Eyes Of Broken Lilies

Kyoren kneeled down on the golden floor, his right hand pressed against his bleeding chest. The blood spilled across the polished gold, turning it red. He choked out a bit of blood, breath ragged.

Kuradome's eyes burned hot with tears...tears of anger and... something else. Something deeper. Maybe hurt so raw he couldn't even react, or maybe he was fighting to keep it hidden.

His breathing grew uneven, panic rising, heart pounding violently against his ribs. He was about to reach for Kyoren in front of him, but his bloodied, trembling hand froze. Though his own arm had already healed, it was still stained with blood. His legs and hands were shaking, legs threatening to give out at any moment.

"KYOREN-SAMA!! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! YOU'RE INJURED AGAIN!! EVEN DEEPER THIS TIME!!"

Yurei's voice cracked as he rushed toward Kyoren, his own sword clattering onto the floor with a sharp, ringing sound. His trembling hands reached out, one arm slipping around Kyoren's waist while the other pressed his sleeve against the wound to stop the bleeding.

At that same moment, Kuradome stepped forward, reaching for Kyoren with his shaking, bloody hand... but then balled it into a fist and lowered it sharply. His throat felt tight, as if he was forcing himself to swallow something heavy and bitter. He deliberately took two shaky steps back.

Kyoren turned his face slightly, his eyes finding his father. His expression twisted into guilt and hurt, like he was silently wishing his father would hold him the way other fathers did... wishing Kuradome would ask, even once, if he was okay.

"He really does hate me... he didn't even ask if I was okay..."

But even in his pain, Kyoren swallowed hard and forced himself to look at Kuradome's back. The shadows Kuradome had summoned to protect him faded away, vanishing like black mist, until only Kuradome himself remained. Kyoren gave a small, shaky nod...but no one seemed to notice. Everyone else was too busy surrounding him, swords drawn, ready to protect him.

The black-cloaked figure that had attacked Kyoren stepped back, calculating every move perfectly, while guards and retainers stepped closer, swords raised, slowly pressing forward.

What Kyoren didn't see... what none of them fully understood... was the fire burning inside Kuradome's chest. Earlier, when Kuradome had screamed Kyoren's name, a crack had slipped through his cold mask. And now, that black figure didn't realize what he had truly stabbed: not just Kyoren's body, but Kuradome's own heart.

Kuradome exhaled sharply, a growl rumbling low in his throat, like a dragon holding back its roar. His wine-red eyes glowed faintly with rage and grief.

"You're. Dead. Now."

He murmured under his breath, tilting his head slightly until his neck cracked softly, the sound sharp in the heavy silence.

Yurei swallowed hard, sensing something dangerous was about to happen...something more than just anger. Kuradome acted this way only when pushed to the edge… when pain and rage mixed until even he couldn't tell them apart.

Kyoren too swallowed hard, the coppery taste of blood bitter on his tongue. Kuradome turned his head toward Yurei, his breath controlled, face turned slightly aside but eyes low on the floor. His voice came out barely above a whisper:

"Take him away from here… NOW."

Yurei nodded quickly, his voice trembling:

"As… your wish, Crown Ribbon. I'll make sure Ribbon Prince is properly protected."

He slipped Kyoren's arm around his own shoulders, supporting him by the waist, guiding him away. Yurei's sword, forgotten on the floor, suddenly trembled and flew into his palm as he raised his hand, disappearing into his sleeve with a faint shimmer of spiritual power.

He carried Kyoren swiftly, skipping the stairs entirely with a burst of spiritual energy, heading straight for Kyoren's chamber. Behind them, two guards crossed their swords to block any threat that might chase them.

Other guards moved to stand at Kuradome's sides, filling the gaps to shield him from sudden attacks by the black figure or his summoned shadows. But to Kuradome, it felt like this was a battle between only himself and that figure who dared to touch his son.

Kuradome stepped forward, jaw tight, golden lightning pulsing along the veins in his hands.

"Why fight my little kit?" he growled, voice low and dangerous. "Try me if you can…"

His long silver hair lifted with the rising spiritual wind, the tips bleeding into a dark wine red, matching the fox ears atop his head. The mark at his neck pulsed and grew, curling across his pale skin in intricate lines... the Tide Wind mark...glowing with glittering gold edged in vivid, dangerous red.

The black figure turned sharply, realizing he had to flee immediately. But before he could escape, the guards shouted, swords pointed, rushing forward:

"HEY! HEY! HEY! Catch him! He's running away after harming our Ribbon Prince!!"

"We should stab him straight through the heart!"

"He deserves a punishment worse than death!"

"Don't let him escape!"

"He's heading for the main hall balcony!"

Their shouts echoed in the hall as they chased him, leaving Kuradome standing alone... alone with the fire and fury burning in his heart.

Kuradome glared at the fleeing figure, his eyes fixed and unblinking. His long hair floated like white silk behind him, the edges now wine red. The crest on his neck pulsed larger and more detailed, like living art painted in glowing blood and gold.

The figure felt it then... something raw and monstrous behind Kuradome's aura, far more terrifying than any ordinary power. It made him hesitate for just an instant, even while dodging the guards' blades and Yin Lan's spiritual strikes.

Kuradome stepped forward again, the air around him humming with barely contained rage and power.

[ End of Chapter 21 ]

Author thoughts : Thank you guys for 10k views even without the love reacts, comments about your feelings for this story and me..I know I'm nothing too better as MXTX but I still followed her footsteps with love , care and respect..not only as a legend but as a person..as my story God mother.. support me as you all did to her too..I won't forget you all just as she didn't did too.. just let me shine and let me sit beside her even if the place is limited...

The borrowed nights story you read isn't any fanfiction..I just echoed my love to her in her world yet my way..she wrote legends..and I wrote the aching souls behind legend's shadows..and when you'll keep walking beside me..you'll see everything in words....

Just as she had her struggles..I've mine too..and you'll get the chance to read it from my pov at eyes of broken lilies : the other half and another upcoming book eyes of broken lilies : before blooming...

Thank you for staying with me for that long..even after you're silent...