The doorway inside the coffin opened wider, and it really did feel like it was breathing. The dark inside it moved in and out like a slow throat. The chains around the coffin lifted, ready to strike. The runes blinked like eyes that did not sleep.
Wei Chen felt the leash tug again.
"Chen Wei…" the coffin whispered.
His feet moved forward without him telling them to. One step. Then another. His chest burned cold where the black sun brand sat, like ice pressed to fire.
Lin Xue grabbed him from behind and locked her arms around his waist. Her cheek pressed to his back. "Chen Wei," she whispered into his shirt, voice shaking. "Stay real. Stay with me."
Wei Chen's body stopped for half a heartbeat. He turned his head and looked down at her hands. "Hold tighter," he said, voice low and naughty even while his eyes were dark with pain. "If you let go, I'll fall into a very ugly mouth."
Lin Xue's face went red, angry at him and scared at the same time. "This is not the time."
Wei Chen reached back and covered her hands with his. "It's always the time," he murmured. "Rules first. Stop means stop."
Lin Xue swallowed. "Stop means stop," she whispered.
"And you choose," Wei Chen said.
Lin Xue squeezed him harder. "I choose you," she said. "I'm not letting it take you."
The gold-and-silver bond rope between their wrists flared warm, like a rope pulling him back from a cliff. The leash weakened again, just a little.
Su Mei stepped closer, her purple qi flickering. Sweat shined on her temple. "My demon seal is burning," she hissed. "This place hates it. If it breaks, the coffin calls him like a dog."
Wei Chen shot her a pained grin. "I'm not a dog."
Su Mei's eyes flashed. "Right now you are a puppet."
Wei Chen's grin sharpened. "Then pull my strings nicer."
Su Mei's lips twitched. "Shameless."
Lin Xue snapped, jealous heat in her eyes. "Stop flirting with her."
Wei Chen glanced back at Lin Xue and softened. "Jealous," he teased.
Lin Xue glared. "I'm angry."
Wei Chen turned a little and kissed Lin Xue's forehead, slow enough to count as a promise. "Angry is fine," he whispered. "Just don't let go."
The coffin door breathed louder, like it heard them. The voice turned sweet. "Bring me the ice girl," it purred. "I give you freedom, Chen Wei. No overload. No pain. No rules."
Wei Chen's black sun brand pulsed, and the leash tugged again. His knees bent forward like his body wanted to obey.
Lin Xue pulled him back with all she had. "No!" she cried, and frost burst from her sleeves. The bond rope flared, then flickered.
Su Mei cursed. "It's pulling harder. We need a move. Now."
Wei Chen forced himself to look away from the door. "Options," he growled.
Su Mei pointed at the floor symbols. "That door is an exit," she said. "Or it's a mouth. Either way, if we stand here, it will keep calling your name until you walk in."
Lin Xue's voice shook. "So we can't stay."
Wei Chen's eyes narrowed. "Then we go through," he said.
Lin Xue stared. "That's insane."
Wei Chen leaned close to her ear, breath warm. "Ice Queen," he whispered, "if I'm going to be swallowed, I want your kiss first."
Lin Xue's cheeks burned. "Wei Chen…"
Wei Chen turned enough to face her. "Do you want this?" he asked, clear and simple. "A kiss. Not for fun. For anchor."
Lin Xue swallowed. Her eyes stayed on his. "Yes," she whispered. "I choose this."
Wei Chen kissed her.
Slow, deep, and steady. Lin Xue clutched his collar and pulled him closer like she refused to lose him. Their breaths mixed. His heat rolled into her, and her frost steadied him back. The bond rope flared gold and silver, brighter than the hall lights.
The coffin hissed, like it hated it.
Wei Chen broke the kiss just enough to whisper, "Say my name."
Lin Xue's voice trembled, but she said it clear. "Chen Wei."
The leash loosened again.
Su Mei watched, eyes sharp. "Good," she said. "Now we add my seal before it bites again."
Wei Chen looked at Su Mei. "Rules," he said.
Su Mei raised a brow. "Still?"
Wei Chen's mouth curved. "Always. Stop means stop."
Su Mei's smile turned dangerous and pleased. "Say yes."
Wei Chen breathed in, then nodded. "I choose this," he said. "One seal. No chain."
Su Mei grabbed his chin and kissed him, hot and fast, like a stamp. Purple qi slid over his true name like a protective ink. It burned, but it held. Su Mei pulled back right away and tilted her head. "Stop?" she teased.
Wei Chen swallowed, heat rough in his throat. "Stop," he said.
Su Mei stopped. No fight. She smirked like she respected it. "Good boy," she murmured.
Lin Xue's eyes narrowed. "Don't call him that."
Wei Chen glanced at Lin Xue, naughty grin back. "She's jealous again."
Lin Xue pinched his side. "Move!"
The coffin door breathed hard, like it was impatient. The voice turned colder. "Enough games," it whispered. "Chen Wei… step."
Wei Chen's body jerked forward again, stronger this time. His feet slid across the floor like he was being pulled by a rope around his heart.
Lin Xue grabbed him with both arms and pressed herself against his back, trying to be an anchor with her whole body. "Chen Wei," she said, voice breaking, "stay with me. Stay real."
Wei Chen reached back and pulled Lin Xue's hands to his lips. He kissed her fingers, one by one, quick and fierce. "I'm here," he rasped. "Hold me."
Su Mei drew a violet line in the air, then slapped it onto Wei Chen's chest near the black sun brand. "If you move without permission," she snapped, "this bites you back."
Wei Chen hissed. "That's rude."
Su Mei's eyes glittered. "It's survival."
The doorway inside the coffin widened again, and black wind rushed out. The symbols on the floor lit like arrows pointing into it.
Wei Chen's body leaned forward. The leash pulled. The brand burned cold.
Lin Xue clutched him tighter. "Don't go," she whispered.
Wei Chen stared at the breathing dark. His grin was gone now. His voice turned simple and real. "If I have to go," he said, "you come with me."
Lin Xue blinked. "What?"
Wei Chen turned and held her face. "Choose," he said. "Not for the coffin. For us."
Lin Xue's breath shook. Then she nodded hard. "I choose you," she whispered. "I'm coming."
Su Mei's eyes widened. "Both of you are crazy."
Wei Chen smirked at her. "You're coming too."
Su Mei's mouth opened, then closed. "I hate you," she muttered.
Wei Chen leaned close and murmured, "Liar."
Su Mei shoved him lightly. "Go!"
Wei Chen grabbed Lin Xue's hand, then Su Mei's wrist, and stepped toward the door. The coffin whispered his true name again, sweeter, deeper.
"Chen Wei…"
Wei Chen's body moved like it was obeying.
But Lin Xue held the name-anchor tight. Su Mei's seal burned violet.
And as they crossed the edge of the breathing doorway, the darkness wrapped around them like lips—
and the coffin laughed, because something inside the dark whispered back in Lin Xue's voice, perfectly copied.
"Wei Chen… I choose you."
Lin Xue froze.
Wei Chen's heart dropped.
Because the voice did not come from her mouth.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2025
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