~ 𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑺𝑶𝑶𝑵 - In the heart of an ancient Chinese dynasty, a young emperor reigns with wisdom beyond his years but carries a heart heavy with unresolved grief. Years ago, he lost his beloved under mysterious circumstances, a loss that has...
With the ordeal on the terrace behind me, I excused myself from the emperor and his family as respectfully as I could manage, my steps hastening as I made my way back through the opulent corridors of the palace. The embarrassment of the incident weighed heavily on me, but even more troubling were the vivid flashbacks and the unsettling feeling they left in their wake.
Upon reaching the relative safety of my own chambers, I shut the door firmly behind me, the click of the latch sounding unusually definitive in the quiet room. I leaned back against the door, allowing myself a moment to feel the coolness of the wood through my uniform, trying to ground myself in the present.
As I stood there, trying to collect my thoughts, I felt a sudden warmth trickle from my nose. Touching my face instinctively, my fingers came away stained with blood. Startled, I hurried to the small washbasin, peering into the mirror as I tried to stem the flow with a damp cloth. The sight of my own pale reflection, marked by the red of my blood, was a stark reminder that the physical manifestations of my stress were becoming more pronounced.
Feeling increasingly unwell, I noted the onset of a slight fever, my skin flushed and hot despite the coolness of the chamber. With a heavy sigh, I moved away from the mirror and made my way to the bed. I lay down slowly, my body feeling unusually heavy, as if each limb was weighed down by the day's burdens.
The room was quiet, save for the soft rustling of the curtains as a gentle night breeze passed through. I lay there in the dim light, trying to piece together the flashes of memory and sensation that had overwhelmed me earlier. The flashbacks, the blood, the unexplainable fever—something was amiss, and deep down, I feared it tied back to the strange connection I felt to the emperor's past lover.
The night wore on, I remained largely awake, drifting only occasionally into a restless, uneasy sleep. Each time I closed my eyes, the golden sword and the haunting face of the woman flashed before me, as vivid as if they were imprinted on the inside of my eyelids. I would wake gasping, the room spinning slightly as I tried to orient myself.
The sudden intrusion by the council member was as abrupt as it was unsettling. His strong grip lifted me from the bed before I could fully grasp what was happening, his urgency leaving no room for questions. I gasped softly, more from shock than discomfort, as he hurried me out of the chamber. My legs felt weak, barely able to support me, a combination of my illness and the rapid pace set by the council member. It felt as though I was being dragged along, my mind racing to keep up with the physical movement.
