Raja took her to the cavern he had once abandoned. He laid her gently upon the bed of woven flame‑silk, arranging her as though she were something fragile, something that might shatter if touched too roughly. Then he gave her a dose of healing medicine.
He considered leaving now that she was safe. His instincts urged him to walk away, to sever himself from this entanglement before it grew into something dangerous. Yet something held him back—a reason he did not wish to confront. His chest tightened, his breath uneven as he lingered near her. He told himself it was nothing, merely caution, but deep down he knew it was not.
By daytime the young woman stirred. Her body was weak from exhaustion and from the blow that had knocked her unconscious. Raja sat silently, watching her with a strange intensity. He had fought beasts, endured pain, and faced cultivators stronger than himself, but nothing unsettled him quite like waiting for her to wake.
When her eyes finally opened, confusion clouded them. She blinked, disoriented, her gaze darting across the cavern until it landed on him. He did not move, only sat with his back straight, his hands resting loosely on his knees.
She was terrified, yet strangely mesmerized by this unknown youth. He looked almost otherworldly, as though descended from a higher plane, but his intentions were unclear. Perhaps he had brought her here for some hidden purpose.
"I see you're awake," Raja said calmly, though his heart raced. His voice betrayed none of the storm inside him.
"Where am I? " she asked faintly, her tone cautious.
"You're not in danger," he assured her. "The man who was chasing you won't trouble you again. I drove him away."
Her brows furrowed. "You?" She studied him in disbelief. A mere boy, her age, claiming to defeat a moon realm cultivator? Impossible.
"You don't believe me?" Raja asked, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He knew how absurd it sounded, yet he wanted her to trust him.
"Of course not," she stammered. "It's just…"
"By the way, where were you planning to run, Princess?"
Her eyes widened. "You know who I am?"
"I wasn't certain before, but now you've confirmed it," Raja replied with disarming honesty.
Her suspicion sharpened. "Are you planning to use me as a hostage for a reward?"
"You are distrustful, Princess," he said evenly, his gaze steady. "But I have no need for such trivial things."
She faltered, taken aback. No one had ever dismissed the wealth and power of the Crimson Snow Royal Family so casually. Was he a fool, or was this merely an act—a ploy to lower her guard? She would not fall for it.
"If you don't feel comfortable here, you're free to leave," Raja said.
"Are you serious?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Yes. But if you leave, chances are you'll be captured again."
His words struck her with cruel truth. She knew he was right, yet the thought of returning was unbearable. To be forced into marriage with the young lord of the Golden Tiger Clan was a fate worse than death. Even death itself would be preferable.
Yet her father and the elders cared nothing for her wishes, seeing her only as a pawn in their schemes.
And that is why she decided to run. Though running is futile. Her father's spirit sense was bound to her. So no matter where she fled, he would find her. But to surrender was unthinkable. She would never bow, never yield, not to her father nor that monster.
Another fear also gnawed at her. If she stayed here any longer, this boy would be dragged into her storm. Perhaps even killed for daring to protect her.
"I'll take my chances," she whispered, though her heart trembled.
"Suit yourself," Raja said, though in his heart he wished she would remain.
"Thank you for helping me." She nodded with gratitude and left the cavern. That should have been the end of it, but Raja could not let her go.
____
Raja moved like a shadow, his presence cloaked, each step soundless upon the forest floor. He told himself it was caution, that he merely wished to ensure she reached her destination safely. Yet in truth, it was an excuse to linger, to watch her, to remain tethered to a presence he could not ignore.
From the thickets, spirit beasts prowled—fangs glinting, eyes burning with hunger. One leapt, another circled, but before their snarls reached her ears, shadows surged and swallowed them whole. No trace remained, not even bone or breath. Amaryllis walked on, unaware of the predators that had stalked her, unaware that Raja's unseen hand had cleared her path.
For much of her drifting, the path was quiet and uneventful. Then the silence fractured. Ripples of qi surged through the forest, sharp and oppressive. Raja stilled, his gaze narrowing. Ahead, the girl halted, her eyes widening as a figure emerged from the mist.
A late-stage imperial realm cultivator, his aura vast and suffocating, blocked the way. His robes bore the insignia of the Crimson Snow Royal Family, his expression cold and merciless.
"Enough games, Princess Amaryllis," the man said, his voice echoing through the mist. "Return to the palace. Your father awaits."
Her face hardened. "No."
The cultivator's eyes narrowed. "Then you leave me no choice." His palm rose, glowing with lethal intent.
Raja's heart clenched. He had expected pursuit, but seeing her stand alone against such power ignited something fierce within him. He could not remain hidden.
Before the strike could land, shadows surged. The girl vanished, swallowed by darkness.
The sudden disappearance caught the cultivator off guard. Whether she had escaped through her own means or been spirited away by another, it mattered little. He would find her—and whoever dared to interfere would pay dearly.
"Spread out! Find the one who aided her!" His command reverberated through the forest, carried by divine sense. At once, his men scattered, their movements swift and precise, the oppressive weight of their presence pressing against the mist as the hunt began.