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The atmosphere in the Shaman's inner sanctum was thick with the scent of dried herbs and ancient magic. Sunlight filtered through the high, arched windows of the Fox Realm, casting long, golden shadows across the floor.
Justin, the Nine-Tailed Fox Prince, stood like a statue of carved ice. He was draped in a traditional flowing hanfu of stark white and deep vermillion—colors that signified both his purity of rank and his lethal heritage. His long hair was swept back, pinned by a silver crown, but his eyes were fixed on the floor, hiding the storm of protective rage that still simmered in his chest.
Beside him, the Old Nanny hovered, her hands trembling slightly within her silk sleeves. The silence was broken only by the rhythmic tapping of the Old Shaman's staff against the stone.
The Impossible Hunger
The Shaman, a fox of untold centuries with fur as white as fallen snow, peered at the Spirit Globe resting on its pedestal. The orb was no longer clear; it pulsed with a faint, haunting violet light.
"Tell me again," the Shaman's voice cracked like parchment. "Why did the Spirit Globe feast upon the girl? Why did it seek to drain her dry?"
The Nanny stepped forward, her voice hushed with confusion. "We do not understand, Great One. The ritual was meant for a blessing. But the orb... it reacted with a violence I have never witnessed. It nearly took her life."
Justin crossed his arms, his expression hardening into a mask of cold indifference, though his heart throbbed with the memory of Jade's pale, bloodless lips. "It is likely my fault," he said, his voice a low, melodic rumble. "I have been preoccupied with the border wars. I have not fed the globe my royal blood for several days. It was starving. It took the first thing it touched."
The Shaman's Verdict
The Shaman stopped his tapping. He turned his milky, sightless eyes toward the Prince. A heavy, suffocating silence filled the room.
"You lie to yourself, Prince Justin," the Shaman whispered. "The Spirit Globe is the heart of our ancestors. It is a picky eater. It does not take 'the first thing it touches.' It only resonates with the essence of our kind—or something far older."
He leaned closer to the orb, sniffing the air. "It is impossible for this relic to absorb the blood of a human. It would be like a fire trying to consume water. It simply would not catch."
The Nanny blinked, her brow furrowed in genuine bewilderment. "But Great Shaman... I checked her myself. When she first arrived in our realm, I cast the Soul-Sifting spell. I saw her essence. It was fragile, brief, and mundane. I am certain... she is human."
The Shaman let out a soft, chilling whistle. He reached out a gnarled hand, hovering it over the globe where Jade's blood had recently vanished.
"Then your spell was lied to, Nanny," the Shaman stated firmly. "I think... no, I am certain. This girl, Jade... she is no human."
The words hit the room like a physical blow.
Justin's breath hitched, a momentary crack appearing in his icy facade. His golden eyes flared with a sudden, sharp light. He remembered the way her blood had moved through the air—not like a dying mortal's, but like a living stream of power, vibrant and ancient.
"Not human?" Justin repeated, his voice barely a whisper. He fought to keep his face emotionless, to remain the cold Prince his people expected, but his mind raced to the girl currently recovering in his chambers.
If she wasn't human, what was she? A spy? A forgotten deity? Or something far more dangerous to his heart?
The Nanny's face went pale, her eyes darting between the Prince and the Shaman. "If she isn't human... then what have we brought into the heart of the Fox Realm?"
Justin didn't answer. He turned abruptly, his red and white robes billowing like a flame. He needed to see her. He needed to look into Jade's eyes and find the truth before the rest of the realm decided she was a threat to be destroyed.
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The moonlight spilled across the floor of Jade's bedchamber like cold silver, but it did little to warm the chill in her heart. She sat on the edge of the silk-covered bed, her mind a chaotic whirlpool.
Why? The image of Justin's veins bulging, his face contorted in agony as he forced the Spirit Globe to take his blood instead of hers, played on a loop in her head. Did he truly love her? Or was she merely a possession he wasn't ready to lose? "How can a heart fall so fast?" she whispered to the empty room. "It's impossible."
