The morning was calm—a golden ray slipped through the window, scattering shadows across the floor like brushstrokes marking the start of what should have been an ordinary day… except it wasn't. The air carried a fragile hush, as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for something unseen to stir.
They gathered around the table, each a different force in a single room. Wu Xin exuded quiet command, the kind that bends the will of those around him without a word. Bi Hua, venerable and stoic, carried the weight of countless worlds on his shoulders, his gaze both infinite and exacting. Suo shone like sunlight through leaves, simple yet unwavering in his warmth. Huo Feng's spirit never knew stillness, a spark of chaos contained in a delicate body. And Shu Shu… her smile was all innocence, yet far too sharp, like a blade wrapped in silk.
Huo Feng lifted her head, speaking with the blunt curiosity only she could possess."Master Bi… Little Li. Who is he, really?"
Bi Hua's answer was unwavering, like a boulder against the tide:"They are not from this land. Their origin lies in the Shadow Realm. They have their trials, as you have yours. But be cautious, girl… our paths were never meant to intertwine with theirs."
The air stiffened. Shu Shu lowered her head, small fingers trembling against the cup she held, but her eyes devoured every word, sharp and calculating.
As always, Huo Feng remained oblivious to the subtle flames beside her. She tossed salt onto burning embers and sighed, cheerful and careless."Li is truly amazing! There's a warmth in him that doesn't match his family at all. I feel like… I've known him for a very long time."
Shu Shu's gaze snapped up, sharp as a hawk guarding its prey. A spark of jealousy flared, instantaneous and silent, fading almost immediately. But Huo Feng wasn't finished. Tilting her head, she laughed softly, the sound ringing like a clear bell:"And he looks perfect beside Fu Ying! They're adorable together, aren't they?"
Shu Shu's face flared crimson. She bit her lip, holding back the tempest of fury threatening to spill. Li had always belonged to her—that had been her truth since childhood, unshaken and secret.
Silence fell, heavy and suffocating, as if the threads of fate themselves were tightening around the room.
Then Wu Xin's voice cut through the stillness, sharp as a drawn blade, yet uncharacteristic of his usual calm:"Enough, Huo Feng."
Time froze. She turned to him, feeling the weight of reality press against her chest. He wasn't angry for Shu Shu's sake. He thought she spoke of Master Li. Heat surged across Huo Feng's cheeks, a flood of embarrassment and panic. A short, awkward laugh escaped her lips.
But Shu Shu saw everything. She saw a jealousy far beyond childish pettiness—a man's fear of losing something he had never dared to claim. And so… at a breakfast table that seemed ordinary to any outsider, threads of love, jealousy, and doubt wound themselves silently between them. Threads that would tighten with each passing moment… until something finally snapped.
Beyond the room, the garden of the Third House stretched like a living portrait of divine madness. White flowers bloomed like embodiments of purity, while black ones, dark as night, seemed to grin, greeting the abyss itself. Between them, countless shades danced between life and decay, drawing invisible lines between heaven and ruin.
Huo Feng stepped deeper into the garden, inhaling its strange magic with every breath. She brushed a delicate petal between her fingers, whispering softly:"What a strange family… neither pure nor tainted… just human. Capable of loving, erring, and burning."
Wu Xin glanced at her sideways, chest tightening with a feeling he could not name. This place… held secrets far too vast for mere curiosity.
Far from sunlight, in a shadowed corner, Shu Shu listened to a voice that had never left her—a shadow, or perhaps something far worse. A dark voice, soft as a mother's whisper yet cold as a blade's edge:"Protect Li… If you wish the path to the Shadow Kingdom to walk beside you alone, you must strip away anything that might steal you from it. The weak are not allowed to love."
Her small hand pressed to her chest, heart fluttering like a frightened bird. Then, a wicked gleam began to bloom in her eyes. She whispered slowly, each word deliberate, like a divine judgment pronounced on a fragile world:"Fu… the weakest among them. If she vanished… no one would mourn."
The shadow laughed, a brief, childlike sound that carried a chilling weight—the first echo of someone's end.