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The Taste of Sweetness
The evening sun dipped below the horizon of the Fox Realm, staining the sky in hues of bruised plum and burning amber. Inside the royal study, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of old parchment and the crackle of enchanted candles. Justin sat at his heavy desk, the flickering light casting long, sharp shadows across his regal features.
He held a golden scroll in his hands—a relic of the ancient Fox Kings. It hummed with a dormant, stubborn energy. "It's sealed," he whispered to the silence, his brow furrowing. He channeled a surge of his golden foxfire into the seal, trying to force it open, but the magic simply bounced off the surface, leaving his palms tingling.
He let out a heavy sigh, setting the golden scroll aside. The mystery of Jade's lineage was a knot he couldn't yet untie. He reached for a different, weathered scroll, his eyes scanning the archaic script for any mention of the "Devil Energy" the heavens so desperately feared.
The sound of soft footsteps interrupted his thoughts. He didn't need to look up to know who it was; the scent of jasmine and the subtle, dark warmth of her presence filled the room before she even spoke.
An Offering of Peace
Jade approached the desk carrying a silver tray, a delicate cloth covering its contents. She moved with a newfound grace, though her heart hammered against her ribs. She placed the tray directly in front of his scrolls, the clink of metal against wood echoing in the quiet room.
When Justin didn't immediately acknowledge her, she let out a small, forced cough. His golden eyes finally drifted from the parchment to her face.
"I made a cake for you," she said, her voice small but steady. She lifted the cloth to reveal tiny, intricately shaped cakes, still warm from the oven.
"Mmm," Justin hummed, his expression unreadable as his gaze flickered back to the scroll.
Jade felt a pang of frustration. She took a breath, her voice softening with genuine emotion. "Justin... I wanted to say thank you. For everything. For rescuing me, for Emily... for being here."
He remained silent, though his hand paused over the paper.
"Let's have a bite," she urged, hoping to break the icy wall between them.
Justin finally pushed the scroll away. "Did you make these yourself?"
Jade nodded quickly. "Mmm-hmm."
He reached out, his long fingers picking up one of the small cakes. He took a slow, deliberate bite, chewing thoughtfully as Jade watched him with bated breath, her hands clasped nervously in front of her.
"How is it?" she asked curiously.
"Not sweet," he replied coldly, his eyes not meeting hers.
Jade's jaw dropped. "No! I added plenty of sugar. It has to be sweet!" To prove her point, she snatched one from the tray and bit into it. The sugar melted on her tongue. "See? It's sweet!"
She sat there, the half-eaten cake still held between her lips, her cheeks flushed with indignant pride. She didn't put the morsel back down; instead, she reached for another one on the tray. Emboldened by her own frustration, she moved her hand toward his mouth.
"Mmm," she gestured, her eyes challenging him to try again.
Justin's reaction was swifter than a strike of lightning. He didn't take the cake from her hand. Instead, his hand shot out, gently but firmly grasping her wrist and moving it aside. Before she could react, he leaned forward, his face inches from hers.
He didn't bite the cake in her hand; he leaned in and took the piece of cake directly from her mouth.
Jade froze, her heart leaping into her throat. The sudden, intimate contact sent a jolt of electricity through her entire body. Her breath hitched as his lips brushed hers, the taste of the sugar and his own masculine scent overwhelming her senses.
Justin pulled back just an inch, a mocking, predatory smile dancing on his lips. "Now... it's sweet," he murmured.
Jade's head spun. She began to turn away, her face burning with a mixture of embarrassment and a strange, rising heat. But Justin wasn't finished. His hand moved with fluid grace, his fingers curling around the back of her neck, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin just below her ear.
He pulled her back, turning her face to meet his. Without a word of warning, he pressed his lips to hers in a deep, demanding kiss.
Jade's eyes widened in shock, but the resistance she expected to feel never came. The kiss was wild, passionate, and filled with a desperate possessiveness that mirrored the storm in her own heart. He demanded her surrender, and to her own surprise, she felt her hands find his shoulders, her fingers digging into his silken robes.
She kissed him back.
The air in the room seemed to vanish. Justin's kiss grew more intense, his tongue seeking hers, a silent battle for dominance that left her breathless and trembling. He tasted of the cake, but more than that, he tasted of fire and ancient, unyielding power.
When he finally pulled away, his breathing was as ragged as hers. He didn't release the back of her neck, his thumb continuing its slow, rhythmic stroke. His golden eyes burned into hers, a triumphant light shining within them.
"You are kissing me back," he said, his voice a low, satisfied purr. He smiled—not a mocking smile this time, but one of genuine, dark delight.
Jade couldn't find the words to reply. She looked down, her face a deep shade of crimson, her body still humming from the contact. She was shy, overwhelmed, and for the first time, she realized that the Fox Prince didn't just want her body—he wanted her soul, and she was dangerously close to giving it to him.
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The Echo of the Ancient realm
The light in the Heaven Realm was usually a blinding, crystalline white, but today it felt cold—as sharp and sterile as a winter morning. In the Grand Council Hall, the atmosphere was fractured. The high ceilings, meant to echo with holy hymns, now only carried the jagged sounds of frustration and political desperation.
