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:*The human girl becomes bound to the demon*
The night wind clung to her clothes as Liao Tingyan bolted from the cavern. Her heart still raced with the memory of scarlet eyes and the voice that had curled through her thoughts like smoke.
Back in the disciples' quarters, she crawled beneath her blanket and squeezed her eyes shut.
It didn't happen. Nope. Just a bad dream. Demon Lords don't talk. They don't smile at random nobodies. They especially don't call you a rabbit.
But as dawn broke, the tremor of the mountain and the faint ringing of the barrier's runes told another story. Something had shifted.
---
Morning Drills, Again
The disciples gathered in the courtyard, blades gleaming in the first light of day. Elder Yi's voice was as sharp as the sword in his hand.
"Remember—discipline is the foundation of cultivation. Without it, you are nothing more than ants before the Demon Lord's feet."
Tingyan swayed in place, half-asleep. Her sword slipped from her grip with a loud clang. A few disciples snickered; others glared, annoyed by her lack of effort.
"Liao Tingyan!" the elder barked. "Channel your spiritual energy!"
"Yes, yes, channeling," she muttered, closing her eyes and imagining the warm buzz of Wi-Fi bars instead of qi flow. Predictably, nothing happened.
The elder sighed, shaking his head. "Hopeless."
Tingyan only smiled. Perfect. Hopeless means they won't ask me to fight demons. I'll live longer that way.
---
Whispers Around the Sect
At lunch, the disciples buzzed with rumors.
"The seal pulsed last night. I swear I heard chains rattling."
"They say the Demon Lord's eyes can see through souls. If he looked at you, you'd die on the spot."
"No one who has stood near his prison has lived long."
Tingyan stuffed her cheeks with rice and tried to look bored. Inside, her mind screamed. He definitely saw me. Not only saw me, but called me a rabbit! What does that even mean? Am I doomed?
She shoved another bite into her mouth. If I die, at least I won't die hungry.
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Drawn Back to the Cavern
That night, she told herself she would stay put. But as the moon climbed, the air around her bed grew heavy, charged. A whisper threaded through her mind—deep, patient, unmistakable.
"Little rabbit… come back."
Her eyes snapped open. "Nope," she hissed, rolling over.
But the pull only grew stronger, like invisible threads tugging her from within. By the time she realized it, her feet were already carrying her down the winding paths, past glowing wards and into the forbidden cavern.
---
The Demon Lord Speaks
The cavern pulsed with dim light, the runes glowing faintly like veins of fire in the stone. He sat exactly as before, bound in chains that dug into his pale wrists, his gaze fixed on her.
"You came back," he said, voice like molten gold wrapped in velvet.
"I—uh—got lost," Tingyan blurted. "Yeah, that's it. Totally not here on purpose."
The corner of his lips tilted upward. "Do you always lie so badly?"
Her throat went dry. "...Yes?"
The chains clinked as he leaned forward, and the sheer weight of his presence pressed down on her chest. Yet there was no malice in his eyes—only curiosity, sharp and relentless.
"Why are you not afraid of me?" he asked.
I am terrified, she thought. But if I admit it, he might actually eat me. So instead she shrugged. "Fear takes energy. And I'm kind of lazy."
For a moment, silence. Then—soft laughter, low and dangerous.
The sound curled around her like smoke, and though every instinct screamed at her to run, something inside her stilled. She had made the Demon Lord laugh.
---
The Seal Stirs
As they spoke, the runes flickered violently, reacting to her presence. The ground shuddered beneath her feet. Tingyan yelped and staggered back.
His gaze followed her, sharp as a blade yet strangely… intent. "It seems fate has chosen you."
"Fate can choose someone else, thanks," she said, already bolting for the exit.
Behind her, his laughter echoed again, mingling with the rattle of chains and the groan of weakening seals.
---
End of Episode 2
Outside, the moon hid behind clouds. In the stillness of the mountain, every elder felt the tremor beneath their feet and knew the truth:
The seal was weakening.
And the slacker disciple who no one took seriously… had already become the key.
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