"As always, brevity is your specialty,"
A man approached her, holding a glass of wine. Elon had just finished her meeting. They rarely saw each other, except in matters of fate. She looked up and greeted him with a gentle, warm smile.
"Thank you, Phoenix. But as you know, the no-wine rule still stands,"
She gently pushed the glass away from her face. He smiled and sat beside her.
"Hmm, I thought you might've changed your mind. Anyway, look what I brought back from the Diamond Kingdom."
He spoke as he pulled a small box from his pocket, setting the wine glass aside to watch her eyes sparkle. If there was anything Elon loved aside from blue sapphires, it was black diamonds and her obsessed with her work.
"I had them custom-made into little skulls," he said, holding up a pair of earrings. "And I deliberately chose red sapphires for the eyes instead of blue — to represent the Phoenix within you."
'How beautiful…'
Elon looked at Phoenix, then slowly at the gift. He smiled with genuine joy.
"I want you to wear them always,"
he said as he placed the earrings in her hands. He knew he had no right to put them on her himself. Maybe giving her gifts that brought her joy was enough for now.
"Phoenix, I can't accept these…"
Before she could finish, he turned his back to her and waved.
"I don't hear you, my lady. Who's Phoenix? I have far too much work. Lady Elonora entrusted me with duties, and I won't disappoint her,"
Phoenix said confidently, sure that Elon was now holding his gift close to her heart.
"Apologies, Lady Elon. We've received new information,"
A man dressed in a black cloak bowed. His face remained hidden — one of her spies, tracking the ruler of the Dark Continent.
"Any word on that wicked man?"
she asked, slipping the earrings into her pocket.
The man nodded and said,
"He claimed one of his guards is roaming the Emerald Kingdom. But our intel suggests his last battle left him with wounds that are hard to heal. Our predictions point to a bigger plan. His next target might be the Sapphire Kingdom, or…"
He trailed off as Elon tapped the table.
"…the Crystal Kingdom. If he gains control of either, he'll breach the heart of the Jewel Continent."
Her voice grew tense. He was using this so-called peace treaty to mask his next strike.
"The current Crystal King won't be able to lead properly. I have to intervene,"
Elon said, dismissing the spy.
"Track his personal guard. I don't want a single detail slipping through your fingers,"
she ordered. She couldn't return to her father's kingdom — it had been tainted by what they called *modern globalization,* a strange concept of progress that clashed with this continent's values.
'Since I'm done here, I'll return home. Mother won't give up easily… she won't leave Father alone. I should move out,'
she thought, brushing her hair back.
---
"You're quite the skilled doctor, even with such primitive tools. Did you say your name was William?"
The man tightened the bandage firmly and replied,
"Don't play dumb — who wouldn't know me? I'm William, the prince who lost his throne to the King of the Dark Continent. Practicing medicine was a passion I never had time for… not with royal duties hanging over me."
William moved the light away from the muscular man's body. He had midnight-black hair and sharp, hawk-like eyes.
"I can introduce you to someone who can help you achieve your dream of becoming a great doctor. I've got connections in the Dark Continent,"
William said, placing a scalpel near the man's neck. A shiver ran through him, as if a breeze had brushed past.
"These hands aren't made for battlefields. You saved my life — I want to express my gratitude. Think it over."
The muscular man observed William's face. He could see the hesitation in his eyes as he held the scalpel.
'I want to master medicine… so I can heal my father. I don't want to bring shame to my family. But the Dark Continent… it's madness,'
William thought, until the other man gently pushed the scalpel away.
"Take your time to think. I should head back — my men will worry."
He tried to rise, but William stopped him.
"You need rest. Three nights at least. Don't worry, you can stay — this is my sister's room. She's rarely home anyway. I'll think over your offer in the meantime,"
William said as he gathered his tools and stepped out.
A few minutes later, the man tried to sit up to get a glass of water but tripped over some cloth. He pulled it back — revealing a large pile of documents and drawings, all about the ruler of the Dark Continent.
"I didn't think anyone would study me in this much detail,"
the man laughed, wincing at the pain from his wounds.
He scanned the documents carefully. A detailed analysis — though apparently they still didn't know the true face of the Dark Continent's ruler.
"What a surprise… I really want to meet your sister, William,"
said the man who claimed to be the ruler of the Dark Continent.
---
The man heard the soft voice of a girl climbing the stairs, arguing with William.
"I'm planning for us to move out of this place, and you're turning my room into a recovery ward for your patient? William, this is too much. It's my room!"
she said as she pushed the door open—only for her eyes to land on a muscular man, shirtless, wearing only pants that clung to his sculpted frame. Elon suddenly didn't know where to let her eyes settle.
"You—"
"You—"
They both shouted at the same time.
'It's that rude man from this morning… No way…'
Elon thought as she continued staring at him.
The man, sensing fate at work, stepped closer, closing the distance between them.
"You've been searching for me… and now here I am, right in front of you,"
he said, taking her hand and placing a kiss on her palm, his eyes locked with her honey-golden gaze.
Her skin was soft, and the details of her face were enough to drive a man mad.
"How I long to devour those lips…"
he whispered, leaning in toward her face.
---