[Yao Clan Stronghold, Underground Prison]
The air was thick with dampness, the stone walls slick with moisture that dripped into shallow puddles. Torchlight flickered weakly, casting long shadows that danced across iron bars. Deep within the Yao Clan's stronghold, hidden from prying eyes, RouqiLady Xinyi
Lady Xinyi’s face was pale but composed, her hands folded neatly in her lap as if the cold stone bench were a throne. Rouqi, on the other hand, paced restlessly, her eyes flickering with sharp determination.
Lady Xinyi
(softly)
"Rouqi, you should conserve your strength. Pacing won’t change anything."
Rouqi stopped, turning to face her aunt. Her gaze was fierce, unyielding.
"He’ll come for us. I know he will."
Lady Xinyi’s eyes softened with doubt.
"You’re speaking of that Ye Hann boy? He’s capable, yes, but the Yao Clan is not so easily shaken."
Rouqi crossed her arms, a small smile playing at her lips.
"You haven’t seen him recently. He’s… changed. He’s stronger. Bolder. He won’t leave us here."
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Lady Xinyi watched her niece with a gentle smile of her own.
"I admire your faith, but faith alone does not break chains."
Rouqi only shook her head, glancing back at the iron bars.
"You’ll see. He’s coming."
[Yao Clan's Main Hall]
The Yao Clan’s elders sat in silence, the large wooden table stretching between them like a battlefield. At the head of the table, Yao Shen
Yao Shen
"Ye Hann’s been moving unpredictably. His actions against the Yao Clan are bordering on provocation."
A younger elder scoffed, leaning back in his chair.
"He’s just a boy who got lucky. What can he do against the full might of the Yao Clan?"
Yao Shen’s eyes narrowed.
"Do not underestimate him. That kind of arrogance is what ruins empires. We have Lady Rouqi and her aunt as bargaining chips. If he shows up, we’ll break him."
The room fell silent, and nods of agreement passed around the table. Outside, the guards tightened their patrols, their eyes sharp and alert.
[Yao Clan Stronghold, Midnight]
Rouqi sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the rusted bars. Lady Xinyi had dozed off, her breathing steady and calm. The moonlight seeped in through the narrow slit of a window, casting pale light on the stone floor.
A whisper of wind slipped through the cracks, unnaturally cold. Rouqi’s eyes widened, and she turned to the entrance of the cell block. The flickering torchlight dimmed for just a moment, as if the shadows themselves had stretched out to swallow the light.
Then she saw him.
Standing silently at the edge of the torchlight was Ye Hann
"I knew you’d come," she whispered, her voice breaking the silence.
Ye Hann gave her a nod, his eyes never leaving hers.
"I promised I wouldn’t be late this time."
The torchlight flickered once more, and the shadows seemed to ripple around him, like they were bending to his will.
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