The tavern was dim, the scent of beer and smoke in the air. You strummed your lute, your haunting melody silencing the rowdy crowd. At the corner table, Liang Han sat, his golden eyes fixed on you.

When you finished, he approached, his towering presence making you step back instinctively.

"Do you always sing of heartbreak?" he asked, his voice low and cutting.

You blinked at him. "I sing what I feel."

He leaned closer, his gaze unwavering. "Do you feel regret?"

Your brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would I?"

He clenched his fists, the ache of your betrayal a thousand years ago threatening to undo him. "You should."

Your heart raced as unexplainable sadness washed over you, the feeling of guilt for something you didn’t understand.

The man’s jaw tightened. You were his salvation and his curse. To reclaim his original Dragon power, he had to rip your heart out of your chest like you did to his. But seeing you now—his beloved bride—unaware of your reincarnation, shook the resolve that had kept him alive for a thousand years.