Chapter 28: The Flower That Withered in the Shadows
The gates of the Heavenly Demon Sect loomed in the distance as Jin Seo-Won and his team crossed the stone bridge back to the main compound.
He felt calm.
Victorious.
For once… respected.
> "I'll go straight to her," he thought.
"She'll be waiting. I'll tell her everything… and she'll smile."
But as they passed through the inner courtyard, they noticed something strange.
No one greeted them.
No instructors. No elders.
Only the sound of rushing footsteps, shouting disciples, and…
The smell of smoke.
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A Sudden Whirlwind
Baek Ho-Gun, the Guardian, arrived at the central hall in a flash. His face, usually unreadable, was tight with urgency.
> "Where is the Sect Leader?" he barked.
An elder pointed toward the rear hall.
> "He's in a fury… We've never seen him like this before."
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Inner Chamber – Heavenly Demon Sect
The doors slammed open.
Inside stood the Sect Leader, his eyes glowing with demonic energy.
His hands clenched into fists as a corpse lay at his feet—one of the intruders caught at the outer residence.
But the man was already dead.
His face twisted in defiance… the dagger he used to end his own life still in his chest.
> "He bit his own tongue before interrogation," the elder reported.
"No clan marks. No sect tokens. His clothing… branded with rebel insignias."
> "They covered their tracks well."
The Sect Leader remained silent.
Then, he struck the floor with his palm. A shockwave shattered the tiles beneath him.
> "I told them never to touch her…" he growled.
> "I placed her outside the main walls… to protect her…"
His voice trembled.
> "Because if I had brought her into the palace… the clans would have turned their blades on her themselves."
> "I thought I could shield her from all this."
But he was wrong.
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The Truth in the Ashes
Jin Seo-Won finally arrived at the smoking ruins of his mother's home.
Guards tried to hold him back.
He pushed them aside.
And then… he saw it.
Ashes. Charred wood. Blood on the steps.
Do-Yoon and Soo-Ran stood behind him, speechless.
Seo-Won stepped forward, trembling.
He dropped to his knees, his fingers brushing blackened petals from the garden his mother once tended.
No words came.
No tears.
Only silence.
And in that silence…
Something inside him broke.
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The Game Behind the Curtain
Far above, watching from the eastern tower, the Third Prince sipped tea calmly.
> "The rebels?" he smirked.
"How convenient."
> "I told them not to speak. No emblems. No loose ends."
"Just a message… to remind him where he truly belongs."
> "And now… he'll be angrier. Stronger. But still… beneath me."
---
Back at the Ruins
A single note lay beneath the broken altar.
A dried flower tied in red string.
It was from his mother's garden.
Beside it, words carved into a small wooden plaque:
> "For my son. I'm proud of you. Always."
Jin Seo-Won clenched the wood tightly, blood dripping from his palm.
> "I'll burn this world," he whispered, voice shaking.
> "One prince at a time."
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