"Run…"
"Mom…"
"Someone, please help…"
Voices of people reached Yichen's ears. Unable to bear the cries, he finally opened his eyes—only to find himself in a place devoured by flames and demons.
People ran in panic, trying to save themselves.
"Is it another prophecy… or just a dream?" Realizing that no one could see him at all, Yichen asked himself, trying to suppress his anxiety.
This kind of situation wasn't new to him. Many times, he had seen such dreams.
Ten years ago, he had seen a similar one—it was about the end of the world, brought by a beautiful creature that looked human, but was actually a mixture of demon and dragon.
Even now, remembering that figure sent a chill through him.
Not because of its appearance… But because of its expression. It's looked completely broken.
There was no satisfaction can see in his oceanlike eyes after killing, nor any regret. It simply destroyed everything, as if it had no reason to let anything live.
Seeing the current situation, Yichen moved forward, wanting to understand what was happening. Demons roamed freely, killing any human that appeared before them.
Among them, one demon stood out.
Anyone would feel fear just by looking at it. Black, shiny scales like a serpent covered its body, with dark markings spreading across its skin. Its pupils—a mix of gold and red—made it impossible for anyone to approach.
A strange, domineering aura was surrounding him. Anyone could tell at a glance—It was their leader.
The darkness emanating from its body drained the energy of humans, as if it was directly sucking out their life force.
Suddenly, the demon's gaze fell upon Yichen. His body trembled as he quickly lowered his head. Then, remembering that no one could see him, Yichen slowly looked up again.
The demon was gone.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Yichen turned around—Only to freeze in fear. The demon was standing right behind him.
With a scream, Yichen woke up from his dream. For a few minutes, he couldn't come out of the fear. It was the first time he had experienced something like this.
"What happened?" Rushing into the room after hearing the scream, Zoe asked.
Seeing Yichen sitting there as if he had seen a ghost, Zoe could already guess. "Did you have a scary dream?"
Yichen nodded his head. Seeing his sweat-covered face, Zoe couldn't just leave him like that.
Pouring a cup of water from the jug, Zoe offered it to him. Yichen drank the entire cup in one gulp.
"Sleep…" Zoe said, turning as if to return to his chamber.
Suddenly, Yichen grabbed his clothes, not wanting him to leave.
"Master… can you stay here for a bit?" he asked softly.
Seeing his expression, Zoe couldn't refuse. He sat down on the chair beside the study table. "Now sleep."
Lying on the bed, Yichen still couldn't fall asleep. "Master…" he called out, looking at Zoe, who was reading a book.
"Mm…"
"You know… I came to the Chen Long Sect to become your disciple. At first, I wasn't sure it would happen. But when I picked the paper and saw your name… I was really happy."
He spoke without looking at him.
Hearing this, Zoe slowly lowered the book and looked at him.
"For you to come here in search of me… have we met before?" he asked curiously.
"You might not remember… but you once saved my life." As he said that, Yichen's gaze shifted toward Zoe. "I'm the village head's son of the Lin Shao tribe.
Master, that day… you didn't just save my life, you protected our people. Our entire village is indebted to you." His voice carried both gratitude and emotion.
"You never revealed the truth about the demonic beasts appearing in our village to the sect. You even handled the matter based on our report.
If you hadn't helped us… the entire village would have been destroyed by the sect, accused of being corrupted by demonic energy." The words flowed straight from his heart.
Zoe listened quietly before speaking. "There's no need to bring that up now. What I did… is something anyone would have done.
And I act according to my own principles. That's the only reason I kept it hidden.
So, there's no need to feel indebted. I already received my reward." With that, he returned his focus to the book.
"When I grow up… I want to be like you," Yichen said. "Righteous… and powerful."
For a brief moment, the corner of Zoe's lips lifted—as if he had heard a joke.
But hiding his expression behind the book, he chose not to shatter the dream Yichen held.
...
Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm—
"Why does it have to be me? I don't want to go…"
"There's nothing to be afraid of. Just go, place the water jug inside, and come back. That's all…"
"Then you go."
"Yes, yes… I'm coming. Didn't you hear? The head butler is calling me. I have to go. Let's talk later…"
"You… traitor…"
"Ahem."
The two maids, desperately trying to push the task onto each other, were caught by the head maid. Seeing her cold expression, the younger maid had no choice but to accept her fate.
