Divinity Inverted

Before dawn had fully awakened, Lake Althea was tightly wrapped in a pale layer of mist. All around was silent; only the faint sound of dew sliding along leaf veins and falling could be heard, unusually clear in the stillness.

Patrick reined in his horse and came to a halt. This was the route he always took during his morning patrol of the capital. The horse’s hooves pressed into damp, decaying leaves, producing a dull, muffled sound. He casually adjusted his gloves, soaked through with moisture, his gaze swept indifferently across the grey waters, intending to pass straight through the haze.

Then, the calm was broken.From the depths of the lake’s center, a trace of discordant emerald green pierced the dense fog. The light was deep and fractured, like an observing eye, struggling to rise to the surface.

“There.”Patrick narrowed his eyes and raised a hand, signaling the attendants behind him to stop. He dismounted, his boots sinking soundlessly into the soft, muddy bank.

Suddenly, a burning pulse came from his chest.Patrick lowered his head. The jade magatama he always wore close to his body was trembling violently like a heartbeat. A dim glow seeped through his clothing, as if resonating with something within the lake.

His brows tightened. Pressing a hand to his chest, he pushed aside the shoulder-high reeds. That strange presence came with the cold wind—pure, almost piercing.

A blue-and-white cat was crouched on a rock by the shore. Its back and tail were covered in pale blue-grey fur, while its belly and limbs were pure white, like snow resting on a lake untouched by morning light. Its tail swayed slowly, blue eyes reflecting the rippling water. It was no ordinary creature—its paw reached out, lightly touching the surface. The lake trembled, and rings of ripples carrying spiritual energy spread outward.

It seemed to notice him. Its ears twitched slightly, but it did not flee. A strange feeling stirred faintly within Patrick.

At that moment, the deep green light in the center of the lake suddenly surged upward, shooting into the sky. With a hum that seemed to come from the void, dazzling silver light burst from the cat’s body.

Light twisted; space trembled. The lake surged violently, as if stirred by an invisible force, quickly forming a massive vortex around the rock. Spiritual energy erupted out of control. Patrick watched as the cat’s outline stretched and reshaped within the blinding light. Its fur receded like flowing sand, becoming the slender back of a girl and skin pale as snow.

She stood naked in the wind, her newly formed body appearing especially fragile in the cold.

Yet the vortex beneath her did not disappear. The lake churned violently, as if some greedy force were pulling at her. She let out a short cry. Her bare body did not even have time to steady itself before she was dragged backward, falling straight toward the gaping lake.

Without hesitation, Patrick moved like a streak of black lightning, tearing through the mist. Just before the water could swallow her, he dropped to one knee and reached forward, gripping her waist and pulling her back from the edge.

Thud.They collided heavily.

There was nothing between them. Her damp, cold, unguarded skin pressed tightly against his chest. The touch was astonishingly delicate, like snow that melts in an instant, yet also like smooth jade.

Her shoulder trembled faintly under his fingers. A residual glow seeped through his arm into his sleeve, bringing a sharp sting—as if the spiritual energy resisted him, or tested him.

“Don’t move.”He spoke in a low voice, gentler than he had expected.

She opened her eyes. Blue pupils shimmered in the light, revealing a trace of unease. A strand of silver light at the end of her form had not yet faded, loosely coiling around his wrist like the beginning of a bond.

Their overlapping reflections appeared on the lake’s surface. The wind stilled, as if time itself had paused. Patrick suddenly realized that his hand was still pressed firmly against her bare waist.

Too close. He should have let go. Reason told him so—but he did not.

That fleeting warmth and breath blended in the air, making him almost forget the cold. Instinctively, his arm tightened, holding her firmly in his embrace.

At that moment, if one were to look toward the lake—Within the broken, trembling reflection, Patrick’s usually calm amber eyes briefly flashed with a trace of deep red. The color was mixed within the ripples, so fleeting it could have been a trick of the dawn, yet it carried a faint sense of violence and pressure.

“Thank you…”She replied softly, her lips parting slightly, her voice so light it seemed it might be carried away by the wind.

Before she could say more, her eyes dimmed. Fatigue and backlash struck almost at once. Her body tilted, and she collapsed fully into his arms.

Behind him came hurried, disordered footsteps. “Your Highness! That light just now—”

“Stop.”Patrick did not turn around. “All of you, turn your backs.”

As he spoke, he quickly removed the grey-blue cloak from his shoulders. His movements were smooth, yet carried unquestionable authority and a hint of something unspoken.

The guards stopped at once. The pressure in his tone compelled obedience. They turned in unison, standing with their backs to the lake, even their breathing unconsciously subdued.“No more words—what happened today must not be spread.”

The world grew quiet again. Before the morning light could fully illuminate the lakeside, the wide cloak had already been wrapped tightly around her body, leaving only her pale face exposed.

Patrick remained kneeling on one knee, holding her, unmoving for a long time. He lowered his gaze, looking over her closed eyes. The lake had returned to calm. The fleeting red in the reflection seemed as though it had never existed. Once again, he was the elegant, composed Prince Patrick.

Only he knew that the warmth from that brief contact was spreading through him like poison from his fingertips.

“…Troublesome.”He murmured softly, though there was no trace of disgust in his tone.

He tightened his hold slightly, his gaze deep and complex. The anomaly in the lake, the resonance of the magatama… too many questions lingered. Whatever the girl’s origin, leaving her here would be too dangerous. Whether to uncover the truth—or for something else.

He no longer hesitated. Lifting the girl, he mounted his horse.“Return to the palace.”

The group rode off, carrying the dampness of the morning mist, heading toward the royal city. Though the guards surrounded the prince, the hurried departure did not escape unseen eyes.

At the far end of the bustling city streets, a cloaked figure watched from a distance. Only after the prince’s party disappeared beyond the palace gates did the figure lower their hood andquietly vanish into the early morning crowd.