Night descended over the palace like a heavy curtain.
Lanterns glowed softly along the corridors, their light reflected in polished jade tiles. From afar, everything looked peaceful—too peaceful. Servants moved quietly, guards stood at attention, and the imperial roofs rested beneath the moon like sleeping beasts.
But beneath that calm surface, something stirred.
Something unseen.
Something forbidden.
The Ghosts Feel It First
Fen Yu was the first to react.
She had been floating lazily above the Empress's courtyard, complaining about boredom, when her expression suddenly froze. Her laughter cut off mid-sentence, eyes widening as if she had been splashed with icy water.
"…Do you feel that?" she whispered.
Wei Rong materialized instantly beside her, his usual relaxed posture gone. His hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his ghostly sword.
"Yes," he said grimly. "It's back."
Li Shen appeared last, fan already closed, his scholarly calm replaced by sharp alertness.
