Chaoxiang felt Edina stirring in bed as he opened his eyes. She was getting up and dressing, revealing the whip wounds on her back. He reached out and gently touched the scars, saying, “We have work to do, huh?”
Edina turned around with a rare, slight smile. “That we do,” she replied, taking her cane to go freshen up in the bathroom. The night had been a turning point for them. Edina had finally opened up about her life story, and in return, Chaoxiang had shared his childhood experiences with her. They had spent the time in bed talking, forging a deeper connection.
As Edina walked to the bathroom, the rhythmic tapping of her cane echoed in the quiet room. Chaoxiang watched her go, reflecting on the whirlwind of emotions and revelations they had experienced. He never imagined that Edina, a woman of such strength and mystery, would open up to him about her past. Her vulnerability had touched him deeply, and he felt a renewed sense of determination to protect her and their people.
Chaoxiang himself had revealed parts of his own life that he rarely spoke of. His childhood, marked by hardship and loss, had shaped him into the man he was today. Sharing these memories with Edina had been surprisingly cathartic. He felt a bond forming between them, one that transcended mere camaraderie. It was a connection forged in the fires of shared pain and mutual understanding.
Chaoxiang got up from the bed as well. Now that he knew about Edina’s Isolation body constitution and its effects, he was already planning how to create weapons and safeguard the city. He was determined to keep Edina’s secret safe and ensure it wasn’t exploited. He looked outside; it was still midnight.
A feeling of happiness washed over Chaoxiang. Seeing Edina smile and open up, even just a bit, was something he hadn't expected to witness before the demons destroyed the world. As he buttoned his shirt.
Edina emerged from the bathroom, looking more composed. She approached Chaoxiang, who was now standing by the window, lost in thought. She gently touched his shoulder, pulling him back to the present
“I have to get going now,” she said, taking out a princess gown from a drawer that Chaoxiang kept for her.
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Chaoxiang took a deep breath, feeling a strange mixture of peace and urgency. The calm of the night contrasted sharply with the chaos they faced daily, but it also served as a reminder of what they were fighting for—a future where such peaceful nights could be the norm.
“Wait... I just remembered something,” Chaoxiang said. Edina looked at him, nodded, and continued dressing.
Chaoxiang kneeled down, retrieved a key from his pocket, and opened a drawer beneath his desk. He pulled out a box made of red-black steel and placed it on the bed. Rising, he took the box to Edina and said, “This is something my brother acquired from one of the Blazing Dawn Sect’s servants after their execution at the hands of the first prince.”
Edina looked at the box, her curiosity piqued. She opened it, revealing a necklace with intricate designs, clearly not crafted by human hands. It emitted a soft purple light and pure mana. Edina’s eyes widened in recognition. “This is the necklace that is to be worn only by the Imperial Family of the Leon Empire! I remember a merchant came to our sect to have it safeguarded, but it was stolen after Aunt Li Mei had it placed in Mu Mansion.”
Chaoxiang nodded. “Yes, some maid—what was her name? Ah, Xiao Min—sold it for a huge price to my brother. There are also some books in the box. I think they are diaries.”
Edina looked inside and found the diaries. A frown appeared on her face as she identified them. “Aunt Li Mei’s diaries. So the necklace wasn’t stolen by anyone other than my dear aunt. Xiao Min must have safeguarded these diaries out of loyalty to Aunt Li Mei.”
Chaoxiang nodded and then said, “Here, let me help you wear it.” Edina handed the necklace to Chaoxiang, the stone feeling almost alive in his hands. Edina turned around, and Chaoxiang carefully placed the necklace around her neck.
Once the necklace was in place, Edina turned around and kissed him. Chaoxiang, taken by the moment, kissed her back, Chaoxiang couldn't help but feel a sense of optimism. The road ahead was perilous, and the stakes were higher than ever, but for the first time in a long while, he felt genuinely happy, the moonlight casting a gentle glow on the two. He asked, “So... are we... like... together?”
As Edina was about to answer him, they both felt a strange and immense amount of energy in the sky, very different from magic or qi—alchemy! Realization dawned on them as Chaoxiang yelled, “Get the citizens to move south! I’ll get Henry and Aisha to bring out the mages and martial artists to stop the demons!”
Edina hurriedly nodded and was about to move, but with a colossal flash of light in the dead of night, the entire land, once bustling with human civilization, lay in ruins. One might mistake this devastation for a natural disaster, but in truth, it was the work of two figures hovering mid-air under the moonlight, their large wings spread wide in the wind.
Amidst the rubble stood a solitary human, the sole survivor of the destruction wrought by the massive flash—a spell of mass destruction cast by two demonic beings, not from some demonic sect, but real denizens of the underworld. The sky was illuminated by the lingering remnants of the destructive spell, casting eerie shadows over the decimated landscape.
Edina’s heart raced as she took in the scene, the weight of the necklace around her neck now a reminder of the heavy burden she bore. The destruction was unlike anything she had ever seen, the power of the demons more terrifying and real than ever before. She clutched her cane tightly, the familiar wood grounding her in the chaos.