Li Wei awoke to darkness, his body stiff and sore as though he had been left for dead. The pain in his side was still unbearable, but it was no longer a constant throb—it had dulled into a distant ache, a reminder of the betrayal that had sealed his fate. The cold stone floor beneath him sent a shiver through his body, and as his senses slowly returned, he realized he was in a dungeon—his dungeon.
The torches on the walls flickered faintly, casting long, menacing shadows that danced like specters in the corners of the room. The air was thick with the scent of mildew, the smell of stale water and damp stone. His mind raced, piecing together the events that had led him here. Hua Ling's betrayal, the wound that had nearly claimed his life, and the sharp sting of the world turning its back on him. Everything he had fought for, everything he had believed in, had crumbled to dust.
He tried to sit up, but his body felt heavy, as though each movement required a monumental effort. His hands were bound with thick, rough ropes, the fibers digging into his skin. The chains that held his wrists together rattled as he shifted, reminding him that escape was impossible.
The thought of escape, however, seemed absurd now. What was the point? Hua Ling had chosen her path. Xian Yue had already claimed the throne, and in his eyes, Li Wei was nothing more than a casualty in his rise to power. The world had turned its back on him, leaving him to rot in this forsaken dungeon.
But even in the darkness, there was a flicker of something within him—something that refused to die.
A burning desire for vengeance.
His heart pounded in his chest as he pulled against the ropes that bound him. His wrists were raw, but it didn't matter. He had been a prince once, and the fire of his lineage still burned in his veins. His mind, clouded by pain and betrayal, still held the will to fight.
He had nothing left to lose.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor, breaking the silence. Li Wei's pulse quickened. He strained his ears, trying to make out the approaching figure. The footsteps were deliberate, each one slow and measured, as if the person had all the time in the world.
A figure appeared in the doorway, her silhouette framed by the faint light of the torches. Li Wei's breath hitched in his throat as the person stepped into the cell. It was her.
Hua Ling.
Her eyes met his with a look that made his blood boil. She was different now—colder, harder. Her armor was polished, her posture impeccable, as if she had shed her former self entirely. She looked like a stranger to him now.
"You're awake," Hua Ling said, her voice emotionless, betraying none of the internal turmoil that Li Wei knew had to be there. "I wondered if you'd ever wake up."
Li Wei's gaze was cold as he glared at her. The pain in his chest was nothing compared to the agony her betrayal had caused him. "What do you want?" he spat, his voice hoarse but full of venom. "Here to gloat, Hua Ling?"
She didn't flinch at his words. Instead, she stepped closer, her expression unreadable. "I didn't come here to gloat. I came because I need to talk to you."
"Talk?" Li Wei let out a bitter laugh. "After what you've done? You think I'll listen to you?"
Hua Ling's face remained as hard as stone. "I know what you must be feeling. But I didn't betray you lightly."
"Betrayed me lightly?" Li Wei growled, struggling against his chains. "You killed my father! You helped him take everything from me, and now you stand there pretending you still care? You have no right to speak to me."
Her eyes darkened, but she didn't avert her gaze. "I never wanted to hurt you, Li Wei. You were always my brother in arms, the one I trusted above all else. But my loyalty has always been to the kingdom—not to a boy who thought he could bring justice through vengeance."
Li Wei's jaw tightened as he glared at her, his chest heaving with fury. "You were nothing but a liar. You played me, used me as a stepping stone to your own ambitions. Don't you dare talk to me about loyalty. You've already proven you have none."
Hua Ling's hand twitched at her side, but she didn't move closer. Instead, she took a deep breath, seeming to steady herself. "I didn't kill your father for power. I killed him because he was weak. The kingdom couldn't afford to be led by someone who clung to ideals while the world burned around him. Your father was a good man, but he was too blinded by his own honor to see that the kingdom needed strength, not weakness."
Li Wei's heart sank. He had heard these words before—words that Xian Yue had spoken to him in the palace. The idea that his father had been weak, that the kingdom had been better off under Xian Yue's rule, had been planted long ago. But now, Hua Ling's confirmation stung more than anything.
"You always had a choice, Hua Ling," Li Wei whispered, his voice breaking as the bitterness and betrayal overwhelmed him. "You didn't have to become this. You didn't have to become part of this endless cycle of bloodshed."
She finally looked away, her gaze drifting to the ground. For a fleeting moment, Li Wei thought he saw a trace of regret in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant. "I did what I had to do. For both of us. For the kingdom."
"And what about me?" Li Wei's voice cracked. "What about what you promised me? We were supposed to fight together. You promised we'd take the throne together."
Hua Ling's eyes softened, just barely, and for a moment, Li Wei could almost believe that the woman standing before him was the same one who had fought by his side through countless battles. The woman who had sworn loyalty to him, the woman he had trusted with his life.
But that woman was gone.
"I never wanted this for you," she said quietly. "I never wanted you to fall into the darkness like I did."
"Then why?" Li Wei demanded, his eyes burning with hatred and pain. "Why did you betray me?"
Hua Ling didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stepped back, her face now a mask of resolve. "Because sometimes, we do what's necessary, no matter the cost. I have my place in this world, Li Wei. And you have yours."
Her footsteps echoed as she turned away, leaving him once again in the cold, silent darkness of the dungeon. As the door slammed shut behind her, Li Wei sank back to the floor, his heart heavy with the weight of her words. The flames of revenge still burned within him, but now, they were tempered by something far darker.
Despair.