🌙The Heaven Prison
The air in the Heaven Prison was thin and tasted of cold stone and forgotten time. A single, small window, barred and set high in the ancient oak door of her cell, was Jade's only view of a reality outside her torment. She had been standing for what felt like centuries, not just days. Her arms, bound by thick, heavy chains of dark, magical iron, were stretched high above her head. The chains bit into her wrists, a constant, agonizing weight pulling at her shoulder joints until her body felt less like flesh and bone and more like a permanent, aching sculpture. Numbness was her only companion until the pain became too sharp for even that solace.
She was a statue of despair, her head bowed in exhaustion, when a sudden flicker of light caught her attention. She raised her heavy eyelids slowly and focused on the minuscule window in the door.
A figure stood there. Tall. Imposing.
Justin.
Their eyes locked through the narrow gap—a collision of fire and ice. His gaze was deep, the usual playful glint replaced by a terrifying, cold intensity that made the heavy chains feel less significant than the look in his eyes. He saw the streaks of grime and tears on her face, the unnatural tension in her upward-strained body, and the sheer helplessness of her captivity.
"Fox..." she whispered, the name barely a breath, a plea wrenched from her soul.
The subtle tremor that ran through his body was the only warning. Without a word, a sudden, blinding crimson aura exploded from him. It was a raw, powerful energy—a wave of furious, untamed magic—that struck the ancient, reinforced prison door. The heavy oak splintered, the iron bars twisted, and the hinges shrieked as they were torn from the wall. The door, now a broken mess, flew inward.
Justin stepped across the wreckage, his eyes burning with that dangerous. He was a storm contained within a man. He didn't approach the chains slowly. He moved with the swiftness of a predator protecting its own. He raised his hand—the motion too fast for the eye to track—and a brilliant slash of light, impossibly sharp, flashed out.
Clang! Clang!
The heavy iron chains, the ones designed to hold an Immortal captive, snapped clean through, scattering sparks and falling to the stone floor with a deafening noise.
Jade stared at her now-free wrists. She was unbound. It was unbelievable. The sudden release of tension was too much for her traumatized muscles and numb legs. Her knees buckled, and she began to crumple to the floor.
Before she could hit the cold stone, Justin was there. His strong arms wrapped around her, steadying her, stopping her fall. The scent of him—spices, leather, and something uniquely foxy and wild—washed over her.
he asked, his voice low, rough, and laced with genuine concern. "Are you alright?"
She could only manage a small nod, leaning on him for a moment before pushing herself to stand straight, forcing strength back into her limbs. The intense emotion of the sudden rescue was already hardening back into suspicion.
"How did you end up here?" he asked, his confusion still cold, his eyes searching hers for the missing piece of the puzzle.
Her voice, when she finally spoke, was sharp with remembered betrayal. "He fooled me... that idiot Heavenly man!"
Justin's eyes narrowed, the brown glow momentarily eclipsed by a deepening, dangerous amber.
"Ry... I don't remember his correct name. He must have given me a fake one," she spat out, the taste of the lie still bitter in her mouth.
Justin paused, his mind racing. Locked up in the Heaven Prison? Why? "Was his name... Ryan?"
"Ah, yes. That, I think," she confirmed, looking up at him.
Then, a sudden wave of primal fear washed over her. She swallowed hard, the danger of her surroundings momentarily forgotten in the face of the enigmatic being before her.
"And... you," she whispered, her gaze uncertain. "Why are you here?"
Justin leaned back slightly, a subtle, almost dismissive gesture. "I am a guest here."
Jade hesitated. "Still... how did they let you in? Are their guards truly that vigilant... or not vigilant enough?"
His eyes narrowed further, the question clearly crossing a line. "Are you suspecting me, Jade?"
Her eyes widened in realization of her blunder. "No!" she gasped quickly. She suddenly grabbed the sleeve of his dark, flowing attire, her grip tight. "Please, could you help me get out of here?" The genuine desperation in her voice was undeniable.
He studied her face—the fear, the anger, the plea—and then he gave a slow, firm nod. "You said you possessed a rare jade that spills the truth from anyone. Where is it?"
"Aha!" she exclaimed, reaching into the delicate folds of her tattered dress and pulling out a small, translucent stone. "Here." She quickly handed him the artifact.
He took it, his fingers brushing hers, then frowned. "But I still don't understand why they brought you here. Why did you follow Ryan in the first place?"
Jade's eyes widened again. Should I tell him the truth ?
Before she could decide, Justin moved. Rylan placed the truth-telling jade gently on her forehead. The contact was shocking, but the jade's power was instantaneous and subtle. As it pressed against her skin, Justin's deep brown eyes flickered, the color shifting to an intense, captivating gold.
"Ryan said..." she began, her voice suddenly flat, detached, and utterly honest. "...he will tell the truth that..."
