The cold wind swept across the palace grounds, stirring the dust and fallen leaves that gathered along the edges of the cobbled paths. Liang Yi stood tall, his heart beating harder with every step, his heavy boots echoing through the silent night. The wind, like an invisible presence, seemed to slip beneath his guard's tunic, but it wasn't the chill of the night that made his skin crawl. No, it was the deeper, more familiar shiver—the one born from hatred and anger, emotions he could no longer suppress.
This was his fate, wasn't it? To serve. To protect. An ordinary man, without fortune or status, bound to defend a king who, through his pride, had destroyed his family and his people years ago. The war was over, peace restored, but for Liang Yi, the taste of revenge would never fade.
The palace felt like a gilded cage, its beauty contrasting with the bloody reality that surrounded him. The walls were adorned with paintings celebrating glorious victories, and luxurious tapestries decorated every room. But all Liang Yi could see were the empty symbols behind the lavishness, an emptiness that would only grow as he moved closer to the man he was doomed to serve.
He paused in front of the massive wooden door. The heavy doors loomed before him like an insurmountable barrier. He couldn't escape. His fingers tightened around the hilt of the weapon at his side. Xiao Jun. The king. His name was feared for the massacre of Liang Yi's people. It was a name stained with despotism and blood. The man behind that door was no ordinary ruler. He was a tyrant, a monster whose rumors had spread like wildfire across the lands. He was tall, feared, hated. And Liang Yi was here only to obey his commands.
The sound of a door creaking open broke the silence, causing Liang Yi to flinch. A low, chilling voice reached his ears from the darkness inside the room. It cut through the air, heavy with an authority Liang Yi could not yet fully understand.
"You're late."
Liang Yi lifted his gaze, his hands instinctively tightening on the door handle. Xiao Jun. He was there, shrouded in the shadows of the room. His imposing figure was hard to distinguish in the dim light. All Liang Yi could see were his eyes two dark pools of emptiness, stripped of any warmth. They seemed empty, but it was that emptiness that made them even more terrifying. There was no kindness, no empathy, only power and suspicion.
Liang Yi forced himself not to look away. The king's gaze was colder than steel, heavier than the very air they breathed. He drew a deep breath, trying to calm his frantic heartbeat, but nothing seemed to ease the tension. He had hated this man from the first moment he laid eyes on him, this fallen king, this ruthless being.
"Your Majesty." Liang Yi spoke in a low, measured voice, though he couldn't hide the bitter disgust that laced his words. He would never call him "master," not after what he had done.
Xiao Jun didn't respond immediately. He moved closer slowly, each step resonating in the still room, like a drumbeat marking the end of everything Liang Yi had once known. He stood just in front of him now, his presence suffocating. Liang Yi clenched his jaw, forcing his body to ignore the fear crawling under his skin. He would resist. Again and again.
Xiao Jun stopped in front of him, his expression unreadable. Then, his voice broke the silence, cold and sharp, like a blade.
"Look at me, Liang Yi."
There was a challenge in the king's words, a taunting invitation to something darker, something more dangerous. Liang Yi straightened, forcing himself to meet Xiao Jun's gaze. His heart pounded in his chest, but he couldn't break eye contact. The weight of the king's presence was almost unbearable, but Liang Yi wouldn't let it show. He would stand tall. Even if the world was crumbling around him, he would not let this man see him bend.
Xiao Jun's eyes narrowed slightly, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "You're not just here to serve me, guard. You're here to watch. To see me. You're here for that."
Liang Yi felt the pressure of the king's gaze, that sense of being seen, judged, as if Xiao Jun were somehow trying to own him. Liang Yi's hand twitched at his side, itching to draw his weapon, but he stayed still. The king's influence was like a vice, tightening around his chest.
Xiao Jun moved closer, his hand resting gently on Liang Yi's shoulder. The touch was light, yet it felt like the weight of an entire army bearing down on him. Liang Yi didn't flinch. He couldn't. The king's grip was unyielding, his presence suffocating.
"Are you really ready to serve me?" The king's voice was piercing, like a blade cutting through the air. Liang Yi hesitated for a split second. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he replied, his words heavy with resignation.
"I have no choice, Your Majesty."
Even as he said it, Liang Yi knew the truth. He couldn't escape. Not yet. Not until this hatred inside him became something darker, something more…
A flicker of confusion passed through Xiao Jun's eyes, followed by a glimmer of amusement. He stepped back, not saying a word, leaving Liang Yi standing there, still bound to the very man he had sworn to destroy.