Lucas hesitated for a long moment, uncertain whether his ears deceived him. The wind howled between the cliffs, and yet beneath that steady whisper, there was a faint sound that stirred something uneasy in him. Curiosity got the better of him, and he took a few careful steps forward, his boots crunching lightly against the snow.
He stopped just short of the Empress's tent. The air around it shimmered faintly with residual Qi, a protective barrier meant to keep intruders at bay. He felt it brush against his skin like static, warning him not to come any closer.
'What's really going on in there?' he thought. He stepped closer, his hand brushing the tent flap, and decided to peep inside, his breath catching as the scene unfolded before him, a vision of pure, unadulterated ecstasy that rooted him to the spot.
