In the quiet veil of night over a corner of dazzling Saigon, the small alley-side lodging that once served as a safe haven had now become a fortress. Royal mafia agents, clad in polished black armor, stood in formation outside the boarding house gate, poised to protect Lord Satan, Princess Trang, and the Northern Realm fairy, H?ng Nhung.

  Five armored black cars pulled up in front of the gate, their blue-white LED lights slicing through the darkness with a cold gleam. The car doors swung open. Crown Prince Arian stepped out, dressed in a modernized royal ensemble. His elegant features were sharply illuminated under the vehicle’s lights, and his voice rang deep and respectful:

  "Father, everything has been thoroughly prepared. According to intel and satellite surveillance, Erion has also arrived in the Saigon area. If we open the space gate here, the magical frequency will be detected immediately. It would put everyone—especially the princess—in grave danger."

  ?ng Nhan gave a solemn nod, his amber eyes gleaming with both pride and steel:

  "You've calculated every step carefully. Excellent. Then let us return to the main headquarters in Bình Chánh."

  The agents swiftly split into assigned vehicles. Trang and H?ng Nhung were seated in the second car, along with ?ng Nhan. Though the operation was urgent, the atmosphere remained orderly. Amid preparations, Arian glanced at H?ng Nhung. His deep blue eyes—normally cold as glacier ice—shimmered like moonlight rippling over a still lake: calm, mysterious, and surprisingly tender.

  "A base of demons... now graced by a Northern Realm fairy? Quite the poetic twist of fate."

  As the words left his lips, a chorus of chuckles echoed from the agents nearby:

  "My prince, now that Lord Satan has chosen his future daughter-in-law, who would dare say otherwise?"

  H?ng Nhung’s cheeks flushed bright pink, blooming like morning cherry blossoms. She lowered her gaze, clearly at a loss for words—bashful, like a girl touched by the first stirrings of love.

  Inside the car, ?ng Nhan burst into laughter, his voice booming with teasing pride:

  "Enough chatter! Get in the car! Once we're back at headquarters, you kids can do whatever you want—no one's stopping you!"

  The car doors shut. The convoy of armored vehicles roared off into the night, escorting the Dark Lord, his crown prince, the fairy, and Princess Trang—toward the infernal stronghold hidden in the heart of Bình Chánh, where the shadows stirred restlessly, preparing for a war with no end in sight.

  Night had fully settled over C?u D?ng’s quiet villa. The household was sound asleep—except in one room, where the storm hadn’t passed. In the gentle pink-hued princess chamber of young lady Anh ?ào, a silent hurricane still raged beneath the surface, threatening to explode and pull everything into chaos.

  Suddenly, a piercing scream broke the night.

  “Mom! Dad! Help me! My body’s melting! It’s dripping—everything is dripping—aaaahhh!”

  Beside her, Anh Tú shot upright in alarm. His face tensed as he saw his wife drenched in sweat, her body twitching from a nightmare. He grabbed her shoulders, his voice urgent:

  “?ào! Wake up! You’re dreaming—wake up!”

  After a few seconds of struggle, Anh ?ào jolted awake. She sat up and frantically touched her face, arms, chest—her whole body. Her panicked eyes slowly softened as she realized her skin was still intact.

  “My body… it’s still normal… I’m not melting… not dripping…”

  At that moment, a rapid knock echoed at the door. It was C?u D?ng and M? Linh. Anh Tú rushed over and opened it, his voice still shaken:

  “Mom, Dad—she had another nightmare. This one was worse…”

  Without hesitation, C?u D?ng and M? Linh entered the room. M? Linh immediately wrapped her daughter in a comforting embrace, her voice gentle and reassuring:

  “It’s okay, sweetie. Just a dream... You’ve got your parents and husband right here. Everything will be alright.”

  Anh Tú handed his wife a cold glass of water, his voice low and firm, as if grounding her with each word:

  “Here, drink some water. Calm down. You're safe… You're still beautiful. Nothing melted. I promise.”

  The warm glow of the bedroom light flickered gently across the worried faces of the family, casting a fragile warmth—like a last line of defense against the creeping shadows from realms unseen, quietly inching closer.

  Nearly thirty minutes had passed since the horrifying nightmare. Anh ?ào had finally calmed down. She lay on the bed, her eyes blankly staring at the ceiling, but she didn’t dare close them.

  "I don’t want to sleep... I’m scared... I’ll see it again..."

  Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper.

  Anh Tú gently held her hand, concern etched in every line of his face. He turned to her parents, his voice steady and firm:

  "Mom, Dad—please rest. I’ll stay with ?ào. If anything happens, I’ll call you immediately."

  C?u D?ng gave a slow nod and patted his son-in-law’s shoulder:

  "Take good care of her, Tú."

