Pov Author
Shou Feng sat at the edge of his bed, unmoving.
The room around him was quiet—too quiet for a place that once echoed with servants' footsteps and hushed laughter. Tonight, even the lantern flames seemed to tremble, their golden light flickering weakly against the carved wooden walls.
His face was set in a hard, unyielding expression.
Serious… no, far beyond serious. It was the kind of stillness that came after something inside a person had cracked.
His knuckles were bleeding.
Not just bruised—split open, skin torn as if he had been striking something again and again without pause. Dark red streaks ran across his fingers, dripping lazily onto the polished floor below. The metallic scent hung heavy in the air.
He didn't seem to notice.
His gaze remained fixed on his hands, on the mess of blood and torn flesh, as if they belonged to someone else.
"…Slow poison," he murmured.
The words felt foreign in his mouth.
Slow poison… from his own fiancée.
A bitter smile tugged faintly at his lips, though there was no humor in it.
He had trusted her.
Not blindly—Shou Feng was not a fool—but enough. Enough to drink the tea she offered. Enough to believe that whatever politics twisted around the palace, she stood outside of it.
And yet…
His fingers curled slightly, fresh blood smearing across his palm.
It wasn't a mistake. It couldn't be. The physician had confirmed it—the symptoms, the gradual weakening, the subtle numbness creeping through his veins.
Carefully administered. Patient. Precise.
A betrayal measured in drops.
A soft knock broke the silence.
"Lord Feng," a servant's voice called from outside, cautious but steady. "Are you prepared to depart? His Highness Prince Shang awaits."
Shou Feng blinked once, the haze in his eyes clearing just enough for him to return to the present.
"…Yes."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
The door slid open slightly as the servant bowed low, not daring to look up. "The carriage is ready."
Shou Feng gave a small nod.
The servant withdrew immediately, the door closing with a quiet click that echoed louder than it should have.
For a moment, Shou Feng remained where he was.
Then, slowly, he stood.
His movements were controlled, almost mechanical. He crossed the room in silence, his footsteps barely audible against the wooden floor. But just as his hand reached for the door—
He stopped.
A faint glint caught his eye.
The engagement ring lay on the table beside him.
Silver, delicate, almost deceptively simple. He had chosen it himself.
For her.
His gaze lingered on it, unreadable.
Then, without hesitation, he picked it up.
For a brief second, his fingers tightened around it—so tightly that the edge bit into his already wounded skin, reopening a thin line of blood.
He didn't react.
Instead, he slipped it into his sleeve.
And walked out.
—
Meanwhile, in another part of the estate, chaos took a quieter form.
Not in screams or bloodshed—but in confusion.
Renji paced back and forth across the room, his steps uneven, restless. His brows were furrowed deeply, his thoughts clearly racing faster than he could organize them.
Anna sat across from him, arms crossed, watching him with a mix of irritation and exhaustion.
"This doesn't make sense," Renji muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Every character who died… they're back. All of them."
Anna sighed. "I told you already. This world—it's a book. Things can change."
Renji stopped mid-step, turning to face her sharply. "That's exactly the problem. If it's a book, then events should follow some structure. But this?" He gestured vaguely. "This is chaos."
Anna leaned back slightly. "Maybe they were written to die differently this time."
Renji stared at her for a moment before scoffing lightly. "You're not even a character here. You don't even have a proper Japanese name."
Anna blinked. "…That's racist."
Renji rolled his eyes. "It's observational."
"It's rude."
"It's accurate."
Anna opened her mouth to argue, then shut it again, clearly annoyed.
Renji crossed his arms. "And this 'real world' you keep talking about? Honestly, it sounds more fictional than this one."
Anna shot him a glare. "It's not fictional."
"Right," he said flatly. "A world where books pull people inside them. Completely normal."
Anna sat forward, her voice rising slightly. "I'm serious! Every time I open the book, it drags me in. I don't control it."
Renji tilted his head, studying her more carefully now. "Interesting," he murmured. "A book that pulls people in… How many?"
Anna hesitated, then answered, "Me. Kiyoshi. Shou—"
"Shou?" Renji cut in sharply.
Anna nodded. "Yes."
Renji let out a short, incredulous laugh. "You think the people here are the same as in your world?"
"They are."
He shook his head immediately. "No."
Anna's patience snapped. "They are! Ask Kiyoshi if you don't believe me. He's my—"
The door slammed open before she could finish.
