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The Dragon's Heart

The Dragon's arrival...

Legend spoke of a forbidden forest in the far northern reaches of the Holy Kingdom of Qinglongchen, a place feared by even the bravest souls. It was said that the forest was cursed, a realm haunted by ancient demons who thirsted for blood. Few dared to venture into its depths, and fewer still lived to tell the tale.

Kaya’s footsteps crunched loudly in the snow, the sharp sound nearly swallowed by the howling wind that roared around her. The cold bit into her skin like a thousand tiny needles, but she pressed forward, determined to escape the soldiers who pursued her. Each breath she drew was shallow, her lungs burning with every gasp of icy air. Her legs screamed in protest, but she refused to stop. Ahead lay the mysterious forest—the only refuge she could hope for.

Her strength, however, was fading. Her limbs grew heavy, and her vision blurred. The blood from her wounds dripped into the snow, leaving a crimson trail in her wake. With a final, shuddering gasp, her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed into the deep snow. The world around her spun, and the freezing ground sapped the last remnants of warmth from her body.

Through the blizzard, she could hear the soldiers drawing closer, their heavy armor clinking and swords gleaming under the pale light of the moon. Kaya’s heart raced. She tried to push herself up, but her body refused to obey. Was this how it would end? Was her fate to die here, alone in the snow, at the hands of the soldiers sent by her own mother, the empress of the kingdom?

Then, without warning, the air around her shifted.

A violent surge of energy erupted, rippling through the frozen landscape. Kaya could only watch in awe and confusion as the soldiers who had been so close—mere feet away—suddenly crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Blood stained the once-pristine snow, spreading out in stark contrast to the white expanse. It happened so fast, like a flash of lightning, and yet Kaya had seen no weapon, no hand raised against them.

Her breath came in shallow gasps, a mix of terror and disbelief, as her eyes darted around in search of the cause. That’s when she saw him.

A towering figure loomed above her, standing tall and still amidst the swirling snow. He was clothed in a flowing changshan of pure white, with delicate threads of sky-blue woven into the fabric, catching the faint light. His long silver hair cascaded down his back, almost blending into the snowy surroundings, and his face was hidden behind a blindfold, the same pale color as his robes. The air around him crackled with an ancient, unspoken power.

For a long moment, he merely gazed down at her, though she could not see his eyes. His presence was suffocating, commanding, as if the very forest had taken human form and stood before her. Kaya’s heart pounded in her chest, a strange mixture of fear and awe coursing through her veins. Who was this man?

“Wait… please…” Kaya gasped, her voice barely a whisper. She struggled to rise to her feet, her body weak and trembling.

The man tilted his head slightly, as if considering her words, but then he spoke, his voice deep and resonant, carrying with it the weight of centuries. "Leave. This place is not meant for the likes of you."

His words were cold, indifferent, and with that, he turned his back on her, his footsteps crunching softly in the snow as he began to walk away, disappearing into the swirling mist of the forest.

“No!” Kaya’s voice was a hoarse cry, raw with desperation. She tried to follow him, but her legs buckled under her own weight. Every step felt like a battle, her body growing weaker by the second, and her vision swam with dark spots. “Stop… I said stop!”

But the man continued his silent retreat, unmoved by her pleas. Kaya's frustration boiled over. This stranger had saved her, yet he showed no intention of helping her further. Fury surged through her veins, lending her a burst of strength. She forced herself to her feet, her hand trembling as she reached for the hilt of her sword.

With a defiant shout, she drew her blade and lunged forward, pointing the sharp tip at his throat. “I won’t ask again,” she hissed, her voice laced with both determination and exhaustion. "Who are you? Why did you save me?"

The man stopped, his body still as a statue. For a moment, there was only the sound of the wind howling around them, and Kaya’s ragged breathing.

Then, he spoke again, his voice low and almost… amused. “You are foolish to challenge what you do not understand.” He turned his head slightly, though the blindfold remained firmly in place. "Lower your sword, girl, before you lose more than just your pride."

Kaya's grip on the hilt tightened, her heart hammering in her chest. She was too weak to fight, too exhausted to run, and yet something in his words struck her—a warning, but not one born from malice. She hesitated, her sword still trembling in the cold air.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Why did you save me?"

