The night had barely begun, yet the pressure of it weighed like a thousand burning chains.
Long Feng couldn't sleep.
And neither could the Flame Sect.
---
The Crown Prince's Request
At dawn, the elders received a formal decree sealed with thunder-gold lightning. A divine proposal from the Crown Prince of the Thunder Realm himself.
> "A formal duel between flame-bearers," it read,
"for the right to court one of the Flame Maidens chosen by the Soul Flame."
"The Crown chooses… Mei Ling."
The courtyard exploded into stunned silence.
Sect masters panicked.
Disciples muttered in disbelief.
And somewhere… flames curled with jealousy.
---
Mei Ling Hears the News
She stood by the frozen pond, staring at the decree scroll.
Her hands trembled.
Her face was pale.
"I never spoke to him. Not once," she whispered. "Why… why me?"
Long Feng stood behind her, silent.
He didn't answer right away.
Because he knew.
It wasn't about love.
It wasn't even about her.
It was about him.
---
Mei Ling's Heart
She turned to him, eyes glassy.
"You don't think I want this, do you?"
His heart clenched.
"No."
"Because I don't," she said fiercely. "I chose you the moment I saw you walk through fire for someone who didn't deserve it. I don't want his power. I don't want his realm. I want—"
She stopped herself.
He looked at her, barely breathing.
"I want to walk beside you," she said finally. "Even if the whole world says I shouldn't."
---
Sect Dilemma
The elders convened.
Bai Wen's voice was sharp.
"We cannot deny the Thunder Crown's challenge. To do so would be to insult the entire Heaven Realm."
"But we cannot allow a disciple like Mei Ling to be taken by force," another elder argued.
"She is flame-bound," Huang said calmly. "And unless she chooses, no one can claim her."
"But if she fights for him and loses… she may be bound by duel law."
"And if she fights against him and loses…" Bai Wen added darkly, "she may die."
Silence reigned.
---
Long Feng Steps Forward
"I'll fight in her place," Long Feng declared as he stepped into the council chamber.
Elder Bai Wen turned slowly. "You are not the one challenged."
Long Feng's silver eyes burned.
"She is my flame-bound."
"That bond is not complete."
"Then I'll complete it."
A silence deeper than death fell across the room.
---
Xue Yiran Intervenes
"You'd risk her freedom and yours in front of the entire sect?" she asked, stepping into the room with her usual grace.
Long Feng didn't flinch. "He's using her to get to me."
Xue Yiran nodded. "Then beat him where it hurts the most. Not with your fists… but your fire."
---
The Rules of the Duel
The Crown Prince set the terms that night:
The duel would be held at the Skyfire Arena, under divine observance.
Each contender would offer a gift of power.
Mei Ling would stand between them and accept one flame.
The stronger flame… would bond with her.
It was an ancient Heaven Realm rite.
A ritual of flame-bond claiming.
Only those whose hearts aligned in fire… could resist it.
---
Night Before the Duel
Mei Ling found Long Feng in the training chamber, silent and still.
She walked to him slowly.
"I'm scared," she said quietly.
He turned.
His eyes — for once — were vulnerable.
"I am too," he admitted.
"Then hold me," she whispered.
And he did.
For the first time, not as a protector.
Not as a cultivator.
But as a man afraid to lose the woman whose soul had become part of his own.
They stood there for hours, wrapped in silence and flame and heartbeats.
---
A Serpent Watches
Far above, Lin Suyin lay coiled in the shadowed rafters, watching.
Her green eyes shimmered with amusement… and something colder.
> "If he loses her…
his flame will break.
And when that happens…"
She smiled.
> "I'll be there to collect the pieces."