In the days that followed, the palace transformed into a world of discovery and warmth for Tian Yu. Though the halls were ancient and steeped in the traditions of magic, to a child, they became places of endless adventure. No longer the silent, wide-eyed boy carried in by the Queen, Tian Yu slowly began to explore the new life gifted to him.
The witches of Xianjing, while cautious, treated him with unexpected gentleness. Elder witches would pause in their lessons to give him fruits wrapped in lotus leaves or hand-stitched charms meant to protect him. The younger witches watched him with a blend of awe and curiosity. After all, never before had a vampire child been welcomed within the sacred walls of their kingdom.
He spent most of his days alongside Princess Mei Lian. She was lively, outspoken, and impossibly clever. Despite being younger than Tian Yu by a year, she took the lead in most of their play. It was Mei Lian who led him through the sprawling herb gardens, pointing out the names of every plant, and inventing stories for each flower.
"See that one?" she said once, pointing at a moon-white blossom. "That's the Dream Orchid. It only blooms when someone close to you misses you."
"Then I'll grow them everywhere," Tian Yu whispered. "So people will never forget."
Their favorite place soon became the silver stream behind the palace. The water glistened beneath the sun, lined with smooth stones and wild peonies. There, they made boats from bark, splashed each other until soaked, and sometimes just sat watching the dragonflies. Once, when they were five and six, two older vampire boys—stray visitors to the realm—appeared near the stream.
They sneered at Mei Lian's presence, mocking her for playing with a vampire. When they tried to shove Tian Yu aside, he refused to move, standing firmly between the strangers and Mei Lian. His fists clenched, heart pounding with something fierce and wild. For a moment, he felt his fingertips burn and tingle, and his vision blurred with flashes of red.
The two boys stopped, visibly shaken. One muttered something, eyes wide, before they both fled without a second word. Mei Lian stared at Tian Yu, not in fear, but in shock.
"Your… your eyes…" she murmured.
But when he looked at her, the glow was gone. She sniffled and then burst into tears.
"I'm fine!" he panicked, hugging her. "Don't cry, Mei Lian. I'm okay. I promise."
She clutched him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder, and for a long time, neither said a word.
As the seasons passed, their bond deepened. They shared meals at long stone tables beneath hanging lanterns, studied scrolls together under the peach blossom trees, and whispered secrets into each other's ears before falling asleep during evening prayers.
The Queen, seeing their closeness, ensured they received equal instruction. Mei Lian studied ancient incantations and healing spells. Tian Yu learned meditation techniques to center his aura and soft magic that channeled energy without triggering his vampiric nature. No one spoke of his bloodline often. Instead, the palace treated him as a rare star—unpredictable but precious.
In time, they made new friends. Ai Zhen, daughter of the palace healer, was shy but kind-hearted, often bringing herbal sweets. Li Hua, bold and slightly mischievous, joined their games and made Tian Yu laugh with silly impressions. Together, the four of them were inseparable. They played pretend in the palace corridors, turned spell scrolls into paper kites, and even tried to make their own potions—which usually ended in smoke or explosions.
One spring evening, the four of them sat around the koi pond as lanterns floated above.
"What do you want to be when we grow up?" Li Hua asked.
"A warrior," Ai Zhen said, surprising everyone. "To protect the Queen."
"I want to ride a dragon," Mei Lian announced proudly.
Tian Yu paused. "I… I want to keep everyone safe."
"Like a guardian?" Ai Zhen asked.
He nodded slowly. "Yeah. A guardian who makes sure no one's ever alone."
They didn't know then how heavy those words would one day become.
One day, during a private lesson, Tian Yu accidentally shattered a training crystal with just a touch. The elder witch watching him raised her brow.
"His magic is awakening," she whispered to herself.
But she did not speak of it to him. Queen Xi Wang had given strict orders: do not reveal the boy's potential until the time is right.
Meanwhile, Tian Yu remained blissfully unaware of the storm gently brewing within him. His dreams began to fill with strange symbols—runes of old, swirling flames, whispers calling his name. He would often wake up with a start, sweating and confused. But he kept them to himself. He didn't want Mei Lian to worry.
And she, too, was growing. Mei Lian had inherited her mother's clarity and her late father's fire. She was learning combat spells by age seven, and her grace in spellcraft surprised even the high priestess. Yet she always made time for Tian Yu, reminding him through every day that he wasn't alone.
"You're different," she told him once as they lay on the garden grass.
"You mean strange," he said.
"No," she replied. "I mean... special. Like a phoenix. Or a comet."
Tian Yu blinked at the sky. "Do you think the stars remember us?"
She smiled. "If they don't, we'll just have to become legends."
And beneath the twilight sky, the two children made that vow—unaware of how much the world would soon demand of them.
Far beyond the veil of magic and peace, King Leng Yue watched from his mountain citadel. The child he had feared was growing in strength and spirit. But the king's spies whispered of hesitation within the witches, of concealment. He bared his fangs in the dark.
"They think they can hide him," Leng Yue snarled. "But I will find him. And when I do... the blood of prophecy will run dry."
For now, the palace of Xianjing remained safe. For now, the laughter of a vampire child and a witch princess echoed within its walls.
But fate—ancient and patient—was already stirring.
In the real life...
" What a lucky boy!. "Princess Yuyan said as she smiled and closed the book.
She then yawned tenderly and kept the book on the table. After that, she wispered a prayer to herself and covered herself.
In less than an hour, she was swallowed by the night.