"Don't touch me. Please. I'm burning up."Chen Mo's voice was a ragged whisper, his body convulsing on the frozen ground. The snow around him was melting, turning to steam as it touched his skin. His scales were glowing with an unbearable heat, golden light pulsing through his veins like molten fire. Every breath he took was agony, his lungs searing, his throat raw from screaming."I have to touch you," Meng Yao said, her hands hovering over his chest. "I have to cool you down.""You'll burn yourself. Your hands—""I don't care about my hands."She pressed her palms against his chest. The heat was overwhelming, searing, but she didn't pull away. She couldn't pull away. If she pulled away, he would die. The skin on her palms began to redden, blisters forming almost instantly. She gritted her teeth and pressed harder."Yao." His voice was breaking. "Yao, I can feel it. The third tier. It's tearing me apart.""I know. I know. Just hold on.""I can't. I can't hold on much longer.""Yes, y

"Mo. There's someone out there. Several someones."Meng Yao's voice was barely a whisper, her body pressed against the cave wall, her eyes fixed on the entrance. The footsteps were getting closer. The voices were getting louder. And they were surrounded."I know," Chen Mo said. His voice was weak, but his eyes were burning with golden fire. "I can feel them.""Can you fight?""I don't know. But I'm going to try.""Mo, you can barely stand.""Then I'll fight on my knees."She looked at him. His face was pale, his scales still pulsing with residual heat. The fever had receded, but he was still weak. Still vulnerable."Let me go first," she said. "If they want to get to you, they'll have to go through me.""Yao, you can't—""I can, and I will." Her voice was fierce, absolute. "I'm not letting anyone hurt you. Not while I'm still breathing.""Yao—""I love you, Mo. I've always loved you. And I'm not going to let you die."She stepped toward the entrance. Her body was weak, her limbs shaki

The first arrow struck Kael in the chest.The beast-man stumbled, his golden eyes widening with shock. He looked down at the shaft protruding from his chest, his massive hand reaching up to touch the blood that was already soaking through his fur."No!" Chen Mo screamed. "Kael!""I'm fine," Kael said, his voice steady despite the wound. "It will take more than an arrow to kill me."Another arrow flew past Chen Mo's head, embedding itself in the ice wall behind him. He spun around, his scales flaring, his eyes blazing. The canyon entrance was filled with figures. Imperial soldiers. Dozens of them. Armed with blades, bows, and cold, calculating eyes."You just had to follow us, didn't you?" Chen Mo's voice was filled with bitter fury. "You just couldn't let us go.""You're a threat to the Imperial Court, Chen Mo," a voice called out. "You're a threat to the natural order of the world."The figure stepped forward.

"I'm not ready for this."Chen Mo's voice echoed through the vast chamber, bouncing off walls that seemed to stretch into infinity. The tomb was massive, its ceiling lost in shadow, its floor covered in ancient runes that pulsed with a faint, golden light. And standing in the center of the chamber, blocking their path, were the guardians.They were massive, their bodies carved from obsidian, their surfaces gleaming with a polished sheen that reflected the golden light. Their eyes glowed with crimson fire, ancient and hungry and absolute. And they were watching him. Waiting."You're ready," Meng Yao said. Her voice was steady, but he could feel her trembling. "You've been ready your whole life.""That's not true. I've never been ready for anything. I've just been surviving.""Then it's time to stop surviving. It's time to start living."He looked at her. Her eyes were fierce, filled with a love that made his chest ache. She believed in him. Even when he didn't believe in himself."Okay

"The heart is still beating."Chen Mo's voice was barely a whisper, his eyes fixed on the massive organ that floated above the altar. It was enormous, larger than a man, its surface covered in ancient runes that pulsed with a golden light. And it was alive. He could see it beating, slow and steady, a rhythm that seemed to echo through the chamber."It's been beating for a thousand years," Meng Yao said. "Waiting for you.""Waiting for me?""For the one who would claim it. The one who would restore the Primordial Bloodline."He stared at the heart. His heart was pounding in his chest, a frantic rhythm that couldn't match the ancient, steady beat of the Sovereign's heart."I don't know if I can do this," he said."You can." Her hand found his. "You've survived everything else. You can survive this too.""But what if I'm not the one? What if the prophecy is wrong? What if I'm just some broken boy who stumbled into something he doesn't understand?""Then you'll still be you. The man I lov