  M? Linh, her eyes red and teary, choked out a few trembling words:

  "I don’t know when our daughter will be her old self again… Poor girl..."

  C?u D?ng gently guided his wife out of the room. Anh Tú quietly shut the door, then returned to the bed, lying down beside his wife and whispering:

  "Try to sleep… I’m here. I won’t let anything hurt you."

  Time passed slowly.

  Fifteen minutes later, Anh ?ào still hadn’t closed her eyes. Her brows furrowed. Strange sounds began echoing inside her head.

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  High-pitched laughter rippled like a cold wind, echoing faintly as if from some dark, distant place. Her eyes drifted toward the glass display cabinet by the window—where she had always kept her beloved doll collection.

  But now… one by one… each doll… each pair of shiny glass eyes… slowly turned to stare directly at her. Their cold, emotionless gazes pierced her. Their mouths didn’t move, yet their voices rang loud and clear inside her mind:

  "Little mistress… your face… it’s starting to melt… your jaw is about to drop off… your eyes will fall out soon. It won’t be long now… and your entire body will melt… ready to be molded into a doll just like us… hee hee hee…"

  "That’s right! You’ll join us in this glass cabinet. We’ll find the perfect spot for you to be displayed… ha ha ha ha!"

  Anh ?ào screamed, clasping her hands over her ears. She shot up in bed, pointing at the cabinet, her voice hysterical:

  "Shut up! You dare mock me?! I’ll burn you all! I’ll turn you into ashes!"

  Anh Tú jumped up, startled, staring wide-eyed at his wife.

  "?ào… who are you talking to? There’s no one here but you and me…"

  But she kept shouting, trembling, pointing directly at the display case.

  "Can’t you hear them?! They’re mocking me! Saying my body’s melting! They’re laughing, talking right there—how can you not hear it, Tú?!"

  Anh Tú rushed to the glass cabinet. Using the keen perception of a spirit-trained being, he scanned each doll carefully. He saw nothing unusual—just lifeless plastic figurines. He returned to the bed, trying to calm his wife.

  "I checked. They’re just ordinary plastic dolls. There’s no one else in this room—only the two of us. Please, just try to sleep… It’s almost morning."

  But Anh ?ào was no longer listening. Her eyes were red and glassy, her breath ragged. The ghastly laughter of the dolls still echoed relentlessly in her mind…

  At that moment, the armored convoy of ?ng Nhan—known across the dark realms as the fearsome Demon King Satan—came to a halt before a vast stretch of land on the outskirts of Bình Chánh. Before them stood a dilapidated, moss-covered mansion, its rotting wooden doors and sagging tiled roof whispering ghost stories through the wind whistling between its cracks.

  ?ng Nhan stepped out of the vehicle, his voice deep and commanding as it echoed across the silence:

  "We've arrived."

  The royal guards opened the doors in unison, forming two disciplined rows. Trang and H?ng Nhung stepped out, their eyes wide with a mixture of awe and fear. Trang gripped her best friend’s hand tightly, her voice trembling:

  "I’ve got chills... This is the haunted mansion everyone in the area avoids. No one dares come near this place..."

  ?ng Nhan let out a hearty laugh, his eyes twinkling with mischief and warmth:

  "That’s because we are the monsters, my dear... Now come, children—let’s go inside."

  With a gentle motion, he took both girls by the hand and led them toward the heavy, moss-covered gate. Prince Arian walked ahead, raising his hand and brushing the air. At his touch, a silver ripple expanded outward—like a calm lake disrupted by a single drop. As they stepped through the illusionary veil, the scenery before them transformed magnificently.

  Gone was the decrepit mansion.

  In its place now stood a three-story super-mansion, vast as a modern royal palace. The architecture blended European classical elegance with subtle Eastern design. The outer walls were trimmed in misty gray-blue marble, and the sweeping roofs shimmered under a soft, artificial light. Granite walkways led to various wings, lined with polished rosewood and gilded trims.

  Inside the grand atrium, a breathtaking sight awaited:

  Floating above was a 180-degree curved screen displaying the global network of magical ley lines and satellite signals, powered by the Velkhanis surveillance system of the Royal Mafia.

  Beyond the estate’s walls was a six-dimensional barrier, altering the local time-space fabric. While outside remained the cold, foggy night of Saigon, inside was a gentle spring morning in Kyoto. Sakura petals drifted in the wind beside a koi pond glimmering with golden-scaled fish. Ancient bonsai trees framed the scene with natural grace.

  Pillars of black obsidian etched with ancient runes lined the corridor. Guarding the halls were armored elite—dark realm enforcers in sleek black suits, vigilant and deadly.

  Trang stood frozen, eyes wide like a child who’d just stepped into a fantasy movie:

  "Where are we?! This feels like I just walked into a Doctor Strange film..."