Before she could complete the confession, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed outside the cell. A Heaven Guard stood framed in the broken doorway, his face a mask of confusion and suspicion. "Who are you?"
Swiftly, Justin retracted the jade from her forehead. Jade blinked, the truthful haze instantly gone, clarity returning. Justin's eyes returned to their normal, intelligent brown. He didn't bother with a direct fight. He used a quick, silent spell—a burst of contained energy—and the Heavenly Guard crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
Jade gasped, clutching at his arm.
Justin turned back to her and gave a small, confident smile. "Do you want to experience invisible?"
Jade's shock must have been evident. He snapped his fingers—a sound that echoed unnervingly in the silent prison—and she felt a strange, tingling sensation, followed by the certainty that she was gone. Invisible.
He grabbed her hand, his warm, strong fingers closing around her invisible ones, and he rushed them outside the prison area.
The Crowning of a Prince
They entered a vast, sun-drenched hallway, columns reaching high into a vaulted ceiling. The place was bustling with figures in magnificent attire. Jade, unseen and tethered to Justin, was overwhelmed.
"Why are so many different realm people here?" she asked, her voice a silent vibration only she and Justin could hear.
Justin walked casually through the crowd, his presence commanding but unremarkable to those who didn't know him. "Because today," he said, his voice easy and conversational, "they announced the new Crown Prince in the Heaven Realm." He paused, his head turning slightly toward her. "Do you want to know who this is?"
"Wait!" she hissed, though no one could hear it. "Don't talk to me! People will think you are mad!"
Justin chuckled, a deep, rich sound that barely reached his own ears, and raised a single, well-sculpted eyebrow.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the chatter. "Who are you talking to?"
Jade and Justin turned slowly.
Standing before them, with a cold, triumphant look, was Ryan.
Jade's invisible eyes burned with rage. The traitor.
Ryan approached, his expression mocking. "Are you bringing any spies with you,?"
Justin smiled, the expression cold and entirely devoid of warmth. "I don't need any spy, Ryan. Not to reveal the secret that you are hiding from me."
"We didn't hide anything," Ryan replied with a chillingly polite smile.
Justin gave a sly, half-grin that did not reach his eyes, then simply walked away, the invisible Jade following in his wake. Ryan's smile instantly evaporated, replaced by a look of furious calculation.
As they walked, Jade's eyes noticed a woman of breathtaking, timeless beauty—radiant, ethereal, dressed in silks that seemed woven from moonlight.
"Who is she?" Jade asked, purely out of curiosity. "She looks so beautiful."
"Of course she is beautiful," Justin said, his tone casual yet respectful. "She is the only Goddess in the universe."
Jade's invisible eyes widened in disbelief. "She is Irin." She couldn't tear her gaze away from the legendary figure.
"Don't roam your eyes around," Justin warned gently. "Otherwise, you might be caught easily."
As they passed the Goddess, Justin paused slightly, giving a small, formal bow of respect. Irin smiled kindly in return.
In her invisible state, Jade's hand was drawn by an inexplicable force. She gently, fleetingly, touched Irin's sleeve. Irin felt a strange flutter—a familiar, fleeting warmth—and looked down, confused.
Before she could turn fully, Justin had walked on. Irin watched his retreating back, a furrow in her brow. I can feel a familiar aura... May be it's just an illusion, I think.
A stunning girl in a magnificent eternal dress stopped Justin. She was Princess Merida, the Heaven King's daughter. She handed Justin a folded paper.
"What is this now?" he asked, his face a straight, bored mask.
"I am just passing it," the girl said in a sulky tone, placing it into his hand and walking away quickly, avoiding his gaze.
Who is she? Jade wondered, watching the exchange.
Justin grabbed Jade's invisible hand again, pulling her along.
"Do you know her?" Jade asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"She is the Heaven King's daughter, Merida," Justin replied.
"Mm," Jade mused, thinking aloud, There is something going on between them... No, she is just passing a message. Then... is he in love with some girl from the Heaven Realm?
Justin understood her internal thought process the moment he saw the shifting expressions on her face. He stopped and gave her a calculated stare.
"It is not what you are thinking," he said, his voice dropping to a husky, intimate murmur.
Jade was shocked. "How did you know what I was thinking?"
"I know," he replied simply, without elaboration. Before she could react or question him further, he dragged her along, rushing them toward the exit.
Panic in the Prison
Meanwhile, back in the broken cell, Ryan stormed into the prison area. He called to a guard. "Did anyone come near that cell?" His eyes pointed to cell 801.
"No one, Lord Ryan," the guard stammered.
"Guard that cell. Don't allow anyone near there," Ryan ordered, his eyes narrowed. He then walked toward the cell where he had locked Jade.
He froze.
Jade was gone. He saw the broken door, the snapped chains, and the fainted guard lying nearby. Ryan roared in outrage.
