The dungeon walls felt as though they were closing in on Li Wei, the air growing thicker with every passing second. His mind was a whirlwind of fury and confusion, still reeling from Hua Ling's departure. Her cold words echoed in his mind, each one a dagger twisting deeper into his soul. She had been everything to him—his ally, his confidant, the one person he had trusted more than anyone else. And now she was nothing but a traitor, a puppet of Xian Yue, the man who had stolen everything from him.
Hours passed, or perhaps it was days—time seemed irrelevant in the suffocating silence of the dungeon. Li Wei had long since stopped trying to escape. The chains that bound him to the cold stone floor were unyielding, and his strength was ebbing away with each passing moment. He had been abandoned here to die, but something inside him refused to give in to despair.
His mind continued to churn, piecing together fragments of memories. The burning desire for revenge was still there, pulsing in the back of his mind, but now there was something else—a deeper need, one that he couldn't name. He had lost everything, but that didn't mean he had to give up. He had nothing left to protect, nothing left to lose.
But the pain of betrayal stung in ways he hadn't imagined. Every time he thought of Hua Ling, his stomach twisted. She had been his strength, his anchor in this cruel world, and now she was his greatest enemy. And yet, even in the depths of his hatred, a small, irrational part of him still hoped that she would come to her senses, that she would return and explain why—why she had done this to him.
A sound broke through his tortured thoughts, sharp and sudden. The dungeon door creaked open, and Li Wei's body tensed instinctively, his eyes narrowing as he tried to peer through the gloom.
The figure that entered was not Hua Ling. Instead, a man stepped forward, his face obscured by a dark hood. His footsteps were light, almost silent, as he approached Li Wei's cell. The man's eyes, dark as the night, gleamed with an unsettling intelligence.
"You must be Li Wei," the man said, his voice smooth and unhurried, but with an underlying edge that hinted at danger.
Li Wei's gaze flickered to the man, his suspicions immediately piqued. He was not one of Xian Yue's soldiers, nor did he seem like someone from the palace. "Who are you?" Li Wei spat, his voice hoarse from disuse. "What do you want?"
The man smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I think the better question is what do you want, Li Wei?"
Li Wei shifted uncomfortably on the floor, his eyes never leaving the stranger. "What are you talking about?"
The man crouched down, his movements deliberate. "You've been abandoned, betrayed by everyone you trusted. Your kingdom is gone, your people are crushed under the boot of Xian Yue, and Hua Ling..." The man's voice trailed off, and for a brief moment, Li Wei saw a flicker of something in his eyes—something like pity. "She has turned her back on you."
Li Wei's blood ran cold at the mention of Hua Ling's name. He clenched his fists, the anger welling up inside him once more. "Why are you telling me this?" he demanded, his tone low and dangerous.
"Because," the man said, leaning in closer, "I can offer you a way out. A way to reclaim everything you've lost. But it won't be easy. It will cost you more than you can imagine."
Li Wei's heart raced, the thought of reclaiming his birthright igniting something deep within him. His entire life had been consumed by the idea of vengeance. To take back the throne, to bring an end to Xian Yue's reign, to make Hua Ling pay for her betrayal—it was all within his grasp.
But he had learned the hard way that nothing came without a price.
"And what do you want in return?" Li Wei asked cautiously, his eyes narrowing.
The man's smile never wavered. "Nothing for now. But the road ahead will demand sacrifices. Power, loyalty, and perhaps... your very soul."
Li Wei's chest tightened. He had already sacrificed so much, but was he truly willing to give up everything for vengeance? Was there even anything left of the man he used to be?
"You have nothing left to lose," the man continued, his voice calm and persuasive. "The world is cruel, Li Wei. The strong survive, and the weak die. If you want to rise again, you must embrace the darkness that is within you. Only then will you be able to defeat Xian Yue and claim what is rightfully yours."
The weight of the man's words settled on Li Wei's shoulders, crushing him. He had always believed in the ideals of justice, honor, and revenge. But now, those ideals seemed so distant, so hollow. The world had shown him nothing but pain, betrayal, and loss. Maybe the man was right. Maybe it was time to let go of the man he had once been and embrace the power that lay dormant within him.
"Tell me what to do," Li Wei finally said, his voice hoarse but filled with a cold resolve.
The man stood, his cloak swirling around him as he took a step back. "Very well. The first step is to break free from these chains. Only then will you be able to begin your path of vengeance."
Before Li Wei could respond, the man raised his hand, and with a quick, almost imperceptible motion, the chains around Li Wei's wrists fell away, as if they had never been there at all.
Li Wei stood slowly, his legs shaky beneath him. His hands were free, but the chains in his heart remained. The darkness that had consumed him before was now a palpable force, swirling within him, tempting him to embrace it fully.
"You have your freedom now," the man said, his voice soft but filled with an undeniable power. "But remember, Li Wei—every choice has its consequences. The price of vengeance is steep. And once you step onto this path, there is no turning back."
Li Wei took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the door to the outside world. He was free—free to pursue his vengeance, free to destroy Xian Yue, free to reclaim what was rightfully his. But as he stepped into the darkness, he couldn't help but wonder if the cost would be too high.