Eyes Of Broken Lilies

The wind echoed through the wide hall of the palace as Kyoren descended the staircase. He wore a golden hanfu, its fabric heavy with regal threads. A black wind mark curved on the side of his chest, subtle but undeniable. His inner robe was midnight black, matching the long sleeves that draped past his hands. A black belt with pearl necklaces circled his waist, and his familiar crown ribbon tied back his half-bound hair. A golden and black ribbon held it all in place, glinting softly with each step.

Downstairs, his father stood waiting. At that moment, Yurei appeared.

He wore the hanfu Kyoren had sent him: a contrast of elegance and restraint. His short robe was black, but beneath it, the inner silk glowed with golden warmth. The wind mark, like Kyoren's, shimmered gold on his chest. His silver hair was half-tied with a golden ribbon. Around them, soft guqin and bamboo flute music played, elegant and reserved...the tune called " Bia Xia zhi hei " which means " black beneath white "...

The melody shifted subtly as Kyoren entered. Its light beauty turned ever so slightly strange, shadows hidden under the notes. When Yurei stepped into the room, it grew darker...still soft, but unsettling. Something beneath the surface rippled quietly. The music seemed to whisper that behind their graceful smiles, something was wrong. Or broken.

When Kyoren's father stepped forward, the music eased.

"So," he said, lifting his chin, "you made him your right hand without even telling your father? You've been hiding things lately. Makes me wonder what else I don't know."

Kyoren smirked faintly, fingers brushing the collar where pain still pulsed softly. "I acted quickly. Thought by the time he wore the uniform, you'd already know."

Yurei stepped forward, bowing deeply, his voice smooth. "Thank you, Kyoren-sama. The uniform feels like gold on skin. And the golden ribbon… like a crown, though not quite like yours."

Kyoren smiled slightly.

His father gave a small nod. "Fine, fine. We'll discuss more over breakfast. And for that promotion… we'll have a toast."

He raised his wine cup. Kyoren and Yurei followed suit. They drank.

Far away, Kurama sang softly to himself in an abandoned shrine.

"Touch me and I vanish like fog in dawn

But~I'll hunt your dreams~

Eyes teary, open so ~wide

Hearts pounding too loud..

Then I eat you like a hungry tide ~"

He laughed lightly.

"Night's the hunt," he mused. "But right now, I'm starving." He rummaged through a basket. "Tch. Dragon fruits gone. Even stole from that old king's ceremony, and still didn't get enough."

He rolled his eyes. "Didn't even get to bathe in insect blood like I promised myself. I got distracted…" A smirk tugged at his lips. "Especially when that sensitive king fainted under me . " he wonders about the night . Kirihito did setting which make Kyoren jark off a bit , eyes rolled back as he faints with a weak moan .

Kurama chuckled. "Too weak. How did he even become king? I should be the one on that throne. But now… thrones are boring. He's more fun."

His grin widened. "I won't let him sleep properly. Gonna make him beg every night. That was really fun."

A white snake with red eyes slithered toward him, dropping two bright red apples at his feet. Kurama's face lit up.

"Thank you, Snakie! I was so hungry!"

He fixed his hair, adjusted the dark fabric that covered his eyes, and took the apples in both hands. "So shiny… pretty fruits for a pretty face."

Kyoren walked through the palace garden beside Yurei. The black pearls around his golden ribbon made a gentle echo with every step.

His father's words still lingered.

Flashback:

The academy buzzed with voices. A male cat yokai teacher shouted, eyes stern. "Kyoren! Why did you insult Saki?!"

The young prince, only fifty at the time, stood with arms crossed. A red-haired fox girl sobbed nearby.

"She doesn't cover herself properly," Kyoren said bluntly. "Clings to me like a bug on tree branch...Disgusting."

"You called me cheap!" Saki cried.

"Stop crying, or my dad will cut your tongue out," Kyoren muttered coldly.

The teacher fumed. "Kyoren, you can't threaten your classmates! Just because you're a prince doesn't give you the right to act like that."

"Kings and princes don't mix with low-class yokai," Kyoren answered.

"Enough!"

"Keep shouting and my dad might erase your status too," Kyoren snapped.

Later, the King arrived, younger then. He faced the teacher.

"Don't worry," he said calmly. "I'm not blind. Punish him however you need. I won't keep a brat in my home."

From that day, Kyoren learned his title wouldn't shield him.

Present:

He smiled bitterly at the memory.

"I said the same to that yokai later, years after. He was even more ego-hurt than Saki…"

"Kyoren-sama?" Yurei asked gently. "What are you thinking?"

"Just… childhood memories."

They entered the academy...the same one from the past, now glowing with restored elegance.

Teachers bowed politely. Some spoke casually. Kyoren, now five hundred, had been a senior teacher here since he turned one hundred. Yurei stood beside him, marked clearly as his right hand by attire.

In class, Kyoren spoke with calm authority.

"Today, a lesson not in books..I'll speak from what I've in my mind... We know yokai are two types: full and half. Full yokai are pure; half yokai, mixed with human blood. But there is a rarer type..more dangerous, more untamed, more beautiful than either."

The class leaned in.

"High-ranked yokai," he said. "Also called special-grade."

A crow yokai boy raised his hand. "Are they like animals?"

Kyoren hesitated. Images of Kurama flashed...feral, beautiful, and merciless.

"As far as I know," Kyoren said slowly, "they are male-bodied, often genderless… and seem to despise females."

The class stirred in confusion, curiosity rising.

The bell rang.

Outside the classroom, Yurei beamed. "You're a great teacher as well as king, Kyoren-sama. I'm honored to stand beside you."

Kyoren chuckled, his smile making Yurei's heart skip.

Meanwhile, Kaoru and Utsushi walked through the fog-laced forest, breath visible in the cold air. The path to the cursed village was silent… too silent.

They had come searching for the music...the haunting melody laced with distant screams.

Now, unnatural voices whispered. Black shapes darted between trees. Owls wailed.

Kaoru and Utsushi pressed their backs together.

Some black figures were running around , secretary aiming for them . They tenses when something comes forward with lightning speed...

.

[ end of Chapter 08..]