Rain lashed the windows of the private jet as Ev

elyn Hart stared at the scroll in her hands.

It had been buried in a vault beneath her family

’s NYC skyscraper—sent there by her greatgrandfa

ther, a man who’d vanished without a trace in 19

27.

The ink shimmered like liquid gold.

“To the blood of the Phoenix, beware the Dragon’

s curse. Only through time may you break it.”

“Miss Hart,” her pilot’s voice crackled over the

intercom. “We’re landing.”

Evelyn folded the scroll and tucked it into her

satchel.

She didn’t believe in curses.

Not even when the plane hit turbulence so violen

t the wings screamed.

Then blackness.

Light.

She woke in a grove of plum trees, their blossom

s bloodred.

A man stood over her, blade at her throat.

“You’re not from here,” he said, voice like grav

el and smoke.

“No,” she whispered. “I’m not.”

He sheathed his sword and hauled her up by the a

rm.

“Come. The oracle’s been expecting you.”

They walked through a village frozen in time.

Mudbrick homes, oxen carts, and lanterns lit wit

h fireflies.

Evelyn’s boots clicked against stone.

She was the only woman in sight.

And every man watched her like she was a ghost.

“The scroll,” the warlord muttered. “You brought

it.”

She stiffened.

“How do you know about that?”

He didn’t answer.

Only led her to a temple carved into the mountai

n.

Inside, a woman in jade robes waited.

“You’ve come to fulfill the prophecy,” she said.

Evelyn scoffed.

“I didn’t come to fulfill anything. I woke up he

re.”

The oracle’s eyes glowed.

“You are the Phoenix. He is the Dragon. The scro

ll binds your fates.”

Evelyn turned to the warlord.

“You’re the Dragon?”

He nodded once.

“They say I’ll destroy you.”

She laughed.

“Then I guess the prophecy’s wrong.”

The warlord’s gaze burned into hers.

“We’ll see.”

Days passed.

She learned his name was Li Shen.

That he led the border clans against a tyrant em

peror.

And that he had no intention of letting her go.

“You belong here now,” he told her one night, fi

relight casting shadows on his face.

She shook her head.

“I belong to New York. To my company. To the fut

ure.”

He stepped closer.

“And yet you’re here.”

She wanted to hate him.

But his touch was like wildfire.

His kiss, a promise.

The prophecy said the Phoenix and Dragon would c

lash, bringing ruin.

But what if it meant something else?

“What if we’re meant to save each other?” she as

ked.

Li Shen frowned.

“The oracle said we would destroy each other.”

“Then the oracle’s wrong,” she said.

The next morning, the emperor’s armies came.

Cannon fire echoed through the valley.

Smoke rose from the village.

Li Shen drew his sword.

“Stay inside.”

Evelyn grabbed a bow from the wall.

“Not a chance.”

They fought side by side.

Arrows flew.

Blades clashed.

Blood stained the snow.

By nightfall, the temple stood alone.

Li Shen was wounded.

She pressed her hand to his chest.

“You’re not dying today.”

He looked at her, breath ragged.

“I don’t want to destroy you.”

“I know,” she whispered.

He kissed her again.

This time, like a man who finally understood.

At dawn, the scroll glowed again.

Evelyn felt the pull.

“It’s happening.”

Li Shen gripped her hand.

“Don’t go.”

“I have to,” she said.

The scroll lifted from her satchel, spinning lik

e a storm.

Wind tore through the temple.

Then silence.

Back in the jet, Evelyn gasped awake.

Rain still fell.

The pilot’s voice crackled.

“Miss Hart?”

She stared at her hands.

Still calloused from archery.

Her lips still tasted like smoke and fire.

And the scroll?

Still glowing.

The warlord’s voice echoed in her mind.

“The prophecy’s wrong.”

She pulled out her phone.

Typed a single word into the search bar.

“Li Shen.”

The screen blinked.

No results.

But a photo appeared.

A man with dark eyes.

A sword at his hip.

Standing in front of a redlit temple.

Evelyn smiled.

“This isn’t over.”

She opened the scroll again.

And jumped.