The full moon shone brightly over the Kingdom of Lianhua, casting a silver glow so intense it lit the land like daylight, though the hour was well past midnight.
Prince Leng Yue stepped out of his chamber, unsure of where he was going. He had only heard a whisper—so faint it might've been imagined—calling his name. And yet, his legs moved of their own accord.
He walked in silence, the palace behind him fading into the mist, until he found himself on a path he had never seen before. A narrow road, hidden from the eyes of men, bordered by tall moonlit reeds and ancient trees.
There, at the end of the path, stood a woman.
She was beautiful and with an air of royalty in the way she held herself. Her smile was gentle, almost too real, and yet… familiar as if they have meet before.
Leng Yue tried to stop walking. Tried to ask himself why he was here, what spell had brought him. But his legs would not obey. It was as though some invisible force pulled him forward—softly, insistently.
"You have finally come, Great One," the woman said, her voice calm and melodic. She extended her hand toward him, her eyes glinting.
Without hesitation or even thinking—Leng Yue took her hand. As if it were the most natural thing to do
Hand in hand, they walked on, leaving the glowing kingdom of Lianhua behind as the stars shifted above them.
"What is your name?" Leng Yue asked, his voice low as they continued along the moonlit path.
"You may call me… Xi Wang," she answered softly.
Leng Yue stopped in his tracks. "What?" he blurted, turning to look at her sharply. "You mean the Xi Wang? From the acient story?"
She smiled, a little amused. "Indeed. You are truly the seer they speak of, to recognize which Xi Wang stands before you."
"But… you're dead, aren't you?" He frowned. "Or… maybe I'm the one who's dead?"
"No," she said gently, the warmth in her voice calming. "You're very much alive."
She studied his face in the silence that followed, then asked, "Tell me, what do you know of your destiny?"
Leng Yue looked away, his voice uncertain. "I know… I have to save the Vampire Prince. Somehow. But I don't know what that means."
He paused, then glanced at her again. "What even are vampires? Are they angels? Or some kind of human?"
Xi Wang gave a dry, bitter laugh. "How does one explain a vampire to mankind?" she said softly. "They were not made for understanding."
She looked toward the sky as she spoke.
"Vampires were sent to earth as destroyers—creatures shaped by the Devil himself. But among them… some hearts shine brighter than blood. Their souls are not without sin, no. But their good outweighs their evil."
She looked back at him, eyes gleaming.
"And then there are those… who are utterly lost. The ones who seek only to possess men, pull them astray, and burn the world to ashes."
Leng Yue's throat tightened. "And the witches?" he asked. "What about them?"
Xi Wang sighed, her smile fading. "The witches… were once human. But they were possessed—claimed by vampires long ago. Their minds sharpened. They are powerful… and cunning, even the vimpire fear them because of their cunny nature."
"But like men, they too have a choice. Between good and evil. And whatever awaits them after death depends solely on how they lived."
"Men," Xi Wang said, her tone deepening, "are the most powerful and intelligent among all beings—if only they remain obedient to their Lord."
She glanced sideways at Leng Yue, her eyes shining with something ancient.
"They were created to possess the earth. It was given to them. All of it. But out of forgetfulness... and disobedience… they became nothing. Now they run in fear, seeking protection from witches... and even from vampires, who were once meant to be their enemies."
Leng Yue swallowed hard. The weight of her words pressed on his chest.
"Is heaven and hell real?" he asked.
Xi Wang turned to him with a soft smile. "If spirits are real… If good and evil walk among us… Then why do you still doubt?"
Leng Yue hesitated. "Then… what am I?"
"You," she said gently, "are a witch."
He froze.
"You see what others do not see. You hear what others cannot hear. This is why you are special.And you are a special kind of witch__a holy seer. "
Then, without warning, she turned him around and pointed.
"Look at you. Still sleeping on your bed."
Leng Yue blinked—and in the distance, through the mist and moonlight, he saw it.
His own body, lying still on his bed in the palace chamber, chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.
His blood ran cold.
"If you die here," she said calmly, "you die for real."
"Seriously?" he asked, panic rising in his voice.
Xi Wang laughed softly, her tone teasing but knowing.
"Don't be afraid. You're not ready to die yet," she said, linking arms with him once more as they continued to walk deeper into the unknown.
Meanwhile in the other side of the chamber
Princess Yuyan was caught in her usual dream.
She was running again. Always running. The night was dark, the ground cold beneath her feet, and something or someone was chasing her. A man. His footsteps thundered behind her, faster, louder.
Before she could even process what was happening, the man transformed.
He was no longer human—he was a beast, a terrifying creature of shadow and claws. Her breath caught. Her legs moved faster, her heart pounding like war drums in her chest.
She ran until she couldn't anymore.
Her foot caught something—she fell hard.
Pain shot through her, but her limbs were frozen. She couldn't stand. She couldn't scream. She could only watch as the beast leaped toward her. She shut her eyes, bracing for the worst. But instead… a hand extended. A scent and presence she was very familiar with.
She was being lifted_rescued__held close by someone. Someone she had dreamed of more than once.
She opened her eyes slowly.
It was him.
That same man who always appeared in her dreams.
"Am I… dreaming?" she whispered.
Then her eyes opened again—this time, for real.
She sat up sharply in bed, her breath ragged and her heart still racing. The room was dark and silent, but the scent from the dream still seemed to linger faint.