AUTHOR POV
The first thing Anna heard was a sound she didn't recognise.
A soft, gentle flute — warm as spring air, quiet as morning light, peaceful in a way her heart hadn't felt in a long time.
It was almost too calm.
Too sweet.
Too soft for a world filled with destruction, gods, and fear.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and light brushed her face. When her eyes finally opened, she realised she was not in the same room she had slept in last night.
This place was… different.
Completely different.
The ceiling above her wasn't blank stone — it was painted with dragons winding between mountains, sunlight blooming behind them like fire. Gold touched their wings, black filled their scales, and red circled them like an aura. It was ancient, powerful, and breathtaking.
The air smelled faintly of sandalwood and fresh blossoms.
She slowly sat up, the soft sheets slipping down her shoulders. The room was spacious but warm, lit by the early sun pouring through the open balcony. Cherry blossoms drifted in from outside, carried by a cool, sweet breeze.
And the flute…
It kept playing, soft and slow, each note falling like petals.
Anna blinked, confused.
Who… who can play something this peaceful here?
She slipped off the bed and walked toward the balcony, her steps slow at first. A memory flashed in her mind — Kiyoshi playing the flute the first week she arrived in this world. She had only seen it once, but the sound had stayed with her.
Maybe it's him…?
She reached the doorway, leaned her shoulder against the wooden frame—
And froze.
The man standing at the balcony's edge was not Kiyoshi.
It was Shou Feng.
Her eyes widened. She couldn't help it. Her mind couldn't match the sight in front of her.
Shou Feng, the god of Destruction and Darkness.
The man feared by kingdoms.
The man who destroyed armies with a flick of his hand.
The man who never smiled, never softened, never stopped to admire anything in life.
He was standing in the morning light, playing a flute as cherry blossoms drifted around him.
His long black hair flowed down his back like silk, moving gently with the breeze. His robe — black with red threads embroidered like flames — danced with the soft wind. His eyes were closed as he played, calm in a way she had never seen.
He looked… human.
Gentle.
Almost lonely.
Anna didn't move.
She didn't even breathe.
She just leaned there quietly and listened.
The music spread across the entire kingdom. Even the river below seemed to slow down, as though trying to hear the last notes. Birds perched silently on branches nearby. The wind softened, carrying the music through the air like a lullaby.
Even the world outside their balcony listened.
When the final note faded, Shou Feng's fingers stilled on the flute. He lowered it slowly.
Without turning fully, he said quietly,
"You're awake?"
His voice carried through the soft breeze.
"Yes," Anna said, stepping forward.
She walked beside him and placed her hands gently on the railing. Her eyes looked out into the wide landscape — mountains rising in the distance, rivers curling like silver threads, stone towers and temples spread across the valley. Cherry blossom trees lined the edges, their petals falling endlessly.
"What is this place?" she asked softly.
"My kingdom," Shou Feng replied.
"But… Feng Kingdom looked different when we visited last time."
"It's not Feng Kingdom," he said. "It's mine. The place I built."
Anna looked at him, surprised.
He glanced at her. "What?"
"Since when do you play the flute?" she asked.
"Since I was twelve."
"Why does it… not suit you?" she said honestly.
Shou Feng raised a brow. "Why? Because I'm the bad guy?"
"No," Anna said. "You're the villain."
He let out a small laugh — a real one, brief but genuine.
"Mong told me you never smile," Anna murmured. "But you're laughing with me. Why?"
"I do smile," he said softly. "But only with certain people."
Her cheeks warmed a little. She nodded and then took a small breath.
"I have a question."
"Ask."
"Why did you save me?"
Shou Feng stilled.
His fingers tightened slightly around the flute. He didn't answer — at least not immediately. His mind was racing in places he didn't want to touch.
Should he tell her that the moment she vanished from his sight, something inside him panicked?
Should he tell her that when Lord Kazan's hands touched her, something inside him snapped so hard it scared him?
Should he tell her he hated when anyone looked at her for too long?
That it burned him?
That it felt wrong?
How could he say something like that to her?
His silence stretched too long.
"So?" Anna whispered.
Shou Feng cleared his throat. "Because you saved me."
Anna nodded slowly. She didn't know if that was the full truth… but she accepted it.
"And in Tsukigawa Kingdom?" she asked. "You could've let the building fall on me… but you didn't."
"Same reason," he said.
"Then why didn't you kill me when you first met me?"
"Same reason."
Before Anna could argue more, a voice echoed from inside the room.
"My lord," a maid called. "The priests are here to see you."
Shou Feng nodded.
Then glanced at Anna.
"Don't pressure your tiny brain, stupid woman."
Anna frowned. "You're stupid."
But he didn't reply.
He walked out of the balcony.
Anna followed.
THE GRAND HALL
The hall he entered was enormous. Columns carved with dragons held up a ceiling so high it seemed to reach the clouds. Golden light poured through tall windows, reflecting off the polished floor. In the center stood an enormous throne — dark stone with red lines carved like shifting shadows. It looked alive in the light, almost pulsing.
Shou Feng sat on it with quiet authority.
Five priests stood before him, bowing so low their foreheads almost touched the floor. None dared to look up. Some trembled. Others were sweating through their robes.
"Begin," Shou Feng said.
The priests started reporting.
Events.
People.
Kingdom matters.
Festivals.
Rumors.
Warnings.
Then one priest swallowed hard.
"My lord… Lord Kazan is furious about the incident at the castle."
"I don't care," Shou Feng said plainly.
The priest tried again. "But you must calm him—"
"I said I don't care. I have done nothing wrong."
"This cannot be dismissed—"
"I. Don't. Care."
There was silence.
"My lord," another priest whispered, "if you ignore this danger, the entire kingdom may suffer."
The hall froze.
Even Anna, watching from above, felt the air change.
The priest continued, voice shaking.
"Only a fool would ignore—"
Shou Feng's eyes snapped open.
In one swift step, he was in front of the priest. The others fell to their knees, terrified.
Shou Feng grabbed the priest by the throat and lifted him off the ground. The priest's hands clawed weakly at his wrist, unable to speak.
"You called me a fool?" Shou Feng's voice was low, controlled, dangerous.
The priest shook, unable to form a single word.
"You think I'm stupid?" Shou Feng thundered.
Anna covered her mouth. She couldn't watch. She turned away as Shou Feng ended the confrontation swiftly — the priest collapsing to the ground, silent and unmoving. The others bowed even lower, shaking so hard their robes rustled.
Shou Feng's hand lowered slowly. A faint sigh escaped him when he glanced upward and saw Anna watching.
He turned away.
AFTER THE HALL
Shou Feng walked down the corridor, footsteps echoing. Anna hurried behind him.
"Why did you do that?" she asked breathlessly.
"None of your business," he snapped.
"You killed a priest today!"
"So what? He was just a mortal. Mortals should not forget their place."
"I'm a mortal too!"
Shou Feng didn't respond.
"You didn't kill me even though I called you stupid," Anna continued, frustrated.
Shou Feng stopped walking.
His patience broke.
"BECAUSE YOU ARE DIFFERENT!"
Anna flinched, stepping back.
The echo of his voice hung in the corridor.
He instantly regretted it.
His shoulders tensed.
His jaw tightened.
He opened his mouth.
"Look… all I'm saying—"
"You don't have to." Anna cut him off.
Then she turned around and walked away.
Shou Feng stared after her, hand curled into a fist.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
End of the Chapter