Su Mei stepped forward with black eyes and a calm face that did not belong to her. Her hand lifted toward Wei Chen's chest like she was reaching for a lock she owned.
Wei Chen barked, "Stop!"
Su Mei did not stop.
Lin Xue's blood went cold. The word "stop" had always worked. It was their last clean rule in this dirty place. Seeing it fail felt like watching the floor crack under their feet.
The copy smiled sweetly, pleased. "Now… we see whose rules survive."
Su Mei's fingers touched Wei Chen's robe right above the black sun brand.
Wei Chen grabbed her wrist hard. His jaw clenched. "Stop," he said again, lower, like steel.
Su Mei's wrist did not freeze. It kept moving, slow and steady, like a puppet being guided.
Lin Xue reacted on instinct. Frost burst from her palm and wrapped around Su Mei's forearm like a cold chain. "Get away from him!" Lin Xue snapped.
Su Mei's arm paused for one heartbeat… then the frost cracked.
The black-eyed calm didn't change. Su Mei's fingers kept reaching.
Lin Xue's wrist mark burned sharply. The law-thread around it tightened and pulled, making her knees wobble. The bond rope flickered thin in her mind, like it was about to snap.
Wei Chen saw it. His face went hard. "Lin Xue," he said urgent, "look at me."
Lin Xue forced her eyes to his. Her breath shook. "Chen Wei…"
Wei Chen moved closer, body between her and Su Mei without thinking. His hand slid around Lin Xue's waist, holding her tight like an anchor. Heat poured from him into her cold skin, steady and controlled.
"Rules," Wei Chen whispered near her ear. "Stop means stop. You choose. Do you want my heat right now?"
Lin Xue's cheeks flushed, angry at her own body for needing him in this moment. "Yes," she whispered. "Now. Keep me standing."
Wei Chen nodded and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth—warm, chosen, grounding. "I'm here," he murmured. "Stay with me."
Lin Xue swallowed. "Don't leave," she whispered back.
Su Mei's hand reached again, closer.
Wei Chen snapped his fan open and struck Su Mei's wrist, knocking it aside. He didn't cut her. He didn't hurt her. He just refused to let her touch his chest.
The copy tilted its head. "So protective," it purred. "Say it out loud, Chen Wei. Say who you belong to."
It said his true name like honey and poison.
Wei Chen's chest jerked. The black sun brand pulsed cold. The crack on it warmed with a wrong hunger, like a mouth remembering how to open.
Lin Xue grabbed Wei Chen's wrist. "Chen Wei!" she snapped. "Say my name. Stay real."
Wei Chen swallowed hard. "Lin Xue," he forced out.
"Again," Lin Xue demanded, voice shaking.
"Lin Xue," Wei Chen said louder.
The bond rope flared warm, fighting the pull. Lin Xue used that warmth like a blade. She shoved her palm onto Wei Chen's chest, right over the black sun brand, and poured frost into the thin crack.
"Bite shut," she whispered. "Stay shut."
Wei Chen groaned as cold pressed down on the door inside him. He steadied her frost with careful heat from his core so it wouldn't freeze his heart. His breath hitched, and his eyes met hers.
"Naughty timing," he rasped, trying to tease through pain. "You keep touching my chest like that… I'm going to start thinking you like owning me."
Lin Xue's cheeks burned. "Focus."
Wei Chen nodded. "I am," he whispered. "You're my focus."
Lin Xue's throat tightened at that. She leaned in and kissed him—deep, desperate, chosen—because words weren't enough. Wei Chen kissed her back like he was starving for something real. His hand tightened at her waist, pulling her closer, keeping her there.
Wei Chen broke the kiss just enough to ask, low and clear, "Do you want me to stop?"
Lin Xue shook her head. "Don't stop," she whispered. "Hold me. Make it hear us."
Wei Chen kissed her again—shorter, stronger—then pressed his forehead to hers. "Say the vow," he murmured. "Loud."
Lin Xue's voice trembled, but she didn't look away. "Chen Wei," she said, "I choose you."
The bond rope flared bright gold-silver.
For one heartbeat, Su Mei's black-eyed hand hesitated, like the light stung it.
The copy's smile cracked at the edges. Then it lifted one finger and tightened the law-thread again.
Pain ripped through Lin Xue's wrist mark. The bond rope flickered violently.
Wei Chen felt it like someone grabbed his spine. The black sun brand pulsed hard in answer.
And then Su Mei moved again, faster this time.
Her hand slipped past Wei Chen's fan and slammed onto his chest, right on the black sun brand.
Wei Chen's breath cut off.
Cold flooded his ribs.
The crack opened wider—just a thin line, but enough for a breath to slip out.
A cold breath.
Not his.
Lin Xue's eyes went wide. "No!"
Wei Chen grabbed Su Mei's wrist and snarled, "Stop!"
Su Mei didn't stop.
Her black eyes stared into Wei Chen's face, calm and hungry, and her mouth moved like she was listening to a voice deep inside him.
Wei Chen's voice went rough. "Lin Xue," he gasped, "I need a new rule. Now."
Lin Xue swallowed her panic and nodded once, fierce. "Then take it," she whispered.
Wei Chen pulled Lin Xue close with one arm and kissed her hard—chosen, steady, like he was carving a vow into the air. Then he tore his mouth away and pressed his forehead to hers.
"My name is mine," Wei Chen said, loud and clear. "My yes is mine."
The tunnel runes flickered.
The copy's eyes narrowed.
Wei Chen continued, voice shaking but strong. "Lin Xue is my anchor. If you touch my door, you obey her word."
Lin Xue's breath hitched. Heat rushed into her cheeks. "Chen Wei…"
Wei Chen looked at her, eyes fierce and soft at the same time. "Say it," he whispered. "Command me. Command the door."
Lin Xue lifted her shaking hand and pressed it to Wei Chen's chest, right over Su Mei's fingers. Frost and heat met and hummed tight.
Lin Xue's voice turned into a blade. "Black sun," she said, "stop."
For one heartbeat—
Su Mei's fingers froze.
The crack stopped widening.
Wei Chen exhaled like he had been drowning.
The copy laughed softly. "Clever," it murmured. "But not enough."
Because the cold breath inside the crack did not stop.
It pushed.
A shadowy shape pressed against Wei Chen's skin from the inside, like something was trying to wear his chest like a doorway.
Lin Xue's face went pale. She leaned down and pressed her lips to the black sun brand—right on the crack—cold and warm at once, like sealing a wound with a vow.
"Stay shut," she whispered against his skin. "Stay with me."
Wei Chen's hand tangled in her hair, holding her there like he needed the contact to stay real. His voice broke, low and helpless. "Don't leave," he whispered.
Lin Xue lifted her face, breath trembling. "I won't," she said.
Then the crack split open another hair.
And a thin black claw—made of shadow and law—slid out of Wei Chen's chest.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2025
All rights reserved.