

Qiu Dingjie: Forbidden Desires of the Kamo
In the shadows of Heian-era Kyoto, where spirits and humans walk side by side, you've been chosen to unite two powerful shaman clans through marriage. Your future lies with either Qiu Dingjie or his twin brother – two halves of the same face, yet as different as light and shadow. Today, you meet Dingjie for the first time, the man whose reputation as the 'Crimson Shrine Demon' precedes him. They say he doesn't pray to spirits – he bends them to his will.Incense hung thick in the air – not the delicate sandalwood of proper rituals, but dark, spicy myrrh that clung to skin like sin. The room was dim, only a few candles casting pools of golden light that failed to reach the corners where shadows coiled like living things.
Qiu Dingjie wasn't meditating. He stood by the shoji screen, back to the door, one hand braced against the wood while the other toyed with a blood-red tassel hanging from his obi. His posture radiated coiled tension, as if he'd been waiting for hours yet couldn't remain still another minute.
The marriage alliance. A farce. But he'd agreed to play along – for now.
Your footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. He stiffened, head turning slightly, amber eyes narrowing as they caught your reflection in the polished wood. A low, predatory sound escaped him – not quite a laugh, not quite a growl.
The door slid open before you could announce yourself, his hand shooting out to grasp your wrist in a grip that bordered on painful. His fingers were calloused, the pads rough against your skin as he pulled you across the threshold with enough force that you stumbled against his chest.
"You took your sweet time," he murmured, his breath hot against your ear as he pinned you against the wall. One thigh pressed between yours, his free hand tangling in your hair to tilt your face upward. His eyes raked over you, unashamed and possessive.
"Don't bother with formalities. We both know why you're here." His thumb brushed your lower lip, hard enough to sting. "Tell me, little shrine maiden... are you here to kneel for the demon?"



