There was no sky here, and no ground—only an eternal, suffocating blackness. It was pure void, as if it had devoured all light and color, even blurring the very concept of time. When A-Tuo tightly held Chu Yao’s hand and they stepped through the arched “gate” woven from countless fine black feathers, the world around them seemed to freeze, as if caught in a spell of absolute stillness.
There was no breeze, no subtle sounds, not even the beating of their hearts—it all seemed to be swallowed by the absolute darkness. They had fallen into a vacuum where all sensation was stripped away, leaving only the grip of each other’s hands as proof they were not alone.
Then, breaking the eerie silence, a voice suddenly rang out. It was not a sound carried through the eardrums, but something far more direct and primal—a formless blade that pierced through their souls and struck the very core of their consciousness.
“Speak your true name,” the voice intoned, deep and solemn, with a force of law that could not be defied, “or the gates of the Feathered Kingdom will not open.”
Chu Yao’s body jolted as if struck by lightning. A searing pain erupted from deep within her spine, as if something cold and unyielding was being torn from her very marrow. Her face turned deathly pale, and thick, black tears began to stream uncontrollably from her eyes—like two twisting serpents crawling down her cheeks.
She bit her lower lip, trying to suppress the tearing agony. Her voice, hoarse from fear and resistance, trembled as she spoke: “I… my name is Chu Yao.” The name sounded so fragile, as if a mere breeze could blow it away.
Yet the black-feathered surroundings remained silent. The feathers floated in the darkness like slumbering beasts, unmoving, untouched.
“That is not your true name,” the voice replied once more, now carrying a frigid insight, as if the judge had already seen through the lie.
The next moment, Chu Yao’s fingertips burst open—sharp black feathers pierced through her skin like bone-thorns. The blood that flowed didn’t even fall; it was devoured instantly by the surrounding feathers, absorbed like a thirsty sponge. Pain surged through her like a rising tide, as blood began seeping from her arms, shoulders, and spine. The living blood slithered, merging into each feather, which now whispered with an eerie murmur.
A-Tuo watched in helpless horror. His heart ached as if being torn apart, and he tried to rush forward—but an overwhelming force suddenly enveloped him. The black feathers swarmed like living things, weaving an impenetrable cocoon around him, locking him in place. He could only watch as Chu Yao trembled in agony, unable to help.
Amidst the excruciating pain, Chu Yao bit down hard on her lip. Her face twisted from the unbearable pressure, sweat the size of pearls rolling down her forehead, mixing with her black tears. At the edge of collapse, she let out a despairing scream—a trapped beast's cry:173Please respect copyright.PENANAvDKei9uWTd
“My name… is Yu Ke.”
The moment the name left her lips, the very air split like a blade had cut through it, followed by a deafening crack. In that instant, all the black feathers suspended in the void seemed to awaken to a mysterious command and cascaded down like a tide of darkness.
The cocoon binding A-Tuo shattered simultaneously. He broke free and rushed forward, catching the nearly-collapsing Chu Yao in his arms. He could feel her violent shivers, and the soul-deep pain and despair wracking her body.
“You… You’re the Feathered King’s sister?” A-Tuo’s voice was hoarse with shock as he stared at the pale woman in his arms.
Chu Yao slowly nodded. Her eyes, no longer filled with fear or confusion, now shimmered with a calm born of fate:173Please respect copyright.PENANAFS8D7MXdAH
“To escape this curse, I buried the memories of this place deep within every inch of my body’s flesh. I hid my true name like a fragile secret inside my beating heart. I sealed all my emotions like dust-covered stories at the bottom of my soul…” Her voice was soft and ethereal, like the telling of a long-lost, sorrowful tale.173Please respect copyright.PENANAvgVsIsJBb2
“But in the end, I returned.”
At that moment, a deeper, more indistinct voice echoed through the void. It was impossible to tell its age or gender, but it carried a commanding weight that could not be resisted:173Please respect copyright.PENANA2dOIZEnca0
“Now, it’s your turn.”
A-Tuo’s body instantly froze, bound by invisible chains of ice. The voice echoed like a ghost in his mind, awakening fragments of long-buried memories. He stood in place, stunned, as chaotic visions flashed before his eyes like broken mirrors: a cold operating table, helpless tears falling on white sheets, a name ledger half-scorched by fire, and a name violently crossed out…
The fragments pierced his nerves like shards of glass. A tsunami of pain crashed through his consciousness, and he collapsed to his knees, clutching his head with a suppressed groan. His back burned as if seared by fire, the pain gnawing at his nerves like parasitic flame. He felt something black, like firelight, begin to smolder from the feathers on his back, emanating a devastating aura.
“If you don’t speak, the ‘Flame of Feathers’ will consume you.” The voice returned, this time with finality, as if counting down the seconds of his life.
Seeing this, Chu Yao—despite her frail state—grasped A-Tuo’s cold hand tightly. Her eyes burned with unwavering strength, like a flame shining through darkness.173Please respect copyright.PENANAklzfvVP4v8
“A-Tuo! This place isn’t telling you to give up—it’s forcing you to confront your true self! Find the real you—the one you’ve always been running from!” Her voice was full of trust and encouragement, like warm sunlight driving out the chill inside him.
A-Tuo shut his eyes tightly. He could feel the warmth in her palm, an anchor steadying his soul amid the vortex of pain. He reached deep into those buried memories, trying to piece together the truth from the fragments. His chest trembled, as if something long dormant was awakening in the depths of his spirit.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide. A new light burned within them—a light of liberation and self-discovery. He summoned all his strength and cried out the name he had long forgotten:173Please respect copyright.PENANABqFRqjSorT
“My name… is Li Tuosen.”
BOOM!!!
The moment the name was spoken, the countless black feathers around them exploded into a whirlwind of dark light, like black fireworks blooming in the night sky—beautiful and destructive. In the void of the Feathered Kingdom, a brilliant light split through the darkness like a blade, tearing open a massive rift—a gateway to another world.
A-Tuo and Chu Yao slowly rose to their feet. They looked into each other’s eyes, seeing reflections of their own resolve.
In that moment, they were no longer prisoners. No longer lambs lost in the dark.
They were—
The Feathered King and the Blade of Feathers—those who chose to speak their true names and shattered the chains of the past. Their identities had transformed in that moment, and so too would their destinies. Beyond that rift of light, what unknown challenges awaited them? And what threads bound them to the Feathered King who remained shrouded in the deepest dark?
Everything—was only just beginning.
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