The journey continue as Xi Wang took Leng Yue's hand. The world around them shifted.
They found themselves standing in front of a house—a quiet, almost ordinary place—but something about it unsettled Leng Yue. He couldn't place it. The air felt too still.
With a graceful rise of her hand, Xi Wang motioned toward the door. Without a single touch, it slid open as if obeying her will.
They stepped inside.
The room was dim, only the light from the moon shining through the walls. But it was magical and beautiful.
"I remember this…" Leng Yue whispered. "I've seen this place before… in my visions.
"This is magical and beautiful," he murmured.
Xi Wang didn't answer him. Instead, she pointed to the far end of the room—a corner where a coffin lay, half-hidden by time in shadow. The coffin had cracks on it.
"This," she said softly, "is where you fulfill your destiny."
Leng Yue's feet moved on their own. Step by step, he crossed the room until he stood at the side of the coffin. Its surface was covered in dust, untouched for what felt like centuries.
He reached out and wiped it clean.
Strange letters immediately appeared, glowing faintly on the coffin's lid. The script curled and shifted like it was alive.
"I can't read this," he said, furrowing his brow.
"Try," Xi Wang replied, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.
"Only you can. This isn't just for him… It's for Yuyan, for you, and for the world."Her words struck something deep within him.
That was all he needed.
Leng Yue drew in a breath and began to read aloud. The words came haltingly at first then smoother and clearer, he had himself read a tone foreign to his ears, yet oddly familiar, as though they were buried in his blood.
As the final syllables left his mouth, a soft mist coiled over the coffin, seeping from its edges like breath from another world. The door began to tremble… then crack.
With a deep, resonating sound, the lid opened.
Inside lay a man—the most beautiful man Leng Yue had ever seen. His skin was pale, his lips parted slightly, and his long lashes rested against his high cheekbones.
Still sleeping.
"He's still asleep," Leng Yue murmured, stepping closer.
Xi Wang knelt beside the coffin. Her hand found the prince's, holding it gently as tears welled in her eyes.
She brushed a hand over his face and whispered, "Wake up soon…"
Then, slowly, she stood and turned to Leng Yue. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around him.
A quiet, grateful hug. After the final hug of gratitude. He felt warmtt, full of unspoken memories.
Leng Yue stood still, eyes fixed on the coffin, waiting and hoping.
"He's not waking up…" he murmured.
"He will," Xi Wang said softly. "But it must happen gradually. His soul has slept for too long."
She leaned down, kissed the prince's forehead with a tenderness that said everything she couldn't, then reached again for Leng Yue's hand.
And just like that—the room vanished. They found themselves back in the Empire, where all the journey started.
"Would you like to see Yuyan?" Leng Yue asked, his voice almost wistful.
"I've always been watching," she said stepping inside.
They entered the quiet room.
Yuyan sat upright on her bed, her blanket wrapped around her knees. She wasn't asleep. Her eyes stared forward, troubled and still.
"She's not sleeping," Leng Yue whispered, stepping back instinctively, not wanting to frighten her.
"She won't see you," Xi Wang said gently, resting a hand on his shoulder. "She won't hear you either. We're in a different world.
Leng Yue stood frozen, "really?" AHe asked finding it strange.
Xi Wang looked at Yuyan for a long moment, then turned to Leng Yue.
"I waited long enough for this days. Now… take care of them. Both of them. While I finally seek my rest." Her voice began to fade like wind through leaves.
"Don't forget," she added. "You still have a battle ahead of you. Fang Leng and Ji Woo are still out there."
Her final smile was full of peace and weariness.
"Goodbye."
And with that, her form shimmered, dissolved into soft mist, and vanished.
The world blurred—
And Leng Yue awoke, gasping, back in his own chamber..
The morning sun spilled through the window, warm and persistent. Leng Yue was still buried beneath his sheets, too exhausted to care. The dream, the journey, the pull of prophecy—everything had drained him. His body ached, his mind foggy.
He groaned softly, tugging the covers over his face as the sunlight pierced his eyelids.
He needed more sleep. Just a little more.
Meanwhile, outside in the training grounds, Yuyan paced in circles, twirling her sword.
"Why isn't Leng Yue out yet?" she muttered, frustration bubbling beneath her usual grace. She didn't know why—but today, her heart felt lighter. Like something good was about to happen. Maybe she just wanted to talk or spar, or simply be around him.
"Master is still sleeping," reported the third maid she had sent to check.
Yuyan frowned. Then, in a fit of forstration she tossed the sword aside and ran off like a child. She bursted into her brother's room without knocking.
There he was. Still curled under his sheets, suspiciously still.
He sensed her moment when she entered. Only one person in the world dared enter his chamber so casually. But instead of scolding, he decided to play dead. With a grin, she climbed onto the bed and began bouncing on his back, giggling like a child. "Wake up! Wake up! The sun is out, lazy bones!"
Leng Yue groaned and finally sat up, running a hand through his hair.
"Your mother didn't let me sleep last night. Couldn't you show me some mercy this morning?" he mumbled, mock-weary.
Yuyan blinked, then scoffed. "Mum and Dad are in the chamber, liar! What are you even talking about?"
She flopped beside him, laughing as he rolled his eyes.
Their bickering soon filled the room—soft and playful, like old times.
Outside the door, two maids lingered,shaking their heads and smiling.
"When do you think they'll stop acting like children?" one whispered.
"Probably never," said the others.