Princess Yuyan clutched the ancient book to her chest, tears streaming down her face again. Her eyes were swollen, her cheeks flushed from hours of crying. She knew it was stupid to cry over a common sob story, but she couldn't stop. She was already feeling drowsy but she didn't want to stop. Not when the story was becoming this heavy and feels this real. It was like she could feel the pain of Mei Lian and Tian Yu.
Will he die? Will they finally find love? Would they later be free?. She thought.
She hugged the book tighter, as if holding it could somehow protect the characters within.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door and Leng Yue came in. He saw her holding the book, sobbing.
"Yuyan…?" Leng Yue's voice was soft and filled with concern.
"It's past midnight. What are you doing to yourself?". He asked as he sat beside her.
He gently took the book from her trembling hands.
"It's time to rest," he said, kneeling beside her bed. He reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb, then gently stroked her hair, calming her as if he were her elder brother.
Yuyan didn't speak because her voice was too choked by emotion. She simply leaned forward, resting her head against his shoulder.
Leng Yue held her for a moment. "It's just a story," he whispered.
"But I know… it feels like more than a story. And it is very touching. They didn't get the love they deserve, did they?". She asked sobbing.
"You're so funny. Why won't they get the love they deserve? If they didn't get it then, they will get it later.....Love always finds its way. I couldn't sleep because your sobs kept ringing in my mind". Leng Yue said, patting her back gently.
He then helped her lie down, pulled the blanket over her shoulders, and tucked the book gently on the table beside her.
"Goodnight, Yuyan," he said quietly kissing her forehead. "No more tears tonight" he added.
He was such an old monk!.
He blew out the candle, and the room fell into soft silence—except for Yuyan's quiet, lingering sniffles in the dark. After a while, she fell asleep dreaming of painful memories.
---
Yuyan was deep in sleep when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.
"It's past noon, My lady," came Mie's soft voice. It was as if she came shortly after her brother left.
"Past… noon?" Yuyan repeated as if the words didn't quite make sense in her dream-fogged mind.
Before Mie could tap her again, Yuyan sat bolt upright in bed. Her hair was a tangled mess.
"I've prepared your lunch, my lady," Mie said with a bow.
"Lunch?" Yuyan echoed, blinking slowly like the word itself was foreign.
She just sat there, staring ahead—lost in a trance of lingering dreams and the sorrow that still clung to her heart.
"Are you daydreaming?" Mie asked with a sigh, then gently tugged her by the wrist. "Come, let's wash up."
After washing up and brushing her hair, Mie helped her into a light, pale blue gown. Yuyan was just about to head toward the dining hall when her eyes fell on the spot where her precious book had been.
It was gone.
"Leng Yue…" she muttered.
Her eyes narrowed. "How dare he touch my things without asking?" She whirled around, ready to storm out—but Mie caught her by the arm.
"And where exactly do you think you're going?" Mie asked in a tone that left no room for rebellion.
"Look in the mirror," she added, pointing sternly. "You look like a ghost, my princess. Did you even sleep last night?"
Yuyan paused and caught a glimpse of herself. She had a pale face and puffy eyes.
Mie dragged her gently to the small study desk in the corner of her room, where a tray of food awaited.
"I'm not hungry," Yuyan muttered, barely touching her spoon.
"You'll eat," Mie said. "Even if it's just a little."
After a few reluctant bites, Yuyan suddenly stood and dashed out of the room.
"You young elder!" she shouted as she burst into Leng Yue's quarters. "Where did you put my book? Who gave you the right to take it? That's stealing, Leng Yue!"
Leng Yue was calmly drinking tea by the window when she stormed in.
He blinked and then said with a smirk, "Your book? It came into my room on its own".
She scowled.
"Is seeing things not enough for you? You've started stealing too?"
The accusation made both of them—and their watching maids—burst into laughter. Yuyan tried to stay angry, but even she couldn't hold back a grin.
"You want your book?" Leng Yue asked, rising from his seat.
"You'll have to earn it."
And with that, he turned and strode toward the training grounds.
In no time, the peaceful grounds of the Lianhua Empire echoed with the sound of siblings sparring. Anger shimmered around them as Yuyan chased her brother down, swinging wooden staffs and tossing playful insults.
On the sidelines, Mie and Leng Yue's attendants lounged under a silk parasol, enjoying wine and chips as if watching the royal performance.
"They act like children," Mie said, sipping her wine with amusement.
As the sun climbed higher, laughter rang across the palace walls—and for a little while, the sorrow in Yuyan's heart was chased away by the warmth of brother.
After dinner with her parent, —Yuyan returned to her chambers feeling strangely light. Her father had even smiled a little more than usual. Her mother asked about her studies, and Leng Yue had, for once, refrained from teasing her at the table.
As she entered her room, her eyes landed immediately on the object calling to her—her book. It lay where she usually left it, on the table beside her bed, as if it had never gone missing at all. She paused for a moment and her lip curled up into a knowing smile.
