Eyes Of Broken Lilies

Upstairs, Kyoren was clinging onto Yurei tightly, his fangs sunk deep into one of Yurei's shoulders, sobbing against his skin.

It was Kyoren's strange habit.... to bite down when overwhelmed by too many feelings at once.

Right now, he was shaking with guilt, pain… and for reasons even he couldn't name, a small flicker of relief.

His breathing came fast, bordering on panic.

Yurei held him closer, one hand steady on Kyoren's trembling back, the other channeling healing power into the bite.

"K… Kyoren-sama… it's fine… don't be scared… I'm here…"

Yurei's voice quivered...worried, gentle… and something else entirely.

Because of that bite, his heart pounded painfully, half in fear… and half in something that burned low and quiet.

His lashes drooped, cheeks stained a soft, flushed pink.

His lips trembled; he bit down so hard on the lower one that it almost drew blood.

"Mph… m…"

A tiny, trembling whimper of both pain and pleasure escaped before he could stop it.

Panic lit in his eyes as he glanced around, silently praying Kuradome hadn't heard.

Because if Kuradome sensed it... again...he'd burn the whole floor down to stop it.

Please… please don't come now…

Luck, Yurei knew, rarely stayed on his side.

Meanwhile, downstairs, the black figure realized escape was the only path left.

They twisted around the spirit beats, step by step nearing the balcony doors.

His plan was cruelly simple: let Kuradome's own beat shatter the doors, then slip through.

Kuradome's guards and even the Yin Lans saw it... the plan might actually work.

But Kuradome himself had lost all patience, nearly blind with rage, clawed hand still raised to call another beat.

If anyone dared step between, even his own men...they'd still be sliced down.

"K…King Kuradome! You must stop! You're losing control!!"

Lan Suji's voice cracked as he shouted.

One beat cut close, slicing into the black figure's arm, but at the same moment it shattered the heavy doors.

Wood splintered and cracked in a single, echoing crash.

The figure slipped out, fleeing toward Baiyun's border, cloak whipping like torn shadows.

Kuradome surged forward, rage sharpening into hunting instinct... but five Yin Lans moved as one, each casting two threads of spirit binding.

Ten threads bound him, luminous in the dark hall, locking his limbs and halting his chase.

"Please, Kuradome-sama, control yourself!"

Lan Suji urged, his grip tight, sweat beading at his brow.

The threads tightened, holding Kuradome still.

His jaw clenched; wine-red guqin vanished; sharp claws glinted. His long hair floated as if caught in unseen wind, its ends glowing red.

A growl rumbled in his chest... rage and deep insult.

He had always hated the Yin Lans; now, their power binding him felt like poison.

"SHUT UP!! DON'T TOUCH ME!!"

His voice thundered; claws slashed.

The spiritual threads snapped, flying apart like torn silk.

Three Yin Lans stumbled back; Kansai's thread was dragged so forcefully that Kuradome's claws cut deep into Kansai's arm, slashing flesh and thread alike.

"Agh---!"

Blood spilled down Kansai's sleeve.

Before Kansai could collapse, Suji caught him, bracing him, hurriedly channeling healing qi.

Kuradome stood, breath ragged, chest heaving.

He usually never snapped this violently. Never meant to hurt even those he despised.

For a single breath, silence pooled in the hall ...broken only by the wild, fast pulse under his ribs.

A pulse that didn't belong to the fleeing enemy.

Something upstairs.

A signal.

His child.

Kuradome's red eyes lifted, fox ears twitching once...a silent sign.

Without a word, robe swirling behind, he stormed toward the stairs.

Every guard and Yin Lan watched; none dared speak, none dared follow.

"…What happened to him so suddenly again?"

Lan Suji whispered hoarsely, still steadying Kansai.

"Maybe… got another signal in perfectly wrong time ,"

Sozai said, voice low, smirk touched with both mischief and something darker... annoyance, jealousy, even a small bruise of hurt.

"A… another signal in… perfectly wrong time? What do you mean…? And it's not the first…?"

Kansai rasped, wincing, blood dripping from his arm. Suji pressed his hand over the wound, weaving healing threads, waiting for Sozai's answer.

Sozai sighed, green eyes half-lidded, nodding as if scolding fate itself.

"Nope… of course not… It's a long story."

[ End of Chapter 23 ]