Chapter 1 Li Tian

A sea of stars blanketed the night sky, shimmering like a celestial audience over the city dome, casting a soft glow on the stage below. The ethereal backdrop framed the scene, perfect for the performance that was taking place under the open sky. At the heart of it stood a single youth, Li Tian, his voice cutting through the night with a melody that held the crowd in rapt attention.

"Always there... for you..." His smooth, deep voice echoed across the stadium, wrapping up his final song for the night. The rich, chocolate brown hair that framed his flawless face glistened under the stage lights as he closed his eyes, soaking in the moment. His number one hit—an emotional ballad that had lovers swooning—was the perfect encore to end the evening.

But in the back of his mind, Li Tian was pretty sure they weren't thinking about their partners. No, they were likely all fantasizing about him.

He smirked—a cocky, knowing grin that was quickly magnified on the giant screen behind him. The crowd, already in a frenzy, erupted into an even higher pitch of fanatic screaming. He wouldn't have accepted anything less.

From the sea of fans came a cacophony of proclamations: "Li Tian, I love you!", "Have my babies!", "Marry me!"—and one particularly bold cry—"My daughter is beautiful and single!" 

Only seventeen, and already South Huaxia's most popular singer. Although, to Li Tian, most popular celebrity was a more fitting title. He stood at the top of his game, basking in the limelight that, to him, seemed to have been tailor-made. Born with godlike good looks, a voice that melted hearts, and a family so powerful it could move mountains, his attitude was as arrogant as it could get— and he could get away with it.

Yet, for all his bluster and bravado, there was one thing that managed to keep his ego in check. Not that he'd admit it out loud.

The nation of Huaxia was vast, split into two dominant regions: the North and the South. While Li Tian's fame reigned supreme in the South, he hadn't managed to capture the same level of adoration in the North. There was a reason for that, and her name was Yingxue.

Yingxue, the Siren of the North.

With a voice said to be otherworldly and an alluring charisma that drew crowds like moths to a flame, she was the North's number one singer—and his direct competition. She was the only one he couldn't outshine. They were both around 17, standing at the same peak, yet for Li Tian, her shadow always loomed over his Huaxia domination ambitions.

He wondered if her fans screamed as wildly as his. He clicked his tongue in irritation, his mood souring at the thought.

Without so much as a farewell to his fans, he gave a casual wave and walked off stage. Not a single word of goodbye, but the crowd loved him too much to care. They didn't know any better. As far as they were concerned, their god had blessed them with his presence, and that was more than enough.

After all, they were Pyros, his most diehard fans. As their god and leader, Li Tian knew that nothing he did could ever be wrong in their eyes.

"Hey, Tian!" A pair of young men and women, dripping in gold jewelry and dressed in skintight outfits that screamed excess, hurried over to him backstage.

"You were great out there, Tian!" One of the guys, Yijun, grinned, flashing the four rings on each of his fingers as he slung an arm over Li Tian's shoulder. "We should go out and celebrate!"

Li Tian raised an eyebrow, his lip curling in distaste. "All the places you bring me are shit."

Yijun chuckled, brushing off the insult like it was nothing. "Then maybe you should bring us somewhere nice for a change." Cass, one of the girls, leaned in close, tracing a finger seductively along his chest. Her voice dripped with honey, but her eyes were cold, calculating. "Not all of us are The Li Tian, after all."

"Yeah, Tian," the other girl, Lila, chimed in, fussing with his collar flirtatiously. "Treat us in celebration. It's only fair."

The last guy, Zexi, clapped his hands together with a smirk. "Yeah, man. Take us to one of those famous Li Tian party spots."

Li Tian smirked, amused by their enthusiasm. They were like children begging for scraps. It was almost beneath him to humor them, but sometimes, it was good to remind people of their place. He flicked his gaze over the girls who had draped themselves over him, then pushed their hands away with a barely disguised look of disgust. Their cheap perfume clung to the air, and he had no interest in letting it stick to him. 

"Fine. We'll head out now," he said, rolling his shoulders.

"Alright!!" Yijun whooped, slapping Li Tian on the back, which made him bristle in annoyance. The rest cheered, eager to be part of whatever exclusive world Li Tian could pull them into.

As they began to leave, Yijun kept his arm around Li Tian's shoulder. Li Tian's patience was razor-thin. "Get your dirty arm off me," he snapped.

Yijun blinked, startled, before quickly pulling his arm back. "Sorry, man."

"Don't let it happen again," Li Tian shot back icily, speeding up to walk ahead of the group. He always made sure to be at the front—no one led but him.

Behind him, Yijun glared at his hand as if it had betrayed him. Zexi sidled up to him and whispered, "We can get him tonight if you want."

Yijun's eyes narrowed as they fixed on the arrogant figure striding ahead of them. After a long moment, he nodded slowly. "He's too full of himself. It's time we show him how good friends we are."

A wicked grin twisted on Zexi's lips. They shared a silent understanding before hurrying to catch up with the group. As they did, Zexi tapped Cass and Lila on the shoulders, mouthing the word, "Tonight." 

The girls nodded in unison, their expressions sly.

At the exit, Li Tian barely glanced at the woman running towards them from behind, her voice sharp with frustration. 

"Tian! Where the hell do you think you're going?" she shouted, trying to push past the guys that suddenly blocked her.

Li Tian threw a lazy smile over his shoulder as he stepped into his limo. "Just going out to celebrate, Meilin. No big deal."

"Celebrate?" Meilin, his manager and cousin, narrowed her eyes at the two boys holding her back. They couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen, but the look on their faces made her stomach churn with unease. "Tian, you still have work to do!"

"Relax, Ms. Manager," Yijun said with a forced smile that made Meilin's skin crawl.

"Yeah, we'll get him home early. Promise," Zexi added with a grin that reeked of insincerity.

Meilin's instincts screamed at her to stop them. "Where are you guys heading?" She tried to sound casual, but her voice was tight.

The boys exchanged glances, smirking. "You'll have to ask Tian," Zexi said with a wink.

"Yeah, we know nothing," Yijun chimed in, snickering.

After Li Tian was out of sight, the two released her and slipped into the limo with the others, leaving Meilin standing there, fists clenched in frustration. 

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