With fear in her heart, she approached the Crown Prince's chamber. After knocking and announcing her presence, she stepped inside happily when no reply came, assuming he wasn't there.
She quickly placed the water jug on the table near the bed and turned to leave but accidentally knocked over a pearl jar.
The pearls scattered across the floor.
Panicking, she hurriedly began collecting them. Noticing one pearl roll beneath the bed, she crawled under to retrieve it.
At that very moment—The Crown Prince entered the room.
Startled, she froze beneath the bed, not daring to move. Peeking from the shadows, her breath hitched.
She had never seen someone so handsome in her life.
Long black hair flowed behind him, his pale skin almost glowing. His sharp features, pointed nose, and golden pupils reflected his royal bloodline. His figure was perfectly built—refined, yet powerful.
Without realizing it, a drop of blood slipped from her nose.
"Finally… I can relax for a bit," he muttered. As he began removing his outer robe, the maid, who had wanted to escape just moments ago, found herself unable to look away.
Standing before the mirror, the Crown Prince observed his reflection. The faint smile on his lips slowly faded. It turned cold. With a flick of his hand, he covered the mirror with a sheet and drew all the curtains shut.
Then, he released his illusion. His appearance began to change.
Black, gleaming scales spread across his body, accompanied by dark, creeping patterns. Massive black dragon wings unfurled from his back. His golden eyes deepened—shifting into a terrifying mix of gold and crimson.
The air itself seemed to grow heavier. The maid's heart nearly stopped. She couldn't hold back her fear any longer.
A scream escaped her lips.
In an instant, the Crown Prince's gaze snapped toward the bed. With a mere wave of his hand, an invisible force dragged her out from hiding.
She was lifted into the air, his magic gripping her throat tightly.
"An assassin?" he asked coldly. "Have you come to take my life?"
He spoke—but clearly had no interest in her answer. His grip tightened.
The maid tried to speak, to deny it— But no sound came out. Struggling for breath, tears welled in her eyes.
Amused, he tilted his head slightly.
Then, with a flick of his magic—
Crack.
Her pinky finger broke. A silent scream contorted her face. In pain, she cried, begging to be spared with her eyes.
"Don't look at me like this… it makes me want to drag out those eyeballs…"
But before he could go any further—
"Long Tian!" A furious voice echoed through the chamber.
His mother had arrived, followed by several maids. The moment she saw the scene, her expression darkened.
Even she flinched under his cold gaze.
At that moment, he didn't look human at all—more like a wild beast ready to devour anything in its path.
With a flick of his hand, Long Tian threw the maid to the ground. Then, as if nothing had happened, he returned to the normal appearance he always maintained in front of others.
"What brings you here, Mother?" he asked, his tone suddenly calm, almost concerned.
"Do you have any idea what you were doing?" Hua Long demanded, her voice filled with anger.
"Interrogating an assassin who came to harm me. What's wrong with that?" Tian replied casually.
"Assassin?"
"She was hiding beneath my bed. I was merely trying to find out her motive."
Hua Long turned to the maids behind her.
Kneeling down, one of them quickly spoke up.
"Your Majesty, she is not an assassin. I've known her since childhood—she would never harm the Crown Prince. This must be a misunderstanding…"
Hua Long's gaze shifted to the maid lying on the floor.
"Do you have anything to say?"
The girl trembled, her voice shaking as she explained everything.
"…I only hid there because I was afraid to come out… I never thought it would end up like this…"
Silence filled the room for a moment.
"Take her away from my sight," Hua Long ordered coldly, leaving her punishment to the head maid.
Once the others had left, only mother and son remained. Hua Long turned back to him.
"Even knowing she was innocent… you still chose to torture her. That is not the conduct of a future king."
She understood her son's abilities well. For someone like him, determining whether a person was an assassin or not should have been effortless. So why…? Why did he act like this? A thought left her mind.
"Every decision carries its own weight," Tian said calmly. "Those who cannot bear that weight… shouldn't even dare to make one." He paused briefly. "Mother, I want to rest."
It was a clear signal for her to leave. As he spoke, he reverted back to his true form once more.
...
Hua Long quietly left the chamber.
On her way back, she frowned slightly, lost in thought. "Is he… hitting puberty?"
Despite his mature appearance, Tian was still only fourteen. "I should ask Tianzhi to have a talk with him…" being concerned, she mutters while going to meet her husband.