The shadows of the palace were not always hostile. Some simply... waited.
That night, Suwei couldn't sleep. There was something in the air: a murmur coming from the walls, a tremor that wasn't physical, but ancestral. Without calling anyone, he covered himself with a simple cloak and left his chamber, guided only by the impulse of his heart.
The hallways were deserted. The lanterns flickered as if they knew something sacred was about to happen. He walked to a forgotten gallery, where time seemed to have stopped. In the center, on an onyx pedestal, stood an ancient mirror, as tall as a man, covered with a purple silk veil.
Suwei approached.
Without knowing why, he removed the veil with both hands.
The mirror did not return his reflection.
Instead, he saw a young man dressed in imperial robes, adorned with gold, silk, and symbols of the royal lineage. His expression was serene, but his eyes... they were his own. Exactly his own.
