Pov Author
Shou Feng did not remember moving.
One moment the amber light still clung to Anna's skin, her breathing uneven, the air around her vibrating with power not meant for mortals—and the next, the world folded.
Shadow split open like obedient silk.
He caught her before her knees could give out.
She was lighter than she should have been. Or maybe the fear made her feel that way.
"Shou—" her fingers twisted into his robes, reflexive, desperate. "Don't—don't let go."
"I won't," he said, already lifting her.
He carried her the way ancient gods carried offerings—not fragile, not hesitant, but reverent. One arm beneath her knees, the other firm around her back, holding her close to his chest as reality bent to his will.
The corridor of the castle erupted into motion the moment they appeared.
Servants froze. Guards knelt. Whispers broke like glass.
Amber light pulsed faintly beneath Anna's skin, visible now, threading through her collarbones, her throat, the delicate rise and fall of her chest.
Kiyoshi was there instantly, divine markings flaring as his gaze locked onto her heart.
"This is bad," he breathed.
Yuvan followed, already issuing calm, precise commands to the guards and attendants, his voice steady even as his eyes betrayed worry. Mong sealed the corridor without being told. No one questioned it.
Shou Feng did not slow.
He pushed open the doors to his chambers with a thought.
His room—vast, dark, carved from obsidian and shadow—stilled as he entered. The firelight dimmed instinctively, sensing its master's mood.
He crossed the space in long strides and laid Anna down on his bed.
The mattress dipped beneath her weight.
She did not let go.
Her fingers were locked around his hand, knuckles white, trembling as though the moment he released her, she would vanish.
Shou Feng stayed where he was.
Kiyoshi approached cautiously. "Shou Feng—"
"Is there anything," Shou Feng said, his voice low, controlled, dangerous, "that we can do to stop this? Or take the stone out of her."
Silence fell.
Kiyoshi swallowed. "There… may be a way. But time matters. Once the power starts flowing through her blood completely, it will anchor itself to every part of her existence."
Anna shifted, wincing. Her free hand pressed to her chest. "It—it hit my heart."
"I know," Shou Feng said immediately.
She looked at him, startled.
"Stones like that," he continued, eyes never leaving her face, "only choose the heart."
Her breath shuddered.
"There were ten stones," he said quietly. "Ten, in the beginning of this world. Each with its own master. Its own will. Its own memory."
Kiyoshi nodded grimly. "This one… was thought to be dormant. Lost."
"Vanished," Shou Feng corrected. "After the last Great Warriors sealed it. It was the most inactive of them all. Too dangerous to destroy. Too powerful to control."
"And now?" Anna whispered.
"Now," he said, "it has awakened."
Kiyoshi stepped back, already thinking. "Mong and I will search the archives. There are older texts—pre-council, pre-temple. If there is a way to remove it, it will be there."
Yuvan inclined his head. "The citizens are already asking questions. They know she is not from this realm. I'll handle the council."
Shou Feng turned slightly, his shadow flaring. "I was meant to attend that meeting."
"You will not," Yuvan said gently but firmly. "You will stay here."
No one argued.
They left quickly—Kiyoshi and Ming dissolving into light, Yuvan already rehearsing lies and half-truths powerful enough to hold a city together.
The doors closed.
Silence returned.
Anna's gaze found Shou Feng again.
He sat on the edge of the bed.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then she leaned forward suddenly and wrapped her arms around him.
He stiffened—just barely—before returning the embrace, one hand settling against her back, the other cradling her head against his chest.
She didn't resist.
Didn't flinch.
"My chest hurts," she whispered.
"I know," he murmured.
Slowly, carefully, he lifted his hand.
Red aura bloomed around his fingers—dense, controlled, ancient. Power that had ended civilizations, now restrained to a whisper.
The moment it neared her heart, the stone reacted.
Amber flared violently.
Anna cried out, body arching as pain ripped through her, sharp and blinding.
Shou Feng cursed under his breath and pulled her closer, pressing his forehead to hers.
"Breathe," he commanded softly. "With me."
She tried.
The pain didn't stop.
His power touched the stone.
Not attacking.
Communicating.
The collision sent agony through her veins.
She sobbed.
"Shou—"
He cupped her face, shadows curling protectively around them, isolating the world.
"Look at me."
Her eyes met his, glassy with pain.
He leaned in and kissed her.
The kiss was a silent war, and a profound surrender.
It began as a press of firm resolve—his mouth claiming hers not in hunger, but as a seal against the chaos raging within her. His lips were surprisingly soft, yet there was no hesitation in them. They were a command: Be here . Be still .
For a heartbeat, there was only the shocking warmth of the contact, the slight roughness of his skin against hers, the shared breath that seemed to stop time.
Then, she felt it.
His power, usually a terrifying tide, reached for her as a deep, cool shadow. It slipped through the connection of their kiss, a calming darkness seeking the frantic, amber light scorching her veins. The stone inside her recognize it. His power and his DNA
Not desperate.
Not consuming.
Just firm, grounding, steady.
The stone resisted.
Then—slowly—it stilled.
The pain dulled to a heavy ache.
Anna sagged against him, breath breaking as she clutched his robes.
"Shou," she whispered, voice shaking. "I saw my father."
His eyes widened.
"What?"
"In the void," she said. "He talked to me. He said—he said yes."
Shou Feng pulled back slightly, studying her face.
"That was not your father," he said carefully. "The void creates illusions. It uses memory to manipulate—"
"No," Anna interrupted, shaking her head. "He's here. In this world. He was there when that man kidnapped me."
His jaw tightened. "Lord Kazan?"
She frowned. "No."
"Tomika?" he said.
She nodded.
Silence stretched between them.
Anna searched his face, fear creeping in. "You think I'm imagining it."
"No," Shou Feng said.
Her breath caught.
"I believe you."
Her eyes widened.
"If your father is here," he continued, voice darkening, "then he will be found."
He leaned closer, his tone dropping to something dangerous and absolute.
"And if he is hiding," he added, "I will tear this world open until he stands before you."
Tears spilled down her cheeks—not from pain this time.
"You would do that?" she whispered.
"I would end wars for less," he said.
•
•
•
•
He held her as the hour passed.
Told her stories—of the stones, of the ancient balance.
"Only four elements were ever chosen," he explained quietly. "Only four Great Warriors were allowed to bear such power in a century. When a master dies, the stone sleeps—buried inside their heart—until it awakens again, carrying every memory, every technique, every sin."
"And this stone?" Anna asked faintly.
"The last Great Warrior killed its master," Shou Feng said. "Right where you stood."
She swallowed.
"It was stolen once," he continued. "Forcefully awakened by a red witch. Used against humanity. Entire cities erased."
"And someone stopped it."
"She did," he said softly. "The First Great Warrior. She fought with mercy and cruelty in equal measure. She won because she was powerful—and kind."
His gaze softened as it rested on Anna.
"Just like you."
The door opened.
Kiyoshi entered, breathless.
"There is a way," he said.
Shou Feng stood instantly. "Tell me."
"If Anna gains another power," Kiyoshi said slowly, "the stone will be forced to choose. Two masters cannot exist within one vessel."
Anna frowned. "Another power?"
Kiyoshi nodded. "The Wind Whisperer."
Shou Feng's eyes darkened.
That relic had not been used in centuries.
Outside, the wind screamed.
And the stone pulsed.
The world held its breath.
---
To be continued..