The night was thick with resentment.
Zhao Kuan stood beneath the broken stone arch at the edge of the Hawk Clan territory, his claws digging into his palms. The defeat replayed endlessly in his mind—the moment Feng Lihan's crimson wings eclipsed him, the shock, the roar of the crowd, the taste of humiliation.
Everything had been taken from him.
"You're still bleeding," a soft voice said.
Zhao Kuan turned sharply.
Layla emerged from the shadows, her steps light, her expression filled with concern. Moonlight brushed her features, making her look almost gentle.
"What are you doing here?" Zhao Kuan growled.
Layla stopped a step away. "I was worried about you."
He laughed bitterly. "Worried? About a loser?"
Her gaze softened. "You were never a loser to me."
Before Zhao Kuan could react, Layla leaned forward and kissed him.
It wasn't rushed. It wasn't shy. It was deliberate—meant to disarm him. Zhao Kuan froze, shock flashing through his eyes, then slowly… he didn't pull away.
When Layla finally stepped back, her lips curved faintly.
"I've liked you for a long time," she said.
Zhao Kuan's breathing was uneven. "Then why now?"
Layla's expression darkened.
"Because I hate Lin Yue."
The name hit like poison.
Layla's voice grew sharp, bitter. "Since Feng Lihan chose him, everything changed. He stopped listening to the elders. He broke tradition. He married a man and let him stand beside the Chief Seat."
She clenched her fists. "That outsider doesn't belong here. We don't know where he came from. We don't know what he wants."
Zhao Kuan's thoughts churned.
Lin Yue.
The one always standing calmly beside Feng Lihan. The one the clan now praised.
Layla stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"I want him gone."
Zhao Kuan stared at her. "Gone…?"
"I want you to kill him."
For a moment, the wind was the only sound.
Zhao Kuan's eyes widened—but only briefly.
Then something inside him twisted, delighted.
If Lin Yue dies… Feng Lihan will shatter.
And if Feng Lihan falls… the clan will need a new leader.
A slow, cruel smile spread across Zhao Kuan's face.
"You're right," he said quietly. "Without him, Feng Lihan will be weak."
He chuckled, low and dark. "And when the Chief becomes unstable… someone must replace him."
Layla watched the greed surface in his eyes.
"But I want something in return," Zhao Kuan added, stepping closer. "You."
Layla didn't hesitate. Her lips curved into a cold smile.
"For revenge," she said softly, "I'll give you that."
That night, hatred bound them together more tightly than loyalty ever could. Two hearts filled with envy and ambition beat with the same purpose.
Above them, the moon bore witness.
Far away, in a warm cave lit by dying embers, Lin Yue slept peacefully beneath Feng Lihan's wings—unaware that his name had just been spoken as a death sentence.
And that the enemies of the Hawk Clan had finally chosen their target.