"We should stop and pass the night here," Zhenyu said to Quinn.
Quinn glanced outside the window of the carriage, the day had already darkened.
"Why is the capital so far?" He asked, frowning. "We've been traveling for days already."
Zhenyu chuckled. He knew that they would grow tired and uneasy about the journey because the journey had taken longer than it should.
"You see, the thing is that I'm being extra careful," he replied, earning a glance from Quinn. "Let's get down and I'll explain everything to you."
Quinn glanced at Zi who was still sleeping before stepping out of the carriage, followed by Zhenyu.
"Tell me."
"You once asked me what I was doing in the demon realm, right?" Zhenyu asked. A deep sigh left his lips as he decided to tell Quinn. "On my way to accomplish the task given to me by the emperor, I was surrounded by assassins," Zhenyu finished, his tone low, eyes narrowing as if recalling the memory. "They weren't ordinary killers, Quinn. They moved with precision and discipline, they were far too organized to be simple killers. I barely escaped with my life... That's how I ended up entering the demon realm or else, I'd have been a dead person."
Quinn's brows furrowed. "And you think they'll strike again?"
"Not think," Zhenyu corrected grimly. "I know they will. The closer we get to the capital, the more eyes will be watching. If I had taken the direct road, we'd already be corpses."
He turned his head slightly, the moonlight catching the sharp angles of his face. "That's why the journey has taken longer. Every detour, every pause—it's all to avoid the nets cast for me."
Quinn studied him for a moment, the firelight from their small camp flickering in his abyss-dark eyes. "So even in your own kingdom, you can't travel safely. For a prince, you seem… hunted."
Zhenyu let out a bitter laugh. "That's exactly what I am. The second son of an emperor is both a pawn and a threat. To some, I am nothing. To others, I am an obstacle. Tell me, Quinn—how does one survive in a place where even family is the deadliest predator?"
Quinn's expression didn't waver, though a cold glint passed through his eyes. "By not trusting anyone."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, broken only by the faint chirping of night insects. Zhenyu looked at Quinn with a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Perhaps… you and I are more alike than I thought."
Behind them, a faint rustle stirred from the carriage. Zi shifted in her sleep, murmuring softly before falling quiet again. Quinn's gaze softened briefly at the sound, then returned to Zhenyu, sharp as ever.
"Whatever storm awaits in your capital, prince," Quinn said evenly, "remember this—I came only for her sake. If your troubles touch her, I'll burn them all to ash."
Zhenyu chuckled again, but this time, there was a trace of unease in his smile. "Then let's hope the fire doesn't start too soon."
The night deepened around them, the fire flickering between two boys whose paths were bound together by fate, mistrust, and a growing storm neither could yet see.
The next day came far too quickly and thus, they began their journey once more.
"We'll arrive before noon," Zhenyu announced.
"That is better," Quinn said.
"I'm sleepy," Zhenyu mumbled with a yawn.
Quinn gazed at him silently. Last night, he had fallen asleep but Zhenyu stayed awake throughout the night to keep watch.
"Go ahead. Sleep while I keep watch," he finally said.
"That's more like it," Zhenyu said with a smirk. He rested his head on the cushion at the side of the carriage and closed his eyes, his breathing slowly evening out.
Quinn turned his attention back to the road ahead. The horses trotted at a steady pace, their manes catching the soft glow of the morning sun. The landscape around them was beginning to change, rolling fields gradually giving way to signs of life—farmlands, scattered villages, and narrow stone bridges arching over streams.
Though peaceful to the untrained eye, Quinn remained tense. His sharp senses picked up every rustle in the grass, every distant footfall that didn't belong to the horses. The world was never quiet—it only pretended to be.
He glanced once at Zi, still asleep, her small frame wrapped in a blanket. A hint of calm softened his features, but it vanished quickly when his gaze shifted back outside.
Hours passed, the golden sun climbing higher in the sky. The capital's towering walls would soon come into sight.
Zhenyu stirred in his sleep, murmuring something inaudible before blinking awake. "How long was I out?" he asked groggily.
"Long enough," Quinn replied without looking at him.
Zhenyu stretched, wincing as if his body still carried the weight of sleepless nights. He leaned closer to the window, his eyes narrowing on the distant horizon. "We're close. Too close."
Quinn's gaze followed his. At first, he saw nothing unusual. But as the carriage rolled onward, faint glints of steel flashed briefly from the tree line far ahead. Quinn's hand instinctively moved to his side, brushing the fabric of his cloak where his abyssal flame lingered in silence.
"Ambush?" he asked coldly.
Zhenyu gave a sharp nod. "They wouldn't let me walk into the capital so easily. If I were them, I'd strike here."
Quinn's lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "Then let them come."
The horses neighed uneasily, sensing the tension in the air. Zi stirred, half-awake, but Quinn's steady gaze calmed her back into slumber.
They had not moved a hundred paces when all of a sudden, time seemed to have stopped. Figures cloaked in blacks descended from the trees, their faces covered with scarves. The driver slammed the reins, bringing the horses to a skidding halt.
The carriage was surrounded by these figures while one stood at a far distance, blocking their path. He carried a large blade with him while the others carried swords.
"The target must not enter the city alive!" The figure yelled and the others moved.
"Don't come out!" Zhenyu said and launched outside before Quinn could stop him. He had expected this kind of outcome and he could not stay idle and do nothing about it.
He landed lightly on the road, two talismans already between his fingers.
"How dare you block my path! Don't you know who is standing before you?" He barked, the talismans shimmering in his hands.
The man laughed, his chest rising and falling. "Prince Zhenyu, why still act arrogant when your time is already near?" He asked. "Kill!"
Zhenyu tried using the talismans but the man waved his hand. The talismans sputtered as if struck by wind, the glyphs dimmed to nothing.
"Damn it!" Zhenyu cursed. Before he could react, the closest attacker lunged with a long sword aimed straight for his chest. The metal screamed through the dawn air.
Suddenly, Quinn moved.
It was as though the world was bending that moment. One instant he was seated in the carriage, the next he was between the man and his strike. He caught the blade with his bare hand—fingers closing around steel as if around a twig and the force shuddered up his arm. The attacker's momentum slammed into him. For a single breath, time felt slippery and thin.
"Don't you dare touch him," Quinn said, low and cold.