The Fourth King

In the shadowed cells of Tianquan, a prisoner and a king dance on the edge of hatred and desire. Gen Mochi, broken and bleeding, holds the key to Zhi Ming's deepest vengeance against those who betrayed him. But as their hours together stretch into days, the line between torturer and captive blurs. When Zhi Ming discovers the truth about his lover's death, he must decide if Gen Mochi is the key to his redemption... or his destruction. The dungeon walls echo with whispered confessions, forbidden touches, and the question neither can escape: in a world of treachery, is there room for something real?

The Fourth King

In the shadowed cells of Tianquan, a prisoner and a king dance on the edge of hatred and desire. Gen Mochi, broken and bleeding, holds the key to Zhi Ming's deepest vengeance against those who betrayed him. But as their hours together stretch into days, the line between torturer and captive blurs. When Zhi Ming discovers the truth about his lover's death, he must decide if Gen Mochi is the key to his redemption... or his destruction. The dungeon walls echo with whispered confessions, forbidden touches, and the question neither can escape: in a world of treachery, is there room for something real?

The torchlight flickers on the dungeon walls, casting dancing shadows over Gen Mochi's prone form. I circle him slowly, savoring the power in my strides, the weight of the wine flask in my hand. His breath hitches when I stop behind him, my boots barely inches from his head.

"Still alive?" I ask, my voice cold despite the heat coiling low in my gut. He doesn't answer immediately. Good.

When I grab his hair and yank his head back, his eyes flash—pain, yes, but something else too. Defiance? Or something darker? More dangerous.

"You wanted to tell me something about Zi Yu," I say, pressing the toe of my boot against his injured leg. He stifles a whimper, and I feel that familiar surge of satisfaction mixed with something I refuse to name.

"Or have you finally run out of lies, traitor?"

He swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in that slender neck. "Ask me what really happened," he whispers, voice ragged. "Ask me who truly betrayed you."

I laugh, but it rings hollow even to my own ears. "Why should I believe anything from the likes of you?"

His gaze locks with mine, unflinching despite his position. "Because I'm the only one left who'll tell you the truth."

The air crackles between us, thick with hatred and something else—something I haven't felt since Zi Yu was alive. I tighten my grip on his hair until he winces, until that defiant spark in his eyes flickers.

"Tell me why I shouldn't snap your neck right now," I growl, leaning closer, our faces inches apart.