The darkness was no longer just around him—it was inside him. It pulsed through his veins like poison, winding its way through every fiber of his being. Li Wei stood at the altar, his mind whirling, the power of the Crystal of Shadows consuming him more with every heartbeat. The room was a blur, the air thick with an energy so dense it felt as though it could crush him. His fingers still tingled from where they had touched the crystal, but the sensation was far from discomfort—it was exhilarating, addicting.
Yet, beneath the heady rush of power, a part of him—the part that still clung to the memories of who he had once been—felt something else. A flicker of something warm, something familiar, something human.
Hua Ling…
Her face was burned into his mind, a scar that would never fade. No matter how much power surged within him, no matter how much vengeance he craved, he could not escape the fact that she was the one who had caused this. She had betrayed him. She had abandoned him. And still, that lingering part of him—the part that had once loved her—resented her more than he could ever express.
He clenched his fists, the cold power surging through his fingertips as though responding to his thoughts. He could feel the shadows wrapping around him like a cloak, comforting him in their cold embrace. Yet that one thought—the memory of her—held him in a strange, paradoxical state. Power, vengeance, and desire twisted within him, pulling him in every direction at once.
"Are you satisfied, then?" the man's voice cut through the chaos in his mind. The voice was almost mockingly calm, but there was something else in it—something predatory. "You've taken the power, Li Wei. It's yours. You are no longer the broken prince. You are the dark king now."
Li Wei slowly turned toward the man, whose shadowed figure still stood at the edge of the altar. His hood remained up, his face hidden, but his presence was undeniable. "What happens now?" Li Wei asked, his voice hoarse, more from the weight of his own thoughts than the effects of the darkness.
"Now," the man said, stepping forward, "you start your journey. You'll find your enemies—Xian Yue, Hua Ling—both are pieces in this game. But remember, while your revenge will bring you satisfaction, the true cost is far more than you think."
Li Wei's eyes flickered toward the man, and for the first time, he felt something stir within him. The man was not just a guide, not just a benefactor. There was something darker about him, something that made Li Wei pause, but his burning need for vengeance overshadowed everything else.
"I'll kill them all," Li Wei muttered, his voice colder than the air around him. "I'll make them all pay."
The man nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "Yes. But be careful, Li Wei. The more power you take, the less you remain yourself. You may gain everything you've lost, but at what cost?"
Li Wei's gaze turned toward the door, the path ahead clearer than ever. The road was shrouded in darkness, but it was his road to walk now. He had nothing left to lose.
"I don't care about the cost," Li Wei said, his voice filled with icy resolve. "I will bring everything I've lost back. And I will make them all regret underestimating me."
The man gave a short laugh, a sound devoid of humor. "You're already lost, Li Wei. You just don't know it yet."
Li Wei emerged from the chamber, stepping out into the cold night air. The city lay sprawled beneath him, the familiar sight of his once-proud kingdom now tarnished and broken. The streets were silent, as though the very city was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. There were no more sounds of laughter or celebration, only the hollow echoes of a past long gone.
His mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: revenge. The darkness that now thrummed through him was both a weapon and a curse. But it was the only thing that mattered now.
The man had given him the power, but it was up to him to use it. Xian Yue and Hua Ling would pay. They had taken everything from him—his kingdom, his family, his honor—and he would take it all back, piece by piece.
But even as his resolve solidified, there was a voice in his mind—faint, almost drowned by the darkness—that whispered of something else. Something he could not ignore.
What if Hua Ling isn't just an enemy? What if there's something more to her betrayal?
But the thought was fleeting, and Li Wei pushed it aside. There was no room for weakness. No room for mercy. She had chosen her side, and now he would choose his. The woman he had once loved was lost to him forever, and nothing would stand in the way of his revenge.
It didn't take long for Li Wei to find his first target. Xian Yue had established his dominance over the kingdom, surrounding himself with powerful allies and loyal soldiers. But none of them were a match for the darkness Li Wei had become.
He stood at the gates of Xian Yue's stronghold, the city towering before him like a fortress. His heart burned with the need for destruction, and the power of the Crystal of Shadows swelled within him, urging him forward. With a single step, Li Wei crossed the threshold, his presence like a storm descending on the city.
The streets were empty, save for the occasional guard who barely had time to react before Li Wei's shadow engulfed them. His enemies fell one by one, unable to withstand the ferocity of his attack. The darkness flowed from him, twisting through the air, seizing everything in its path. It wasn't long before the entire city seemed to tremble under his power.
Li Wei's eyes blazed with fury as he pushed deeper into the stronghold. He could almost hear Xian Yue's laughter echoing through the halls—taunting him, mocking him. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore except for the one thing he sought above all else: vengeance.
As he reached the inner sanctum, the door before him flung open, and there she stood.
Hua Ling.
Her eyes met his, and for the briefest of moments, everything slowed. The world around him seemed to fade away, and all that remained was her—standing before him, her expression unreadable.
Li Wei's heart skipped a beat, the briefest flicker of something resembling warmth stirring in his chest. But it was quickly drowned by the cold weight of the darkness within him.
"Li Wei," Hua Ling said softly, her voice a whisper on the wind. "You've changed."
"You changed," Li Wei snapped, his voice dripping with venom. "You turned your back on me. After everything."
Hua Ling stepped forward, her gaze softening for the first time since their last meeting. "I never wanted this. But you—you have changed too. The darkness… it's consuming you."
Li Wei's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched as the power surged inside him, urging him to destroy her, to end it all. "You made your choice. Now, I will make mine."
And with that, the battle for everything they had once shared began anew.