Heavenly Phoenix Range...
The night hung heavily over the floating palace like a silken drape woven with starlight. Lamps of spirit fire glowed along the jade corridors of the Pleasure Palace, their faint azure flas swaying with the midnight breeze.
Outside, the roar of distant waterfalls rged with the occasional bursts of firecrackers from the gambling houses that never slept. Yet within the inner court, silence reigned—an uneasy, suffocating silence, broken only by the footsteps of a solitary figure.
Lady Rina Lova.
Her steps were cautious, each one echoing across the marble tiles like a guilty confession. Clad in beast-hide garnts with golden seams, she carried the aura of a huntress, but her eyes betrayed turbulence. Tonight, she had not co as a warrior or competitor—she had co as a woman weighed down by choice.
At the towering doors of Kent's chamber, two beast guards bowed and opened the entrance without question. They had long since recognized her face, the heiress of the Lova line. But the tension in their eyes betrayed curiosity—they too had heard whispers of the gamblers' sches, whispers that Rina Lova's na was tied among those bought and bound.
Inside, Kent sat quietly before a black wood table, a cup of golden tea in his hand. Sparky, the little dragon, curled lazily by his feet, and the one-eyed bandit dozed atop a cushion, its twitching nose sniffing dreams of treasures. The mont Rina entered, Kent's golden eyes flicked toward her, calm and unreadable, like a god observing the struggles of mortals.
Rina hesitated, her throat tightening. For the first ti in years of duels and bloody trials, her knees felt weak.
"Kent…" she finally breathed, her voice trembling despite her effort to steady it.
He rely gestured with his hand, offering her a place to sit across from him. She did not. Instead, she stepped closer until the moonlight pouring through the latticed windows bathed her conflicted face.
"I ca to tell you the truth," she said, every word heavy. "I—I accepted the offer of Red Face, the Gambling Association's head. Not just , but the other mbers of our group. They promised us treasures, immortal-grade pills, and mana crystals. And worse, they swore that if I didn't join hands with them to target you first in tomorrow's group fight, they would unite to eliminate before you."
Her voice cracked. Sha burned across her cheeks.
Kent lifted his cup, sipping slowly, as though she were recounting sothing trivial. His silence unnerved her more than anger ever could.
"I was forced," she continued hurriedly, as though fearing his indifference. "I don't want to stand against you. But I had no choice. If I refused… they would strike down before the battle even began."
At last, Kent's lips curved into the faintest smile. Not mocking, not cold—rely detached. His words ca soft, but each syllable carried weight like thunder hidden in clouds.
"Rina Lova," he said, "you owe no apology. I fear no alliance, no trap. Do what you must. I hold no grudge against you for the path you chose."
The calm in his voice was terrifying. No flicker of doubt, no nervousness, no sign of worry.
Her breath caught. Her heart, so burdened a mont ago, suddenly felt lighter. Yet at the sa ti, she felt herself diminished—like standing before a mountain whose peak she could never hope to reach. Here was a man whose aura crushed conspiracies as though they were re dust.
"You…" she whispered. "You are beyond us. I see it now."
Forcing back the sting in her eyes, she bowed low, her voice trembling. "Forgive ."
Kent did not respond. He rely raised his gaze back toward the moonlight and stroked Sparky's scaled head. To him, the confession was but another ripple in the vast ocean he intended to cross.
Rina lingered for a heartbeat longer, then turned, each step toward the door heavier than the last. When she finally left the chamber, her shoulders shook, though her lips curved with the faintest relief. For the first ti since agreeing to Red Face's bargain, she felt as though a burden had been lifted.
-
Monts later, another presence entered the chamber.
Alia.
She walked in with quiet grace, her long hair flowing like black silk, her beauty radiant yet tempered with a cold dignity. But her eyes tonight carried a trace of suspicion, softened only by affection for her husband.
"Who was she?" Alia asked, her voice gentle yet piercing.
Kent looked at her, amused at the faint trace of jealousy in her tone. Setting aside his cup, he spoke slowly.
"Rina Lova. Once, when I journeyed to the Divine Herbal Mountains, her father gave shelter for a night. I have always respected him. He sold every city he owned just to purchase a Grandmaster-rank weapon for his daughter's safety. A rare man—one who placed his child above wealth and fa."
Alia's brows arched, her suspicion waning. Yet she pressed further. "And what of her? Why does she co to you with such desperation?"
Kent's gaze drifted toward the night sky. "She has her own self reason. But you must one thing about her... Rina Lova made a vow long ago. She declared she would only marry a man who could defeat her in combat. That is her pride, her way of life."
A silence followed, charged with subtle aning. Alia studied her husband's calm expression, and though she trusted him completely, she could not help but weigh the implications.
"She is beautiful," Alia said at last, her tone quiet, almost testing.
Kent chuckled, shaking his head. "Beauty ans little when weighed against destiny. I walk my own path, Alia. No vow, no alliance, no temptation can bind . Rember this—my respect for her father does not cloud my heart."
Alia's lips curved into a soft smile, relief flowing through her. She stepped closer, placing her hand lightly upon his.
"Then I shall stand with you tomorrow," she whispered.
The moonlight deepened, casting their figures in silver glow. Beyond the palace walls, the gambling houses roared with activity, odds rising and falling.
Red Face plotted, disciples sharpened their blades, and whispers of tomorrow's group battle spread like wildfire. But within the Pleasure Palace, Kent sat in serenity—untouched by sches, unmoved by fear.
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