  H?ng Nhung’s voice trembled, her butterfly wings fluttering softly behind her:

  "Is… is this really the central base? Are we standing inside the underworld’s command stronghold?"

  Arian turned, half-smirking, half-serious:

  "This is more than a base. This is the central operations hub of the Royal Satanic Mafia across Earth and the dark realms. If you think this is impressive, just wait until you see the true castle in the Shadow World—you might faint on the spot."

  From across the atrium, ?ng Nhan walked calmly beneath the hanging sakura trees and glowing lights, his voice filled with kingly assurance:

  "From this moment, this is your home. Whatever you need, just ask—me, Arian, or the Grand Advisor. You don’t need to worry about anything anymore. I will take care of it all."

  In the enchanted space of the Royal Satanic Mafia’s command headquarters, the ancient Grand Advisor—Lady Thái S?, keeper of rituals and arcane knowledge—appeared with a majestic black phoenix-feather fan in hand. She stepped into the center of the hall and bowed gracefully:

  "Your Majesty, Your Highness, and… Crown Princess-to-be, I humbly greet you."

  H?ng Nhung flinched, her delicate wings trembling behind her:

  "Crown Princess? What do you mean, my lady?"

  The old advisor smiled knowingly, her voice as gentle as the early autumn breeze, yet heavy with meaning:

  "The wife of a crown prince is called the Crown Princess, dear Northern Realm fairy."

  Beside her, Arian cleared his throat quickly, but there was no hiding the blush that bloomed across his cheeks like the first light of dawn. His voice dropped an octave, attempting calm but betraying his flustered state:

  "As per Father’s instructions, I’ve arranged two private chambers—one for my royal sister, and one for H?ng Nhung. Each room is tailored precisely to its owner's nature. Please, allow me to show you."

  He stepped ahead and gave a subtle wave. The group followed him to the second floor, where two large doors stood across from one another, each etched with glowing runes that pulsed with soft light.

  ---

  Trang’s Room – The Chamber of the Shadow Princess

  The darkwood door to the left creaked open, revealing a spacious chamber dressed in deep greys, black, and crimson-violet hues. Soft mystical lighting bounced off every surface. The walls were lined with enchanted black stone inscribed with protective sigils. Overhead, a chandelier shaped like crossed swords cast a noble glow across the space—a perfect fusion of a military command post and aristocratic refinement.

  In the center stood a massive blackwood bed, layered in pure obsidian silk embroidered with a reversed phoenix, symbolizing unyielding spirit. To the right, a weapons rack displayed enchanted blades, daggers, and gauntlets forged from Infernal Blacksteel.

  A glass wall separated the room from a dressing area, wardrobe, vanity, and a private bath—all carved from rare ebony and dark marble.

  A quiet reading nook rested in the corner—a polished obsidian desk draped with white wolf-fur, beside it a holographic display and high-tech console linked directly to the royal command center and digital archives.

  The entire space radiated the bold, fierce personality of its occupant in deep reds and blacks.

  Trang stepped in and gasped:

  "I feel like I just stepped into an anime character’s room…"

  ?ng Nhan chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder:

  "You are my daughter. This is only the beginning. I have much more in store for you."

  ---

  H?ng Nhung’s Room – The Fairy Garden of Purity and Grace

  Across the hallway, the second door opened—like a portal to a fairy tale. The walls shimmered with pearlescent light, every detail delicate and ethereal. Soft ivory-pink hues were woven with glowing wisteria vines that twinkled gently in the dark.

  The ceiling mimicked a magical sky dome, complete with falling stars at night and blooming flowers by day. The bed was pure white velvet, embroidered with lotuses and butterflies, veiled in sheer curtains that sparkled like mist.

  In the corner stood a crystal mirror shaped like butterfly wings, a tool for fairy transformation and energy reading. The wardrobe, crafted from enchanted Northern Realm peachwood, released a subtle floral scent with every opening.

  H?ng Nhung placed a hand over her heart, voice trembling:

  "It’s like a dream… I never imagined I’d ever have a room like this…"

  Arian stepped closer, his voice a gentle whisper:

  "Because you… are my dream."

  Lady Thái S? leaned over and nudged Satan:

  "See that, Your Majesty? They’re already lovebirds. You’ll have to arrange a royal wedding soon!"

  Satan chuckled softly, eyes resting on the bashful couple—Arian and H?ng Nhung, cheeks flushed red, wings fluttering gently, surrounded by shimmering fairy dust that danced like the glow of young love.

  "You’re right," he murmured. "It looks like a royal wedding is just around the corner."

  Around them, guards and advisors chuckled discreetly, eyes glinting with amusement. All were subtly watching as the fairy princess blushed before her prince, their wings and hearts now perfectly in sync under the magic of the night.