The crimson citadel never truly slept. Even when the Abyss grew still, something inside its walls continued to breathe—a slow, endless rhythm like the heartbeat of the world itself.
Li Wei woke to that rhythm. It thudded faintly beneath her pillow, through the stone floor, through the air that trembled with unseen power. The mark on her wrist shimmered again, fine as spider silk. When she held it up to the dim torchlight, the thread extended beyond her skin—disappearing into the shadows that led toward the throne hall.
She swallowed.
The bond was not fading. It was calling.
---
A knock came—three soft raps.
When she opened the door, the silver-robed attendant stood waiting, eyes downcast. "His Majesty commands you to the southern terrace."
"The terrace?" she echoed. "At this hour?"
"The Abyss never knows the hour, my lady."
That answer chilled her more than the cold corridor did.
---
The terrace opened like a wound carved into the mountain's side. Beyond its edge, the sky was a sea of swirling embers; lightning flickered inside black clouds that had no source. Kael Dravon stood at the balustrade, unarmoured, wind tugging at the dark fabric of his cloak.
He didn't turn when she approached. "You felt it," he said.
She hesitated. "The thread?"
"The link between us has deepened. It was bound by blood and vow, but the Abyss recognizes emotion more than ritual. The bond feeds on truth."
"Then you should sever it," she said quickly. "Before it feeds on the wrong thing."
He faced her at last, eyes like garnets under a dying sun. "And what would the wrong thing be, Li Wei? Fear? Hatred? Or something you refuse to name?"
She looked away. "You speak in riddles."
"Because the truth would terrify you."
---
Lightning split the clouds, throwing a scarlet glow across his face. For an instant she saw what lay beneath the Demon Lord's composure—weariness, ancient grief, and a longing so deep it could swallow kingdoms.
He stepped closer. "Every time that mark burns, it draws fragments of memory from us both. What did you see last night?"
Li Wei clenched her fingers. "A battlefield… wings of light… you."
A shadow crossed his features. "Then it has begun."
"Tell me what it means."
Kael looked toward the storm. "Before the heavens cast me down, there was a woman who stood against them beside me. When she fell, her soul scattered across mortal cycles. The priests' sacrifice woke that remnant—inside you."
Her breath caught. "You're saying I—"
"I'm saying fate enjoys repetition."
Silence stretched between them, filled by the hiss of distant thunder. Li Wei's heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her palms.
"If what you say is true," she whispered, "then I was never given a choice."
Kael's voice softened. "Neither was I."
---
A sudden tremor rippled through the terrace. The molten channels below flickered white, flaring with violent energy. Kael's eyes narrowed. "They've come."
Before she could ask, the sky tore open. Out of the rift descended three figures in white, halos dimmed by the Abyss's weight. The lead figure's wings were translucent gold.
"Fallen one," the envoy intoned, voice echoing like temple bells. "You defy the decree of heaven again. Release the vessel and end this heresy."
Kael's aura flared crimson. "Tell your masters the Abyss bows to no throne."
The envoy raised his spear. "Then you leave us no choice."
Lightning cascaded toward the terrace.
---
Kael moved faster than sight. One hand lifted; the air solidified, catching the bolt and shattering it into a thousand sparks. The recoil shook the mountain. Li Wei stumbled back, heat searing her arm.
The envoy lunged. Kael met him mid-air; blades of shadow clashed with divine steel. Sparks rained down, each one a miniature sun. The other angels circled, chanting ancient words that thickened the air with light.
Li Wei pressed her back against the wall, vision swimming. The mark on her wrist flared violently—responding to Kael's pain. His movements slowed, each strike heavier, as though invisible chains dragged him down.
Her heartbeat matched the pulse of his aura. Instinct screamed that if he fell, so would she.
"Stop," she whispered, and the mark blazed bright enough to blind her. A surge of energy tore through her veins—fire and ice together. The world tilted.
Without knowing how, she raised her hand.
---
Crimson light erupted from her palm. It wasn't power she commanded; it was power that recognized her. The terrace exploded in a wave of force that shattered the envoy's halo and hurled the others back into the storm.
