Chapter 107 · Day of the Oathbound Pact
The afternoon sun spilled lazily across the courtyard of No. 112 Azure Radiance Street, rose fragrance drifting with the warm breeze.
YiChen stood by the front gate. As the wind lifted loose strands of hair across Elena’s forehead, he raised his hand and brushed them aside.
She rubbed at her eyes. Long lashes cast faint shadows beneath them—last night’s closeness, followed by morning cultivation, had clearly drained her more than she realized.
“Go get some sleep,” he said quietly.
His thumb brushed lightly against her cheek, still warm beneath his touch.
“I’ll be back after dinner.”
“Mm.” She nodded obediently, hair slipping over her shoulder as she turned to leave—
Then she froze.
A sudden chill brushed the side of her neck.
“This is…?”
Her gaze dropped. Her breath caught.
A necklace rested quietly against her collarbone.
A slender silver chain, pale as condensed moonlight—so light it almost felt unreal. At its center hung a dark jade bead. Within it, a golden nebula turned slowly, as though an entire universe had been sealed inside a single point.
“A protective charm.”
YiChen leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her brow. His voice was steady, deliberate—without room for argument.
“Wear it,” he said.
“Don’t take it off.”
Elena stared at him, momentarily dazed, fingers lifting unconsciously toward the bead.
The instant her skin touched it—
The nebula within surged.
Golden light rippled outward like a breath held too long, lingering at her fingertips for a single heartbeat before settling back into stillness.
“But… it’s too precious—”
She didn’t finish.
YiChen closed his hand around her wrist.
“It still isn’t worth more than you.”
For a moment, the air itself seemed to hold its breath.
“…Okay,” she said softly at last, the tips of her ears turning red.
“I’ll keep it on.”
A pause.
“Always.”
YiChen reached out and ruffled her hair, then turned toward the waiting car.
His hand rested on the door handle.
He stopped.
And looked back.
That look lingered—quiet, unguarded—as if he were carving her sunlit figure into his heart, line by line. As if this ordinary afternoon were something he needed to remember, exactly as it was.
A silent wish.
A promise left unspoken.
The car rolled slowly out of the courtyard.
Elena remained by the gate until the taillights disappeared around the corner. Only then did she lower her gaze to the dark jade bead resting against her skin.
Her fingertips traced its surface gently—
as though doing so might pull her just a little closer to him.
————
Just after three in the afternoon, a light rain began to fall.
No one knew whether tomorrow would be drenched from dawn to dusk.
The moment YiChen stepped through the front door, ChengYu barreled into him like a gust of wind, eyes shining as if filled with stars.
“Brother! You’re back!”
From the kitchen drifted a familiar aroma—Mother was simmering the beef soup he loved most.
Father lowered his newspaper. Behind his glasses, his gaze was calm, yet searching.
“How long will the Black Pine Forest inspection take?” he asked evenly.
“Are all the protective measures in place?”
YiChen answered each question in turn.
Then his attention caught on a flash of red by the window.
Vivi.
The orange cat that had gone missing during the move was curled lazily on the windowsill. Her fur had fully transformed into a flame-like crimson, the tip of her tail flickering with tiny tongues of Spirit Flame.
Beside her lay the rabbit-shaped light beast, pressed close in quiet companionship—the two small figures sharing warmth without tension, as if they had always belonged together.
“Brother! Vivi came back on her own yesterday!” ChengYu said excitedly, arms waving.
“And she’s crazy strong now! A mutated wild dog tried to break in—she sent it flying with one swipe!”
A faint smile touched YiChen’s lips.
After her mutation, Vivi truly had become an exceptional guardian.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
A Phantom Beast’s power was never to be taken lightly. With her stationed here—silent, watchful, and fiercely territorial—the house had gained far more than companionship.
At the very least, the family now had one more line of protection standing quietly at its threshold.
And yet—
The smile did not quite reach his eyes.
That nightmare…
Though City Hall had locked down his family’s information so tightly that even Father’s request to reopen his clinic had been politely declined, the blood-soaked images from the dream had felt far too vivid.
Too specific.
“I’m going to make a call,” YiChen said, ruffling ChengYu’s hair before turning toward the study.
He connected Leo’s communicator and spoke without preamble.
“Assign two additional guards to my residence,” he said.
“Spirit Meridian awakeners.”
There was a brief pause on the other end.
“Sir… did you receive new intelligence?”
YiChen stood by the window.
Outside, the rain traced thin lines down the glass.
On the sill, Vivi’s ears twitched sharply. Her golden eyes narrowed, fixed on a strip of shadow just beyond the courtyard wall—utterly still, yet watching.
“Just taking precautions,” YiChen replied.
But his gaze did not leave the darkness.
————
Outside, the rain fell steadily, a gray veil without end.
Elena sat curled at the head of the bed, knees drawn close, her fingertips unconsciously brushing the necklace at her throat—
silver threads like condensed mist, the dark bead resting warm against her skin, its inner starfield flowing without pause.
Lost in thought, she brushed it again—
—and touched nothing.
“Huh…?”
Her fingers froze.
The necklace was gone.