Both of them turned.
Yuvan stood there, slightly out of breath, his usual composed demeanor replaced with urgency.
"Lord Kazan has summoned everyone," he said.
Renji raised an eyebrow. "You came personally to tell us?"
Yuvan shrugged lightly. "Yeah. I remember you don't like it when servants deliver messages."
Renji smirked. "Ah, you remember."
Yuvan gave him a pointed look. "Do you remember what happened to the last one?"
Renji burst into laughter. "Oh, I remember. That was hilarious."
Anna frowned. "What happened?"
Yuvan's expression shifted, the humor fading. "Lady Naka… has passed away."
The room went still.
Anna's eyes widened. "What?"
Renji's smile disappeared instantly.
"…Passed away?"
Yuvan nodded once.
Silence followed heavy, pressing.
—
The hall was filled with people.
Nobles, officials, servants all gathered in tense clusters, their voices hushed, their expressions uneasy. The air felt thick, as though something unseen pressed down on everyone present.
Anna and Renji entered together, their eyes scanning the room instinctively.
But one presence was missing.
Anna frowned slightly, glancing around again.
"Where's Shou Feng…?"
She turned to the girl standing beside her. "What happened?"
The girl looked at her, startled by the question. "You don't know?"
Anna shook her head.
The girl leaned closer, lowering her voice.
"Lady Naka is dead."
Anna's stomach dropped. "How?"
The girl hesitated.
"…Lord Feng—"
Anna's breath caught.
"—killed her."
For a moment, Anna couldn't move.
Beside her, Renji's eyes widened.
"…Well," he muttered under his breath, "that escalated from engagement to homicide a little too fast."
Anna shot him a look, but even she couldn't respond.
Her mind raced.
Killed her?
Why?
Before she could think further, a voice rose above the murmurs.
Lord Kazan stood at the front of the hall, his presence commanding immediate silence. His posture was straight, his expression composed—but his eyes were sharp, cold, and calculating.
"My condolences," he began, his tone measured and heavy. "Lady Naka was a woman of grace, of virtue… unmatched in her devotion."
Anna barely heard him.
Her thoughts spiraled.
Shou Feng… why would he—?
The poison.
The betrayal.
Did he find out?
Her heart pounded.
"…and now," Lord Kazan continued, "we are left with a void."
Anna blinked, snapping back to the present just as his next words reached her clearly.
"The Wind Whisperer… no longer has a master."
A ripple moved through the crowd.
Anna felt Renji glance at her.
Slowly, she turned her head to meet his gaze.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
"There is no one," Lord Kazan said, his voice firm, "more worthy of this peaceful instrument than Lady Naka was. No one—"
He stopped.
The air shifted.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the hall, sharp and unnatural. The lantern flames flickered wildly as a low hum filled the space, rising like a whisper carried on the breeze. The pressure in the air tightened, making it hard to breathe.
Anna's breath caught.
"What… is that?" she murmured.
The Wind Whisperer—displayed at the center of the hall—began to tremble.
Then—
It moved.
Not gently.
Not hesitantly.
But decisively.
A sharp whoosh cut through the air as the weapon lifted, spinning once before shooting forward like an arrow released from its bow.
Straight toward—
Anna.
Her eyes widened.
"Wait—"
Before she could react, it reached her.
And in the next heartbeat—
It was in her hands.
The impact wasn't violent, but it was undeniable. The weight settled against her palms as if it had always belonged there. The hum vanished, replaced by a deep, resonant silence.
The entire hall froze.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The crowd shifted back instinctively, space opening around her as if the air itself demanded distance.
Renji stared at the weapon, then at Anna, then back at the weapon again.
"…You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "Out of everyone here, the magic murder-crossbow picks you?"
Anna blinked, still frozen.
"I didn't— I didn't do anything—"
Renji sighed deeply. "Of course you didn't. That's exactly why it chose you."
At the front of the hall, Lord Kazan's expression had gone completely still.
Unreadable.
But his eyes remained fixed on Anna.
Sharp. Calculating.
Watching.
And for the first time since entering this world, Anna felt it.
Something had changed.
Irreversibly.
The weapon in her hands felt warm.
Alive.
Aware.
And somewhere, far beyond the hall…
Shou Feng stepped into the night, his sleeve stained with blood, his expression as cold as the truth he had just buried.
The first move had been made.
---
To be continued…