The man stood in silence for a moment longer before finally turning to face her. His presence was overwhelming, yet there was something strangely comforting in the way he regarded her, even without seeing her with his own eyes.

"Because," he said softly, his tone now carrying a hint of something deeper, "the forest claims only those who are willing to be lost."

*To be continued.....*

Shadows of the forest

Kaya’s sword slid back into its sheath with a soft click, but her mind couldn't shake his words: "The forest claims only those who are willing to be lost." They hung in the air like a riddle, each syllable heavy with meaning she wasn’t sure she wanted to understand.

Willing to be lost? The phrase gnawed at her. What did he see in her? Was there something hidden deep inside, something that longed to surrender—to disappear into the unknown? No. She clenched her fists, feeling the tension rippling through her exhausted body. I know who I am. I’m not someone who gets lost, she reassured herself, even as the cold seeping through her bones made her question her own certainty.

Yet, a strange part of her—the part buried deep beneath layers of defiance and pride—wondered: What if he’s right? What if this cursed forest isn’t the enemy, but a twisted sanctuary? A place for people like me who don’t belong anywhere else?

The absurdity of the thought almost made her laugh. Ridiculous, she concluded, shaking it off with a sharp exhale. But no amount of bravado could quell the unease that gnawed at her heart. This forest, with its twisting trees and suffocating silence, felt alive. Watching. Waiting.

She glanced ahead at the silver-haired man who led the way, his footsteps eerily silent on the forest floor. There was something about him that unsettled her, more than just his coldness. He seemed… untouchable, like a ghost moving through the shadows. And yet, he was undeniably real, close enough for her to reach out and grab, if she dared. Who are you? The question burned in her mind, but she kept it locked behind her lips. Would he even answer? Or would he only speak in riddles, tangling her thoughts even further?

As they moved deeper into the forest, a strange, soft glow caught her eye. Her fingers unconsciously reached toward a cluster of radiant flowers. Their petals shimmered in the dim light, casting a ghostly glow across her skin. She hesitated, just before touching them.

“Yínmèihuā,” the man said suddenly, his voice cutting through the stillness like a blade. Kaya froze, surprised by the sound of his voice after such a long silence. She pulled her hand back.

“Yínmèihuā?” she echoed, glancing up at him.

“Their light is as deceptive as it is beautiful,” he continued, his tone as emotionless as ever. “They do not take kindly to strangers.”

She stared at the flowers, their soft light pulsing like a heartbeat. There was something unnerving about their glow, almost as if they were alive, watching her with the same eerie intensity she felt from the forest itself. What else in this place is alive? she wondered, her unease deepening.

"Do you?" The question flashed through her mind unbidden, startling her. She had never cared what anyone thought of her, much less a man who had saved her for reasons still unknown. And yet here she was, unsettled by his presence in a way that made her feel... vulnerable. Exposed.

The man did not stop walking, nor did he turn to look at her. Suddenly , he said, “You were on the edge of being lost. I merely delayed the inevitable.”

His words chilled her, though she couldn't quite explain why. Something about the way he said inevitable sent a shiver down her spine, as though he knew something about her that even she didn't understand.

“I don’t intend to be lost,” she said firmly, trying to ignore the creeping doubt in her own mind. But as the wind rustled the trees and the forest seemed to close in around them, she wondered if that choice was even hers to make.

They walked in silence for a while longer, the only sound the faint rustle of leaves and the occasional snap of a twig underfoot. Kaya’s thoughts wandered, but always circled back to the man walking beside her. He was a mystery wrapped in silence, and the more time she spent near him, the more questions she had.

Her eyes lingered on him, studying the lines of his face, the way his silver hair caught the pale light of the Yínmèihuā. His expression was calm, emotionless, but there was a weight behind his eyes—though hidden by the blindfold—that made her wonder what he saw when he looked at her. Did he see her as someone who could be saved? Or someone already lost?

Kaya shook the thought away. She didn’t need saving. She had survived this long on her own, through blood and battle. But as she glanced at the glowing flowers again, she couldn’t help but feel that perhaps surviving wasn’t enough anymore.

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