Breath of Destiny
I drew a sharp breath, my pulse hammering like war drums in my chest. This was the point of no return. The Crown Prince's words stood like an impassable obsidian wall, thrusting me toward an abyss of uncertainty—while Chen Qing'er's phantom grip never loosened from my throat.
"You think me blind to this game of thrones?" My whisper carried frost as I straightened my spine. This path was mine by choice, and no amount of thorns would make me falter now.
The Crown Prince's eyes flashed with surprise before hardening into polished steel. A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "So you've chosen."
His approach was deliberate, each step making my nerves tighten like bowstrings. I felt both puppet and willing captive, drawn irresistibly to the power radiating from him.
"Stand with me," he said, voice like a honed blade, "and you cease to be a piece moved by others' hands. You become the player who tilts the board."
When his hand closed on my shoulder, his gaze pinned me in place. "Our fates are entwined now. There's no retreat from this path."
"I understand." My nod was slow, deliberate. Fear and doubt coiled in my gut, but this was my chosen road. No more running.
The Crown Prince's smile deepened as he turned to Zhang Feng. "Mobilize all forces. We strike before Chen Qing'er consolidates her position."
As Zhang Feng departed, I stared at my clenched hands. What consequences would this choice birth? The future blurred before me—no retreat remained, yet moving forward felt like stepping onto thin ice.
"Tonight marks our first battle as allies." The Crown Prince's voice held a conqueror's certainty. "We fight not just for ourselves, but for the foundation of this kingdom's future."
The weight of his words settled on me. Aligning with him meant burning every bridge to my past, diving headlong into this merciless game. Failure meant ruin beyond imagining.
Yet turning back was impossible. This bond between us was destiny's design.
"Prepare yourself," he commanded, and strangely, the order didn't chafe. Instead, it anchored me—this lethal certainty becoming my unexpected harbor.
Then—
A jagged warning shot through my veins. My head snapped toward the door.
"What is it?" The Crown Prince caught my tension instantly.
"Intruders." My whisper was a blade unsheathed.
The doors burst open. Eunuchs stumbled in, faces bloodless.
"Your Highness! The Eastern Palace is surrounded—Chen Qing'er's forces have breached the inner sanctum!"
The Crown Prince's expression didn't flicker, but his eyes turned glacial. "Rally the Black Feather Guard. We meet them at the Gate of Severed Hope."
As the room erupted into chaos, I exhaled slowly. The die was cast. Tonight wouldn't just test my choice—it would baptize me in fire and blood. The game had truly begun.
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