The Council of Thorns
King Ren paced the obsidian floor, his regal robes snapping behind him. "The Dark Cloud Zone... completely destroyed," he muttered, his voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and wounded pride. "In all the centuries of our rule, no one has dared to tear down a sacred punishment site. Justin of the Fox Realm has declared a war without ever saying a word."
"And the girl," Ryan hissed, his hands balled into white-knuckled fists. "That devil girl escaped. Right from under our blades. We had her, Father! We had the core within reach!"
Ancient Zerath sat in the shadows, his eyes closed as if he were listening to the heartbeat of the world itself. He remained silent, a stark contrast to Ryan's fiery outburst.
"I won't leave him be," Ryan continued, his voice dripping with venom. "I will tear the Fox Realm apart stone by stone to bring her back. He thinks he can hide her forever?"
"Don't rush to decisions, Prince Ryan," Zerath said, his voice like the grinding of ancient stones. "The Fox Realm , Its barriers are woven from the essence of nine-tailed ancestors. To force your way in would be to invite a massacre of our own legions. We must wait for another opportunity."
"It's impossible!" Ryan shouted. "He has reinforced every seal since he returned!"
"But I can enter," a soft, melodic voice interrupted.
Ryan turned to see Merin, her eyes shimmering with a secret light. He suddenly remembered—year's ago, during a brief diplomatic peace, Justin had gifted Merin a Celestial Orb as a token of gratitude for a healing favor. That orb held a fragment of Fox essence. It was a key.
A dark, slow smile spread across Ryan's face. "The orb. It can bypass the outer shell."
Queen Lia stood abruptly, her face pale with terror. "No! I won't allow it. My daughter will not step foot into that den of predators. Justin is a monster; if he finds her, he will show no mercy!"
"I don't allow this either," Ren added, his voice firm.
"Nothing will happen to her," Ryan countered, his gaze turning manipulative. "She won't go alone. I have an idea... one that doesn't involve a frontal assault."
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The Secret of the Demon King
In the BlueMoon Kingdom, the sapphire glow of the palace felt heavy. King Dylan sat propped up against silk pillows, his face still etched with the exhaustion of his near-death experience, but his eyes were clear. Queen Irin sat beside him, tenderly pressing a damp cloth to his forehead.
The doors swung open, and Leo entered. The relief of seeing his father alive washed over him, but it was quickly replaced by a cold, burning need for answers.
"Don't look so grim, my son," Dylan said with a weak chuckle. "Your father won't be taken by a mere shadow."
Leo didn't smile. He stepped to the foot of the bed, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "Father... why is the Heaven Realm hunting a mortal girl? Why did they risk a war to take her ?"
Dylan's smile vanished instantly. He exchanged a long, heavy look with Irin. "I don't know what you mean."
"Don't hide it from me anymore!" Leo's voice rose, thick with the pain of his own betrayal of Jade. "...Do you know who is that mortal girl that every realm have been searching desperately? It's Jade. I know one thing,She is the one who rescued you. She gave her own safety, her own life, to bring the Fox Jade here. And in return, I handed her to the Heavens."
Irin gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Is she... the one? The girl who saved you, Dylan?"
Dylan sighed, a sound that seemed to age him a thousand years. He looked at the ceiling, his voice dropping to a somber, hollow tone. " What? It's her...I didn't want you to carry this burden. But if you must know... Jade is not a mortal girl."
He paused, the weight of the truth hanging in the air like a guillotine. "She is the reincarnation of the Devil Goddess. The ancient scrolls say her birth marks the beginning of the end. Every realm wants to destroy her before her Devil Core activates. If it does... the disasters that follow will swallow the heavens and the earth alike."
"I can't believe it," Irin whispered. "She was so kind... so gentle."
"The scrolls never lie, Irin," Dylan said devoid of emotion. "Zerath himself identified her. He is the keeper of the truth."
Leo felt a wave of nausea. Jade... a Goddess of Destruction? The image of her crying in the garden, holding her father's bronze token, flashed through his mind. "I have to find Zerath," Leo whispered to the empty room. "He has the answers... and I have a debt to pay."
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The Fox's Calling Card
Back in the Heaven Realm, Ryan strode into his secret inner sanctum, a place protected by layers of celestial seals. This was where he kept the Ancient Magic Scroll—the original prophecy of the Devil Goddess.
He reached the pedestal, but as he moved to break the seal, his heart stopped.
The pedestal was bare.
"WHERE IS IT?" Ryan roared, his voice echoing through the chamber. "GUARDS! Search every inch of this palace! Someone has breached the inner sanctum!"
He paced like a caged animal, his eyes scanning the floor for any sign of a struggle. There, snagged on a jagged piece of the stone pedestal, was a single, shimmering Orange Fox Fur.
As Ryan picked it up, the fur dissolved into golden dust, floating into the air to form glowing, mocking words:
"This is the result for daring to harm my Queen. I have taken your 'Truth,' Little Prince. Try to find it in the fire."
Ryan's eyes turned a violent, incandescent gold. He crushed the air where the words had been. "JUSTIN!"
The war hadn't just begun; the Fox Prince had already stolen the only map the Heavens had.
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To be Continued....
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