No chain.
No bead.
Only the faintest silver trace lingering along her collarbone, like a mark left behind by moonlight.
Gone?!
Her heart skipped violently.
Instinctively—without even thinking—she whispered in her mind:
Necklace.
A cool sensation spread across her skin.
Slowly, like moonlight parting clouds, the silver chain emerged again, threading itself back into being. The dark bead followed, settling against her chest as if it had never left—still warm with her body heat.
Elena sucked in a sharp breath.
“Oh my god…”
She tried again.
Disappear.
Reappear.
Each time, the necklace responded only to her intent—silent, precise, absolute.
Elena covered her mouth, eyes wide.
That means… no one else can ever see it.
A talisman that could hide itself.
A protection that answered only to her.
YiChen just… gave this to me…
Her fingers tightened around the dark bead. Within it, the starfield suddenly spun faster, faint currents of light briefly gathering—
For the briefest moment, the pattern resembled a single draconic eye.
Shadowfang’s.
Her breath caught.
“It’s still not worth more than you.”
His voice echoed in her memory, low and unwavering.
Elena let out a small, helpless sound and collapsed backward into the pillows, cheeks burning as she cupped her face.
“…YiChen…”
The name slipped out, soft and breathless, swallowed by the bedding. Her toes curled and relaxed without conscious thought, warmth spreading through her chest.
The more miraculous the necklace felt,
the heavier the emotion tied to it became.
After tossing and turning for a long while, she finally drifted into sleep, arms wrapped tightly around her pillow.
Against her steady breathing, the dark bead glimmered faintly.
Within it, the starfield traced a slow, silent orbit—
keeping watch.
————
Night over Rosehill was gentle.
Streetlights stretched YiChen’s returning figure long across the quiet road.
Inside the training room, Spirit Energy flowed steadily around Elena. Her dark brown hair lifted without wind, strands drifting as if submerged in water. Pink-gold Spiritflame spiraled around her, rose-petal motes blooming and gathering into her cupped palms.
The petals rotated faster—then burst outward like silent fireworks.
At the core, a denser structure revealed itself:
a sphere within a sphere, pulsing in a slow, breathing rhythm, light and shadow alternating with each cycle.
The Spiritflame took on a nacre-like sheen. Beads of sweat hovered briefly around her skin, catching the glow and refracting starlike pink motes in the air.
“Just a little more…” she murmured, breath shallow.
“It has to be… more precise…”
The flame at her fingertips trembled.
“Commander Caelestis has returned,” a maid announced softly from outside the door.
The Spiritflame vanished instantly.
Petals fell with a faint rustle, scattering across the floor.
“YiChen’s back?!”
Elena sprang up from the cushion.
“Ah—!”
Her step faltered—muscles still sore from cultivation. She grabbed a towel, hastily wiped the sweat from her neck, and ran out barefoot, not even bothering with slippers.
In the foyer, Bernard was taking YiChen’s coat.
“Your bedroom repairs aren’t finished yet, sir,” the butler said calmly.
“Please use Miss Lin’s room tonight.”
YiChen gave a small nod—
“YiChen!”
Her voice rang clear and bright down the corridor.
Elena came running toward him, the tips of her hair still glistening faintly from training. A charcoal-gray fitted T-shirt traced the slender line of her waist; loose black shorts moved with her steps, revealing straight, pale legs. Her waist-length hair lifted into an elegant arc as she ran.
—So beautiful that his breath stalled.
She threw herself into his arms without hesitation.
The scent of roses mixed with lingering warmth from exertion wrapped around him instantly. YiChen’s arms tightened on instinct, catching her securely as fabric fluttered upward. They had been apart only half a day, yet the ache of longing had already flooded his chest.
His gaze swept briefly over her collarbones, still faintly damp with sweat. His throat moved before he spoke.
“Did you sleep well?”
His thumb brushed her flushed cheek.
“Mhm!” She tilted her face up, eyes shining.
“A full three hours!”
She rose onto her toes and pressed a light kiss—mint-fresh from toothpaste—to his throat.
“Wait for me a moment,” she said lightly.
“I’ll shower, then I’ll purify you~”
Off to the side, Bernard’s wrinkles deepened with quiet amusement.
He watched Elena’s hurried, light footsteps disappear down the corridor—then glanced back at YiChen, whose arms still hadn’t lowered.
May the gods grant their blessing—
and let this happiness endure.
————
The moment the bathroom door opened—
Heat spilled out with it, carrying a damp, warm fragrance,
like an invisible veil brushing against bare skin.
Elena had finished drying her hair.
Residual warmth still lingered on her fingertips.
YiChen sat cross-legged at the center of the bed.
The snow-white loungewear made him look almost unreal—
too clean, too quiet, too far removed from the world—
and yet,
the tips of his ears were burning red.
She paused where she stood, the corners of her lips lifting faintly.
“YiChen,” she said softly.
“Look at me.”
His Adam’s apple slid once,
but his gaze remained fixed on the bedsheets.
“…I’m listening.”
Avoidance.
A gentle, instinctive survival response.
A month ago,
she would never have dared to be this bold.
