"I'm sorry Tian Yu" Yuyan whispered helplessly.
At that moment, an arrow tore through the air, striking Ji Woo squarely. She stagger backward from the impact.
From the shattered gates, Prince Lianyi charged in, his army flooding the palace grounds with thunderous force.
Ji Woo hissed, ripping the arrow from her body. The wound sealed instantly.
Straightening, Yuyan forced herself to stand. Her lips moved silently as she began to chant.
A blue fire erupted around her, living and writhing, consuming the space around her without touching her flesh. Power surged outward, crackling in the air. Her eyes turned completely red, glowing with an ancient, feared light.
Ji Woo froze. Her lips quivered. For the first time, she felt real fear. The Heaven's Fire had awakened.
"Heavenly Fire… Why? How could she__?" Ji Woo whispered.
The words left her lips like a curse.
She had only read of it in forbidden text__ an ancient celestial flame that did not answer to spells or rituals. A fire that manifested only when a mother was willing to burn her own life force to protect her unborn child. It was not destruction born of hatred, but of devotion so absolute it defied the heavens themselves. It was a gift granted only to witches of royal blood, once in a thousand years.
Ji Woo took a step back.
Her hand trembled as she pointed at Yuyan, disbelief cracking her voice. "You…" she murmured. "You called the heavens? How did you__how did you do this?"
Yuyan did not answer. She stood there, wrapped in blue fire that did not scorch her flesh, yet gnawed relentlessly at her soul. Power surged through her veins__ vast, overwhelming, almost unbearable. Each breath felt heavier, as if something within her was slowly being torn away.
But she did not falter. Her eyes locked onto Ji Woo's. Then she moved slowly towards Ji woo. The ground shattered beneath Yuyan's feet as she lunged forward. Ji Woo tried to retreat, summoning her power in desperation__but it was too late. Yuyan was now faster and stronger. The Heavenly Fire roared around her, answering her will.
With a cry, Yuyan drove her blade forward.
It plunged deep into Ji Woo. Blue flames erupted on impact, swallowing steel and flesh alike. For the first time in centuries—
Ji Woo screamed in pain.
As her vision dimmed, Ji Woo saw a figure standing far beyond the palace ruins___ so distant it seemed as though he stood upon a mountain peak, untouched by chaos.
Her breath caught. He seemed so familiar. She tried to remember him, tried to understand what was happening, but nothing made sense anymore. The world felt loose, unreal, as if it were slipping away from her grasp.
"Am I… dying?" she murmured, her gaze fixed on the man.
Then___ A memory struck. She remember where she saw the man. He was the Warmer. Her eyes widened.
He was the one who had once shown her the truth. The one who had warned her___ warned her not to walk the path of shadows, not to fall into the devil's snare. She remembered his voice, calm and unwavering, reminding her that power gained through corruption always demanded a cruel price.
She had listened once. Then she had turned away. Greed had whispered. Envy had followed. And she had allowed both to consume her, silencing every warning she had ever been given.
Regret flooded her chest. She sobbed painfully.
Is it too late… to repent? she wondered. Am I really going to die and meet the punishment the Warner talked about?
Before the thought could settle, the air shifted. The darkness peeled away and the palace vanished.
Ji Woo found herself standing in a vast green land, bathed in gentle light. Tall trees stretched endlessly, their branches heavy with glowing, beautiful fruit. The grass beneath her feet was soft, untouched, and alive. Peace hung in the air___ sweet and intoxicating.
She froze, stunned by the beauty.
"You like what you see, don't you?" A familiar voice said from behind.
Ji Woo turned quickly, alerted.
The beast-man stood behind her___ the one who had whispered to her in the dark, who had fed her ambition, who had lifted her higher and higher until she believed him to be her god.
A smile curved his lips.
"You see?" he said softly. "I brought you out of there. I have saved you again. I have always been helping you and I'll continue to help you. They all hate you and only I can make them pay." he said spreading his arms wide in pride.
"Only I can save you. Only I can take you where your heart truly desires."
Ji Woo's eyes drifted around her, drawn helplessly to the splendor surrounding her. Desire stirred and greed followed close behind. The temptation was overwhelming, pressing against her will like a tide.
"If the surface is this beautiful…" she whispered, her voice trembling, "…what lies beneath?"
The beast-man's smile deepened.
"Something better than anything you'd ever desire. You'll be granted a place near me. You'll be raised high above your imaginations.
"You are dying, Ji Woo," he said calmly. "And only I can save you."
He stepped closer, his voice lowering to a command wrapped in promise.
"Kneel before me. Let your forehead, your nose, and your mouth touch the ground."
His eyes gleamed.
"Do that… and I will save you."
Ji woo slowly swept her eyes through the beauty around her. Her eyes gleamed with admiration and longing.
"All you need to do is kneel, Ji woo. Not only would you have all these, you'll be raised above." He reminded.
Slowly, she went on her kneels.
"All I need to do is kneel." She whispered, greed and longing taking the better of her.
And with that in her mind, she placed her forehead on the floor before the creature___ her nose, mouth and lips surrendering to it.
The creature raised his hands, satisfaction welding in him. He bursted into a dark laughter.
Just then, Ji woo realized how dark she had gone. How foolishness and greediness had deceived her. But it was already too late. All the beauty and Splendor faded away and she was back in the bloodied battle ground.
"No!" She screamed. But before she could react, Yuyan stepped forward.
With her last strength, she spun in the air__ her toes turning smoothly on the stone floor. Her blade flashed once, cutting through flesh and bone.
Ji Woo's head left her shoulders before her body even realized what had happened.
It hit the ground with a dull thud and rolled across the stone.
For a heartbeat, the battlefield went silent. Ji Woo's body remained standing. Then her head blinked. Her eyes widened and her mouth parted slightly as realization hit her__ slowly and disbelieving.
"…What?" she whispered.
Her gaze shifted, finally seeing her own body standing a few steps away.
Shock flooded her expression. Confusion followed and then fear flooded her, her lips trembling.
No… that's not possible…
Her body swayed, taking an unsteady step before collapsing heavily to the ground, liveless.
Yuyan stood over her, breathing hard, sword still raised. A weak smile appeared on her lips before she collapsed beside Ji woo.
Across the field, as Fang Leng battled with Tian Yu, he sighed the scene of Yuyan ending Ji woo's life. Hie eyes widened in disbelief.
"NO!!!!!" He roared, his voice dark and deadly. Suddenly, he felt a burning anger in him. He felt like killing endlessly, starting with the person who killed his wife. His eyes became darker and more deadly. But as he moved forward, Tian Yu blocked his way.