Qingsai sat in the damp spirit-sealed cell, eyes closed, meditating.
He heard the door unlock and opened his eyes with a glimmer of hope—until he saw the figure step through the threshold.
> Master Luren.
Qingsai stood quickly. "Father… You came."
Luren did not embrace him.
Did not smile.
"I've spoken with the king," he said simply. "You are to be married."
Qingsai blinked. "What?"
"To the three girls. Meiyan. Chunsi. And another. Noble daughters."
Qingsai stepped back. "Why…? I never agreed to—!"
"It's not about agreement," Luren said, voice flat. "It's what must be done."
"You sold me?" Qingsai whispered.
"No. I secured your future."
"You betrayed me."
The silence between them thickened. Luren didn't deny it.
"You accepted something, didn't you?" Qingsai's voice cracked. "Gold? Land? Titles?"
Luren's jaw clenched. "They offered stability. Power. I took it—for both of us."
Qingsai's hands balled into fists, but his flame could not ignite in this cursed cell.
"You always told me to choose my path. That I wasn't bound to anything. You lied."
Luren looked away. "This world eats the wild, Qingsai. If you won't kneel willingly, they'll break you. Better to bend on your own terms."
Tears welled in Qingsai's eyes—rage and heartbreak swirling together.
> "You never believed in me. You were just waiting to sell me to the highest bidder."
Luren left without another word.
The door shut behind him.
And in the quiet, Qingsai collapsed against the wall, the warmth in his chest hollowed out.
> Even the one man I trusted… is gone.
Far above, Meiyan stood on a balcony, watching her father pace with self-satisfaction.
And her own heart began to doubt what she'd always believed about loyalty and blood.