---
Restless Night
The moon hangs low over the Demon Palace, veiled in thin mist. The courtyard glows faintly with demonic lanterns. Inside her quarters, Liao Tingyan tosses and turns in her sleep.
Flashes of fire fill her dreams—the beast, the storm, and the look in Sima Jiao's eyes as he gave her the demon core.
Her palm burns faintly where he touched her. When she wakes, the mark is still there, pulsing with a faint crimson light.
She wraps her sleeve around it quickly, heart pounding.
---
The Demon Lord's Morning
At dawn, the Demon Lord summons his generals. Reports of disturbance at the border of the Demon Realm reach him.
"The seal at the northern valley weakens," one of them says.
"It is because the fire beast's energy was disturbed," another adds.
Sima Jiao listens in silence, his expression calm but dangerous. "Prepare the troops," he says. "If the boundary breaks, I'll burn what comes through myself."
When the council disperses, he stands alone in the hall for a moment, glancing toward the direction of Tingyan's quarters.
A faint flicker of emotion passes his face before it disappears completely.
---
Tingyan's Worry
Outside, Tingyan sits by the herb garden, pretending to work, but her thoughts are elsewhere. The power in her wrist feels alive—sometimes whispering faintly in her mind.
"Why would he give me this?" she murmurs to herself. "It feels… dangerous."
As if answering, the mark flares briefly, and a ripple of warmth spreads through her body.
Sima Jiao's voice echoes in her memory: 'You belong to my shadow.'
She clenches her fist. "I don't want to belong to anyone."
---
Summoned Again
A guard arrives suddenly. "The Demon Lord requests your presence."
She stands, reluctant but obedient. Inside the great hall, Sima Jiao sits surrounded by swirling black energy. His eyes lift to meet hers.
"You've felt the power I gave you," he says. "Show me."
Tingyan hesitates, then raises her hand. The mark glows, and a stream of crimson light flares from her palm, forming a small, burning symbol in the air.
Sima Jiao's gaze deepens. "Good. It responds to you."
He steps closer. "Do you know what that means?"
She shakes her head slightly.
"It means," he murmurs, "our fates are linked. If you die, I feel it. If I fall… you will too."
---
The Warning
She stares at him, startled. "Why—why would you do that?"
He smiles faintly. "Because you can't run from me now."
The words should sound cruel, but something in his tone is quieter—almost gentle.
Before she can speak again, he turns away, dismissing her. "Go. And don't use that power without my command."
---
The Moonlit Terrace
That night, Tingyan stands under the full moon, touching the mark on her wrist. Its faint glow mirrors the color of the moonlight.
From across the palace, Sima Jiao watches unseen. His eyes soften for just a moment, the faintest trace of warmth buried beneath his endless darkness.
Then the wind rises, and his expression hardens once more.
"Fire and shadow," he murmurs. "Let's see how long you can survive within mine."
---
✨ End of Episode 16 — Fire Beneath the Moon