"He finally decided to return it," she murmured.
She stepped into her bathroom for a quick bath.
Wrapped in a soft towel, she stepped back into her room, her damp hair cascading over her shoulders. She oiled herself quickly and then slipped into a silky beautiful nightgown.
Yuyan then climbed into her bed, tucking herself under the warm sheets. Her fingers reached for the book and she opened it.
Her breath caught as she saw the next chapter.
The next chapter had the title— Blood Against Blood: The Fall of the Moon Court.
She swallowed and she started to read.
The story continues....
The day before the royal union of Mei Lian and Tian Yu, Nianzu came to visit the Queen. Her eyes showed weakness and her voice was shaking, as if she had seen the worst in her visions.
"I saw a terrible vision. I saw our great wall painted in blood... witches burning like dry leaves in autumn. Our princess—her wedding gown was torn, soaked in blood. I wasn't sleeping when I saw the vision, my Queen," she said, placing a trembling hand on her chest. "I was sitting quietly when the visions came, one after the other".
She looked up with haunted eyes. "The kingdom of witches... turned to ashes. And what scared me most, I saw Prince Tian Yu's heart torn in two. And Mei Lian... she was healing it with her own blood". Her hands were shaking as she continued to narrate.
She then paused, tears clinging to her lashes.
"I don't know what this vision means. But something terrible is coming. What do you think?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper now, as she looked directly into the Queen's eyes, hoping for wisdom or guidance
The Queen was silent for a long moment. Her face was unreadable.
Finally, she said, "It is too late to stop this union. We can not stop what fate has written. Fate has shown us a path. We must not wait for it to strike unprepared. Let us plan — not just for celebration but for survival. Though, we don't know what the vision means, but we must be prepared".
Then the Queen sent for Aizhen, the Royal Healer's daughter, and Li Hua__two of Mei Lian and Tian Yu's childhood friends. She took them and whispered in a low voice.
"Go to the Middle of the three realms. Take only what you need. If dark smoke rises in the sky, it means war has come. Wait there and hide well. I will send the Princess to you if all fails".
"But if the smoke is blue... or dances with the colors of joy... return to us."
They both bowed with a storm of curiosity in their hearts, and vanished into the mist.
This happened before the union celebration and the attack.
After the Witch Queen chanted the final words of the portal spell, she__along with the Prince Tian Yu and Princess Mei Lian, vanished from the heart of the witches empire. In the blink of an eye, they appeared deep within the Middle of the three realms, a sacred realm where reality blurred and magic pulsed in the air like heartbeats.
Waiting there, already standing in a protective circle, were Mei Lian and Tian Yu's closest friends—witches of fierce power and loyalty. Ai Zhen and Li Hua looked up, startled, when the Queen appeared with her daughter and the lifeless prince.
"Listen to me, Mei Lian," the Queen said, gripping her daughter's shoulders with trembling hands. "There is no time. The fate of our people, of everything we've protected for generations—it lies with you now."
Mei Lian's eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
"You must save Tian Yu," her mother continued with her voice steady but heavy with sorrow. "It was always your destiny. The ritual will demand more than your magic—it will take your life. But know this, I will watch over you, always."
The Queen leaned forward and pressed her lips to Mei Lian's forehead. "I'm sorry, my child… but I must go. I must stop the darkness before it devours all of existence. Goodbye… my beautiful Mei Lian."
And just like that, she was gone.
Without a word, Mei Lian knelt beside Tian Yu. His body was cold, his skin was pale, and the heart in his chest had turned a deathly shade of black. She took a trembling breath, then pulled out a silver blade.
Her friends gasped in horror.
But she didn't hesitate.
With one swift motion, she sliced her wrist open. Blood spilled freely as she pressed her hand over the prince's heart. Her voice was steady as she chanted the ancient spell her mother had taught her.
Her blood seeped into him, glowing as it was absorbed, drop by drop, into his dead heart.
"I just wanted one more moment with you…" she whispered, her voice cracking. "Just one more dance or one more touch. We didn't even get to finish our wedding…"
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she continued chanting the spell. Her strength was slowly leaving her with every heartbeat. Her friends stood behind her, powerless to stop what was happening, their own faces soaked in tears.
Together, they raised their hands and began weaving a spell of protection—creating a magical house, a sanctuary of stone and light, around the two lovers.
Blood pooled at Mei Lian's knees. Her voice was slowly fading, but her eyes remained on the prince.
"I bind you with my blood…" she whispered. "I command you… to wait for me."
Reluctantly, her friends turned away, heading toward the Snow Spine Mountains as instructed by the Queen.
Only Mei Lian remained. Her hand slid down his chest as her strength failed. She leaned forward, forehead touching his.
"May we meet again… and be happy."
And with that final breath, Princess Mei Lian—Last Royal Daughter of the Witches—joined her ancestors.