The next morning, the palace woke beneath a strange silence.
For the people outside the inner palace, nothing appeared unusual.
The gates opened at the usual hour.
Officials entered the court.
Servants carried out their duties.
Guards changed shifts.
The bells rang.
Yet behind the magnificent walls, something extraordinary was happening.
The imperial family was preparing to disappear.
Not forever.
Not because the throne had been taken from them.
But because the Emperor had made a decision that only a handful of people knew.
They would leave the capital disguised as ordinary refugees.
They would travel north.
They would investigate the strange events occurring there.
And they would uncover the truth behind the paranormal disturbances that had been spreading through the kingdom.
Most importantly, they would protect Lian An.
Because the strange supernatural incidents had repeatedly centered around her.
The altar discovered in her courtyard.
The death of Shin Gu.
