The commander's body was already burning with exhaustion when suddenly a cold and imperious voice rang out:
"Enough!"
The Governor-General stepped onto the path, accompanied by additional guards. He looked as though he found the situation amusing, and had intervened only because he grew tired of merely watching and wanted to participate personally.
Yunsheng was immediately seized by several guards, who twisted his arms and shoulders behind his back. He felt shame and self-contempt at being so powerless against such a number of opponents.
Meanwhile, other guards brought the young woman to the General. She tried to break free, but strong hands held her firmly.
The General stood with a vile smile on his face. He watched closely as his would-be bride approached, his gaze expressing sheer enjoyment of the unfolding scene.
"On your knees," he ordered.
One of the guards knocked Yunsheng off balance with a harsh kick to the back of his knees. The commander collapsed to the ground.
"So, you returned after all. Rather quickly, I must say," the General said with a smirk, looking them both over.
Yunsheng remained silent, never taking his eyes off the young woman. Right now, she was his only concern.
"Tell me," the General said, leaning closer, "did you really intend to interfere with my wedding?"
Yunsheng clenched his teeth, inwardly cursing himself for everything that had happened. He shifted his heavy gaze to his lord.
"It seems," the man continued, "you are taking far too many liberties, deciding to covet what is mine."
He took a step forward, and the guards dragged Jihua right up to him, so close she was just a breath away. The General leaned toward her, sweeping his gaze over her from head to toe:
"And you? You dared to follow him. Your life means nothing to me, but this escape..."
His hand subtly rested on the hilt of the dagger hanging from his belt.
"Let's see how long your courage lasts, commander."
At that moment, guards dragged someone in, pulling him by the arms. It was Houwei. Yunsheng jerked forward desperately, but a rough yank backward prevented him from getting closer to his friend. Houwei was severely wounded and exhausted. The General slowly walked up to him and, with a swift motion, plunged the dagger straight into his heart.
Houwei wheezed. Jihua watched, her eyes wide with horror, while for Yunsheng, time seemed to stop. Houwei shifted his gaze to his friend and barely audibly uttered:
"Forgive me..." he coughed hoarsely, bringing up blood. "I didn't turn you in. Believe me."
Yunsheng clenched his fists in rage until his knuckles turned white, watching as the guards released their grip, and his comrade's body crumpled to the ground right in front of him.
The sun shone just as brightly as it had a minute ago. Leaves rustled. Somewhere deep in the garden, birds chirped carelessly. The world hadn't changed in the slightest, but for Yunsheng, it had gone dark.
"No..." escaped him in a shuddering exhale. "No. Houwei!"
He lunged forward again but received a rough shove to the chest. Yunsheng didn't even feel the blow—only the consuming emptiness spilling out inside him. The memory flashed before him: how he had shoved his shoulder, how he had looked at him with hatred, and how he hadn't believed him, suspecting him of betrayal.
His throat tightened so much that breathing became impossible. Houwei lay motionless. The commander realized that he was completely alone. He had lost not just a fellow soldier, but the only one who had always stood by his side, who had watched his back, a close and dear person.
His gaze darted to Jihua. She stood there, deathly pale.
Houwei had led her out. He had given them a chance, knowing full well he would perish, but he had gone through with it anyway for the sake of his friend. And in that second, Yunsheng realized another terrifying truth: if he survived, if there was another life ahead—he would exist with this burden. With the memory of the one who had given everything for him, and with a guilt that could never be redeemed. The man closed his eyes, and something broke inside him.
"Well? Still feeling brave?" the smirk twisted the General's lips once more.
Yunsheng burned him with his gaze. Jihua looked at the commander. Without any words, they understood each other: the forces were unequal. But fear had given way to resolve.
"Do you think you can change fate by running away?"
"I am not running from it," she replied. "But you have no right to dictate my life!"
The General chuckled, leaning toward her.
"And yet here you are, under my control. Your choice brought you right to me anyway."
Yunsheng's gaze darted between them.
"Why are you so stubborn, girl?" the General drawled.
"Because I know it is the right thing. You can hold my body captive, but not my soul."
The General frowned, malice flashing in his eyes.
"You are too arrogant to understand the price of freedom. Both of you are in my power; what freedom do you speak of?"
Yunsheng's heart was tearing to pieces: he could neither attack, nor shield her with his body, nor tear her from the guards' iron grip.
"I am not afraid. I would rather die than live like this," she bit out.
The General stepped right up to her.
"We'll see," he hissed quietly, leaning right up to her face.
"You will not break me," Jihua threw back, looking straight into his eyes.
The General smirked and froze for a moment. Even in this hopeless situation, he saw the connection between them. And this finally drove him over the edge. He leaned right to her ear, whispered something Yunsheng couldn't hear, and suddenly, without giving even a second to comprehend, delivered a swift strike.
"No!" the scream tore from Yunsheng's chest, but it was too late.
The young woman collapsed to her knees. The commander tore at the guards' hold, but they kept him restrained.
Without the slightest shadow of pity, the General delivered a second strike, and Yunsheng saw the life rapidly draining from her. She weakly tried to cover the wound with her palm, and she began to slump to the side. Inside Yunsheng, guilt, helplessness, and rage blended into a wild storm. He screamed, thrashing, trying to break free, but he knew he hadn't made it in time. Again. His heart felt as though it had been ripped from his chest and trampled upon.
"Jihua... Athit..." he whispered, barely audibly.
Yunsheng felt everything he had strived for crumbling to dust. Everything around him turned gray, the sounds vanished—the only thing ringing in his ears was the beating of his own heart.
And in this horror and emptiness, he realized that it had all been in vain. He remained on his knees as the General towered over him. Houwei was dead. Jihua was dead.
Memories from his past life flashed before his eyes: Athit's death and the pain that now flared up with redoubled force. To witness the death of a loved one again and feel so powerless. It was as if fate had played a cruel joke on him once more.
And this grief and despair suddenly became a source of strength. With a sharp jerk, Yunsheng broke free from the guards' grip, which had suddenly grown weaker. Time began to flow slowly. He snatched a sword from the scabbard of the nearest soldier and, in a fraction of a second, closed the distance to the Governor. The blade entered his chest smoothly and deeply. None of the guards had time to react; for them, it seemed as if only a second had passed, but for him, it stretched into minutes.
The next moment, Yunsheng's body went limp. He felt the earth touch his cheek, sharp pain pierced his body in several places, and an incredible weariness overtook him. His entire body became so heavy that he couldn't move. The last thing he saw before his eyelids closed was Jihua's face.
The man relaxed. There was no one to fight for, and no one to fight against.
Everyone was dead. The world had not merely collapsed; it had emptied.
Everything merged into a muffled ringing, as if he were underwater. His chest didn't hurt—there was nothing left in there anyway, only exhaustion, as if he had lived not a second life, but dozens.
He suddenly understood that he no longer wanted to fight this world. Nor did he want to remain in it. And the darkness embraced him.