But to pull him back from the edge—
things like embarrassment,
like hesitation,
could be set aside for now.
She stepped forward and sat directly on his lap.
Her knees sank into the creases of the bed.
Both hands rose to cradle his face.
Their noses brushed lightly—close enough to feel the warmth of each other’s breath.
“About last night,”
her voice was so soft it seemed to slide straight into the bones of his ears,
“I really liked it.”
YiChen’s pupils contracted sharply.
His breathing stalled.
His chest tightened as if seized from within.
“Even if you lose control,” she continued quietly,
“it’s okay.”
He shook his head almost imperceptibly.
When he spoke, his voice was so low it nearly fractured.
“I’m afraid—”
“You won’t hurt me.”
She cut off the fear he couldn’t bring himself to finish.
Her fingers slid along the side of his neck,
warmth following their path, easing the tension knotted there.
In that instant,
something finally cracked open in his gaze.
Elena’s lips curved faintly.
She leaned forward, slowly—
Before her breath even reached him,
the heartbeat beneath her palms lurched wildly out of rhythm,
as if yanked upward and left suspended in midair.
She kissed his cheek.
“Today—”
Pink-gold Spiritflame slipped from her fingertips,
flowing gently into the Spirit Meridian at his chest.
“I’m the one bullying you.”
—Boom.
The Spiritflame flared.
Black thorns dissolved without resistance beneath the searing warmth.
YiChen let out a muffled groan and pulled her tightly into his arms,
one hand locking at her back—
his mind reduced to a single, burning thought—
Just a little closer.
Elena smiled as her fingers brushed through his sweat-damp hair.
She knew.
This time,
he had truly been pulled back.
————
Outside the window, rain poured in relentless torrents.
Lightning split the sky, bleaching the attic of the white West District villa into a stark, corpse-pale brilliance.
Derek Vayne sat before an antique vanity mirror.
Across the glass, twisted dark-crimson sigils crawled like dried bloodstains, faintly pulsing beneath each flash of lightning—
as though they were breathing.
A demon-summoning ritual from the forbidden section of the library…
authentic or not,
I have no other path left.
Steel flashed cold.
Locks of red hair slid to the floor,
soaked in dye until they turned a dead, ashen black.
A false beard was pressed carefully into place.
Dark foundation erased the pallor of aristocratic skin.
The final step—
dark brown contact lenses.
In the mirror, the red-haired noble was gone.
Derek’s lips curved slowly,
the smile measured with ruler-like precision.
“…Perfect.”
At his feet, three bound figures began to thrash.
Two women. One man.
Tears streaked down faces twisted with terror, muffled screams trapped behind rags shoved into their mouths—
like animals caught in a snare.
Derek calmly pulled on leather gloves.
From the drawer, he retrieved a silver knife set with gemstones—
a birthday gift he had given Scarlett when she was twelve.
“Don’t be afraid.”
He crouched halfway, tapping the flat of the blade lightly against a woman’s cheek.
Each word carried a strange, almost tender warmth.
“…It will be quick.”
Thunder roared.
The candle flame in the corner flared suddenly—an unnatural green—
casting his altered face in a light fit for something crawling out of hell.
Light Beasts?
Those sacred creatures… how could something like that ever choose a soul like mine?
The knife flashed again.
His fingers trembled, just slightly.
—This
was the path carved for him.
Pop.
The light bulb flickered twice—then died.
Darkness flooded the room like liquid.
Cold, damp air slid down the back of his neck,
coiling there like a serpent tasting flesh.
—You are interesting.
The voice did not pass through ears.
It rose directly from his marrow,
vibrating with something vast and inhuman.
In the mirror, a pair of scarlet vertical pupils slowly surfaced—
a predator locking onto prey.
Derek curled his lips and nudged the man on the floor with the tip of his shoe.
“Didn’t you want a price?”
His tone was light, almost conversational.
“—Are these… sufficient?”
Within the pupils, rings of blood-colored ripples spread outward.
Black mist spilled from the mirror,
coiling around ropes and limbs,
slithering into lungs like countless frozen shadows.
The muffled cries ceased—
abruptly.
When the candlelight steadied again,
there were no human beings left in the room.
—Very good.
The Demon’s voice carried cold amusement.
—This sovereign appreciates your decisiveness.
The black mist surged.
Like a freezing tide, it pressed against his skin,
seeping into his body along the rhythm of breath and heartbeat.
A blood-red Pact Mark erupted across his chest—
burning thorns spreading inch by inch,
until grotesque dark patterns solidified beneath the skin.
(Boy… your crude disguise—)
(Allow this lord to teach you… what true “change” truly means.)
The lights came back on.
In the mirror, the face staring back was no longer his.
Bone structure reshaped.
Features sharpened like blades.
An aura so cold it made the skin recoil.
Derek—
no, whatever he was now—
bent down and retrieved the phone from the floor.
The screen lit up.
Two photos, clear and merciless:
YiChen Caelestis.
Elena Lin.
He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Very soon…”
A low laugh scraped from his throat,
like metal dragged across glass.
“…you’ll understand.”
“What true—”
“Despair.”
