"Stay back!" I warned, raising my sword against him, but his slow and deliberate steps never faltered.
"Don't come any closer, or else-"
My voice wavered as I tightened my grip on the sword. He ignored my warning, his gaze never wavering.
"You think...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The first rays of dawn filtered through the ornate windows of Xuan’s chamber, casting a soft, golden light across the room. She lay awake, her eyes heavy with exhaustion after a sleepless night spent haunted by the previous evening’s events at the river—and the boy who now knew too much. Every time she closed her eyes, she was back in those freezing waters, feeling the weight of her secrets pulling her under.
A gentle knock at the door pulled her from her spiraling thoughts. Lady Mei, her aunt and the woman who had raised her, entered. Usually, her aunt’s calm, steady presence filled Xuan with a quiet comfort. But today, something in Lady Mei’s expression made her heart pound with dread.
"Xuan," Lady Mei said softly, her brow creased with concern, "your father has asked for you. He’s called a meeting this morning, and he insists you be there. It seems…" She paused, her hesitation filling the silence, before she finished, "..urgent."
Xuan’s heartbeat quickened, a knot of fear twisting in her stomach. She had never been summoned like this, and the worry in her aunt’s voice set her nerves on edge. What could be so pressing? Why had her father, who so rarely requested her presence, called for her so early? Swallowing her anxiety, she rose from the bed.
“Thank you, Aunt Mei. I’ll go now,” she said, trying to sound calm as she followed her aunt through the winding halls of the palace. Her fingers fidgeted with the edges of her sleeves, her mind racing with questions and images of everything that might be waiting behind those doors.
When she reached the meeting hall, she took a deep breath before stepping inside. The sight that greeted her stopped her heart. Her father stood in the center of the room, his back facing her, and beside him stood a group of figures cloaked in dark, finely woven robes, each robe adorned with emerald-green serpent emblems.
To her father’s right was General Lei Ming, his face composed and unreadable. Yet, as he noticed Xuan, his gaze softened, betraying a hint of sympathy.
Next to him was Xu Yang Ri, her father’s trusted advisor. Though the man’s face remained stoic, a quiet sorrow glistened in his eyes as he looked at Xuan, almost as if he wished he could spare her from whatever was about to happen.
Xuan bowed to her father and the strangers, her pulse quickening as her father finally turned to face her. For a moment, she caught a glimmer of sadness in his eyes, quickly hidden as he steadied himself, his expression unreadable.
"Xuan," he began, his voice heavy with a tone she hadn’t heard before. He took a hesitant glance at the guests beside him before he continued, "These are the Serenity Slyths. They have come to… take you under their care. From this day forward, you will train with them—away from Yuefeng—until the time comes for you to take your place as ruler of this land.”