"Where is she? This is how you are guarding?" he yelled at the panicked guard.
"Impossible for outsiders to enter here, Lord Ryan!" the guard insisted.
Ryan scoffed, his anger turning to dark suspicion. "Then how could she have escaped?"
He noticed a small, round object gleaming on the floor. He picked it up and studied it—a small, highly polished mirror. He opened it, and the mirror showed not his mortal face, but his true identity: the Crown Prince of the Heaven Realm, smiling coldly. He quickly tucked it away, realizing what it was.
His gaze suddenly panicked. He rushed to cell 801, opening it with a single, swift wave of his hand.
In the center of the room, a silver-green jade-embedded scroll was shining, its light pulsating softly. Ryan exhaled a deep sigh of relief.
He immediately ordered the guards. "Secure this Scroll somewhere else."
A colder, more calculating voice rose from within him. "No. I will tell you where you have to secure this." His eyes darkened with purpose.
"There is no way that mortal girl escaped from here," he ordered again, his voice dangerously low. "Find her quickly."
Ryan remembered the encounter with Justin in the hallway. He smirked knowingly. "So you helped her."
The Leap of Faith
At the entrance gate of the Heaven Realm, standing on the precipice overlooking the vast, swirling clouds below, Justin turned to Jade. He snapped his fingers again, and with a rush of tingling sensation, she was visible once more.
She looked down over the edge. Far below, the ground was barely visible—a dizzying, terrifying distance. She panicked, stumbling back.
"How are we going back?" she asked, her breath catching in her throat.
Justin gave her a playful, utterly reckless smirk. "We have to jump from here."
"No way!" Jade stepped back again. Is this Fox tricking me?
"There she is!" a guard's voice roared nearby.
Before the guard could catch Jade, Justin moved with impossible speed. He swiftly grabbed her, pulling her close, leaning backward into a daring, dramatic curve, her body pressed securely against his. She could feel his heart hammering against her chest.
He smirked down at her, the playful darkness back in his eyes. "Don't worry. No one can lay a single finger on you until I'm here."
Jade's heartbeat accelerated, a terrifying mixture of fear and something else entirely. He helped her stand straight, but her eyes were locked on the approaching wave of guards.
Justin smiled, the smile of a hunter anticipating a chase. "Shall we?"
Jade cried out in fear. "No way!"
He waved his hand, not at the guards, but at the platform beneath her feet. The ground disappeared, and Jade shrieked, falling through the vast, open air. She roared in terror as she plummeted.
Justin followed, falling backward with an easy, fearless grace, literally flying without fear. He suddenly moved with a burst of accelerated speed, shooting past her and then grabbing her firmly in the middle of the air.
Jade finally felt relief, a dizzying, sudden halt to her fall. His arm clamped securely around her waist.
"I won't let you fall," he murmured, his eyes softened, focused entirely on her face.
She gripped the cloth near his chest—his dark, luxurious hanfu—her knuckles white, her heart slowly beginning to regulate its frantic beat.
The Prophecy
In the formal Discussion Area of the Heaven Realm, the most powerful figures were gathered.
"We saw it with our own eyes," Ren stated firmly. "Her power didn't activate, even in the pain of losing her parents."
Dylan, horrified, asked, "Did you kill her parents to activate her devilish power?" He was furious, the accusation hanging heavy in the air.
"We didn't, brother," Lia interjected quickly.
Ren nodded in agreement. "Someone else did that. I think another realm discovered she is the devilish girl, and they wanted to verify it, just as we are."
Irin, the Goddess, spoke with gentle authority. "Leave it. Perhaps that's the truth. Why are you all chasing her?"
"Yes," Dylan conceded. "Maybe we found the wrong person."
Suddenly, a voice, ancient, cold, and commanding, echoed through the hall, silencing all others.
"The Ancient Scroll did not lie. She is the bad Omen that leads to disaster to the entire realm."
It was Zerath, the Ancient Old Demon, stepping into the hall. Everyone bowed low.
His eyes, dark and heavy with age, turned to Irin. "Don't misinterpret her. She is a devilish girl. We can't take any risks, and moreover, don't take soft corners with our enemy."
"But," Irin countered, "you said that if she is the devilish girl, her power should be activated by deep pain. It hasn't. How can you say that?"
"She has a tattoo," Zerath replied, his voice firm and unwavering. "A fire flower on her shoulder. That proves she is the one."
"Yes, Irin," Ren agreed, conviction in his tone. "Zerath is right. She is a devil. Do not sympathize with her. Once she gets her energy, no one can touch her. Before that..."
Ryan entered the hall, his face grim, his eyes holding a dark resolve. "...we have to find another way to activate her devilish energy."
Zerath's eyes darkened, a slow, malicious smile spreading across his ancient face.
"Yes," the demon whispered. "I have another way."
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To be Continued...
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