slide toward the edge, Justin moved with the speed of a strike. In one fluid motion, he was over her, his heavy frame pinning her into the soft mattress. He locked her wrists above her head, his hands pressing down with a strength that brooked no resistance.
"How dare you escape?" he hissed, his face inches from hers.
"How... how did you find me?" Jade gasped, her voice trembling. "This realm is protected!"
Justin's lips curled into a dark smirk. "I know your scent, Jade. It doesn't matter if you hide in the clouds or the dirt; I can find you anywhere in the heavens, earth, demon realm."
Jade turned her head, whispering to herself in a panicked breath, "I didn't think a fox could enter the BlueMoon Kingdom... how is he here?"
Justin scoffed, leaning down until his cold nose brushed her ear. "Don't forget, I can hear your whispers. Your new 'protectors' don't know my capabilities. There is no realm—Heaven, Demon, or Human—that can keep me out when I want something."
His eyes suddenly softened, the golden fire dimming into something more aching, more desperate. "Come back with me. Now."
"I can't!" Jade cried, her chest heaving against his.
Justin's smirk returned, cold and sharp. "You've grown guts since coming here, haven't you?" He leaned closer, his lips brushing against the bridge of her nose and the curve of her cheek. Jade turned her face away, her skin burning where he touched her.
"You have two days," he whispered, his voice husky and dangerous. "Enjoy your freedom until then. Because after two days, if you do not return, I will show you no mercy. I will burn this kingdom to the ground to reclaim you."
Suddenly, the pressure on her wrists vanished. Justin didn't disappear; instead, he shifted, lying down beside her. Jade tried to scramble up, but his arm shot out, grabbing her hip and pulling her back against him with a sudden, forceful tug.
He clung to her like a man drowning, his head tucking into the crook of her neck. He took a deep, shaky breath, inhaling the jasmine scent of her hair.
"You smell so good," he whispered, his voice fading into a tired mumble.
Jade's heart was hammering so hard she feared it would burst. She was trapped in the arms of the man she had betrayed, his breath warm against her shoulder, his grip possessive even in his silence.
Minutes passed. His breathing slowed and leveled out. Justin was asleep. Jade lay staring at the moonlit wall, her body stiff and her mind racing. How am I supposed to sleep? she thought, her pulse thundering in her ears. How can he sleep so peacefully while he's holding me prisoner in my own bed?
The King of the Foxes was here, in the heart of the BlueMoon Kingdom, and Jade knew that her two-day countdown to destruction had just begun.
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The dawn in the BlueMoon Kingdom did not arrive with a golden sun, but with a deepening of the sapphire glow that bathed the pearl-white walls of the palace.
A Waking Nightmare
Jade's eyes fluttered open, her heart immediately racing. She reached out a hand, feeling the cold, empty silk beside her. The bed was vacant. The heavy weight of the man who had held her all night was gone.
"Was it a dream?" she whispered, a small, hopeful smile touching her lips. "It felt so real... but maybe it was just my mind playing tricks."
She turned over to sit up, but her breath hitched. Justin was leaning against the bedpost directly in her line of vision, his arms crossed and a playful, predatory smirk on his face. Jade recoiled, bending her back away from him in shock.
"Are you already missing me, Jade?" he asked, his voice smooth and teasing.
"Me? Never," she stammered, her smile turning awkward as the disappointment settled in her gut. It wasn't a dream. He was truly here, a ghost in the halls of her sanctuary. She pushed herself off the bed, standing tall and trying to summon a mask of coldness. "Please, Justin. Behave yourself. You gave me two days, remember? I know the terms. Go back to your realm... now."
Justin moved like a blur, closing the distance and pulling her close until her chest brushed his royal robes. He looked into her eyes with a sudden, piercing sincerity. "What if you escape again? I don't believe your promises, Jade. I will stay right here until you make your choice."
A sharp knock at the door sent Jade into a panic. "Jade? Are you awake?" It was Emily.
"Go! Hide!" Jade hissed, grabbing Justin's arm. He didn't flinch; he merely offered a mockingly amused smile at her desperation. Panicked, she dragged him toward the massive sandalwood wardrobe and shoved him inside just as the door opened.
Emily stepped in, looking refreshed. "I know you're a heavy sleeper, but we're guests here! We can't stay in bed all day."
Jade nodded vigorously, blocking Emily's view of the wardrobe. "Right! Yes! I'm coming. Just give me a second." She practically pushed Emily out, locked the door, and exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding.
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Later that morning, Jade found herself in Queen Irin's private chambers. The Queen was busy tidying the massive, elegant bedroom, her movements graceful and calm.
Jade stood at the entrance, feeling shy in the shimmering, moon-blue hanfu Irin had gifted her. The fabric caught the light like the surface of a lake. Irin turned and brightened instantly. "You've come! And oh, you look gorgeous, Jade. That color was made for you."
"Thank you, Mom—I mean, Queen Irin," Jade corrected herself, blushing. She saw the Queen struggling with some heavy tapestries and stepped forward. "Let me help you."
For a couple of hours, they worked in harmony. Jade moved with an efficiency that surprised the Queen, arranging the furniture and ornaments with an instinctive touch.
"You did that perfectly," Irin noted, her eyes curious. "How did you know exactly where everything should go?"
A flash of pain crossed Jade's face. "My mother taught me," she said quietly. "But... they aren't here anymore."
Irin's heart melted. She stepped closer, her expression full of maternal warmth. "Don't worry, dear. If you need anything, feel free to ask. And... you can call me Mom, if it doesn't bother you. I always wanted a daughter."
Jade's face softened, the loneliness in her heart easing just a fraction. "Yes... Mom."
Irin beamed. "I love my son, of course, but I even dressed Leo as a girl when he was a toddler just to see what it was like! Wait here, I have photos inside the study. I'll bring them!"
As Irin disappeared into the adjacent room, Jade turned around—and nearly screamed. Justin was standing there, casually leaning against a marble pillar, watching her with that same infuriating smirk.
"Why are you here?" Jade whispered frantically. "They will see you!"
Justin's smirk only widened. Just then, Irin walked back in with a stack of albums. She stopped, looking at Jade's agitated face. "Who are you talking to, dear?"
Jade froze. She looked at Justin, who was staring directly at her, then back at Irin, who was looking right through him. She can't see him, Jade realized. An invisibility spell.
"Nothing !"Jade lied quickly.
Irin smiled, holding up a photo. "Look at this one later—Leo in a pink hanfu!"
Jade smiled.
Irin said quickly. "I forgot... I have to go to the imperial kitchen !"
Jade nodded...
Irin went out.
Later Jade hurried out of the room, Justin gave her a slow, deliberate wink before following her out like a shadow. Jade exhaled in relief as she reached the hallway, but her relief was short-lived .she turned back,Justin isn't there.
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Justin walked through the palace corridors, invisible to the servants and guards. He moved with the arrogance of a king in his own castle. However, as he passed a sunlit courtyard, a figure stepped out from the shadows.
Leo.
The BlueMoon Prince didn't look with his eyes; he felt with his spirit. His hand moved like lightning, drawing his silver-etched sword and thrusting it forward. The blade stopped mere millimeters from Justin's throat, the cold steel biting into the air where the Fox Prince stood.
"Did you think you could escape my senses?" Leo said, his voice cold and dangerous.
Justin dropped the spell. His form shimmered into view, the silver blade still pressed against his neck. He didn't look afraid; he looked bored. He leaned slightly forward, the metal grazing his skin, and smirked.
"You have a sharp sword, Prince Leo," Justin remarked, his golden eyes flashing. "But do you have the heart to use it against a guest?"
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To be Continued......
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