Unease gnawed at her. Despite her confusion, the memory of his roar of pain made her chest ache. She stood, determined to check on him, but as she reached for the handle, the door swung inward with a sudden gust of wind.
Justin stood in the threshold. His long, dark hair caught the draft, swirling around his shoulders like ink in water. His red and white robes were disheveled, and his gaze was heavy with an unreadable intensity.
Jade gasped, stepping back, but her eyes immediately dropped to his hand. Without thinking, she reached out and seized his wrist. A jagged, deep laceration ran across his palm—the mark of the orb's hunger.
"Are you an idiot?" she hissed, her voice trembling as tears welled in her eyes. "Look at this! It's too deep. Does it... does it hurt much?"
Justin's icy exterior didn't just crack; it melted. Seeing her focus entirely on his wound, her small hands trembling as she led him to the bed, silenced the suspicions in his mind for a fleeting moment. He watched her in a daze as she pulled out a jar of medicinal ointment, her touch feather-light and focused as she applied it to his skin.
"Why would you sacrifice yourself for me?" she murmured, her head bowed.
Justin reached out, his fingers hooking under her chin to tilt her face upward. The golden light of the lamps reflected in her tear-filled eyes. "Because you are everything to me," he said, his voice a low, raw vibration. "How could I stand still while you were being consumed?"
Jade's heart skipped a beat, a traitorous blush creeping up her neck. For a moment, the world narrowed down to the heat between them.
The romance shattered in an instant. Justin's eyes suddenly shifted, the pupils narrowing into predatory slits of glowing gold. He pressed a finger to her forehead.
"Who are you, really?" he commanded. The Truth Spell rippled through the air, invisible and suffocating.
"Jade... who else would I be?" she gasped, her body stiffening.
"Are you human?"
"Yes... I am!"
Justin withdrew his hand, his expression turning stony. The spell had confirmed her words, yet the Shaman's warning echoed louder. Jade, realizing she had been interrogated like a prisoner, shoved his hand away, her worry replaced by a stinging fury.
"You... you used a spell on me again!" she snapped, her voice rising. "Can you not believe a single word I say? Why is everything a game of magic with you?"
Justin looked away, his jaw tight. "In this realm, people lie for selfish motives. I cannot afford to be blind."
"So I'm just a selfish liar to you?" Jade chuckled, a sound sharp with pain. "This is exactly why I don't like you, Justin. You don't want a partner; you want a puppet."
Justin's gaze didn't soften; instead, it sharpened as it landed on the collar of her hanfu. A thin, silver glint was hiding beneath the silk. Before she could finish her sentence, he moved with the speed of a strike.
"One more time," he muttered.
"I will—"
Jade's voice died in her throat. He had cast a Stunning Spell, locking her limbs in place. He stepped into her personal space, his arm winding around her waist to pull her flush against his chest. With his other hand, he reached into her neckline and pulled out a long chain holding a glowing Red Stone.
"An Identity Hiding Necklace," he whispered, his eyes narrowing. "So... the Shaman was right. You aren't human."
With a sharp tug, he removed the necklace. He closed his eyes, channeling his power into the stone to unlock its secrets. When the truth finally hit him—the real essence of who she was—his eyes snapped open, filled with a shock so profound he nearly stumbled.
He looked at the frozen Jade one last time, a mixture of betrayal and awe on his face. With a wave of his hand, he released the Stunning Spell and vanished into a gust of wind before she could even draw breath.
"Give it back!" Jade screamed, rushing to the door. "That was my father's! Justin!"
The hallway was empty. The Prince was gone, and so was her mask.
She stood at the door, her chest heaving. Slowly, she opened her palm. Resting there was the Royal Ring she had stolen from him earlier—a heavy, powerful artifact that thrummed with the Fox King's energy.
"Why should I feel guilty for stealing from you?" she whispered coldly, her eyes hardening. "You don't deserve this. You don't deserve anything."
She looked toward the shadows where her friend Emily was waiting. "Tonight," Jade declared, her voice devoid of the warmth she had felt moments ago. "We use the ring. We break the barrier. We leave this place forever."
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To be Continued....
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