Kael landed hard beside her, catching his balance just in time to stop her collapse. His arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her trembling body.
The air still shimmered with residue of her outburst.
"What did you do?" he asked, voice low.
"I—don't know," she managed. "It answered me."
Kael studied her face, unreadable. "Then the heavens were right to fear you."
---
The rift above sealed with a final crack of thunder. Silence fell again, heavy and absolute. Kael guided her back inside, ignoring the faint scorch marks left on the terrace floor.
When they reached the corridor, he stopped, releasing her. "Your mortal body shouldn't hold that much essence. It will tear you apart."
"Then teach me to control it," she said, surprising herself. "If I'm bound to this fate, I refuse to be helpless."
His gaze lingered on her for a long moment. "You would trust me to be your teacher?"
"I don't trust you," she said softly. "But I don't trust heaven either."
A faint, dangerous smile curved his lips. "Spoken like someone who once defied them."
---
They entered a small chamber lined with black crystal mirrors. Symbols glowed along the floor—circles within circles. Kael gestured for her to stand in the center.
"This is a conduit," he said. "It listens to truth. Close your eyes."
She obeyed. His voice lowered, almost a whisper. "Focus on the mark. Do not fight it. Let it show you what binds us."
The air cooled. Threads of red light rose from her skin, swirling around them both. In each thread shimmered fragments of memory—fleeting images of stars, wings, laughter, and ruin. The memories weren't only his; they were hers too, from a life she could almost remember.
A voice—hers yet not hers—echoed in the chamber: "Kael, promise me you'll remember who you are when the darkness comes."
Her eyes snapped open. Kael stood motionless, eyes wide with something between pain and wonder.
"You spoke those words to me once," he said. "Before the fall."
Li Wei stepped back, trembling. "Then what am I now?"
He approached slowly. "You are what remains of the only soul I could never forget."
---
A quiet hum filled the air. The red threads tightened, weaving between them until the entire circle glowed. The conduit recognized completion: two halves meeting again.
Kael's expression hardened. "This is dangerous. The heavens will send more envoys."
"Then let them come," she said, surprising herself with the steadiness of her tone. "If they call this heresy, I'll wear the name."
He looked at her as though seeing her for the first time. "You would risk eternity for a creature cursed to darkness?"
"I would risk it to know the truth of my own soul."
For the first time since she'd met him, Kael's composure broke. His hand lifted, hovering just short of her face—so close that she could feel the tremor in his fingers. He didn't touch her, but the air between them shimmered with heat.
"Li Wei…" He exhaled slowly. "If I ever hurt you, it will not be by choice."
"Then don't."
His lips twitched—half a smile, half despair. "It's never that simple."
---
The glow around them dimmed. When the last thread faded, Kael turned away. "Rest. Tomorrow we begin your training. The bond will draw unwanted eyes; you must learn to mask it."
She wanted to ask what that meant, but he was already walking toward the doorway. Only his final words lingered behind him.
"Every fate is a thread. Tug one hard enough, and the whole tapestry unravels."
---
That night, Li Wei stood by her window, watching the abyssal clouds shift. The citadel whispered around her—low murmurs in languages older than time. She no longer felt entirely human. Part of her listened and understood.
Her reflection in the glass shimmered; for a heartbeat she saw wings of light unfurling behind her, then fading.
Somewhere deep below, Kael knelt before the remains of the conduit circle. His fingers brushed the faint trace of her essence still lingering in the air.
"She's waking," he murmured to the shadows. "And when she remembers everything, even I may not be able to stop what follows."
From the darkness, an unseen voice replied—a whisper shaped like laughter.
"Then you'd better decide whether to love her or destroy her, Demon Lord."
Kael closed his eyes. "Perhaps they are the same thing."
---
The storm outside intensified. In her chamber, Li Wei felt the thread on her wrist pulse once more—warm, alive, and stubbornly bright. She knew sleep would not come easily, yet for the first time she didn't fear the darkness that waited when she closed her eyes.
Because somewhere within it, someone else's heartbeat answered hers.