Yan Ling drifted through the eastern corridors like a forgotten ghost, feeling the magic of invisibility.The grand palace was alive around him.
Armored guards passed in disciplined lines. Patrollers moved with hands resting on their sword hilts. Palace officials hurried past, whispering in themselves. Servants and maids gliding along carrying tea, scrolls, incense, etc.
No one saw him. Not a single gaze flickered his way. Not a single shoulder brushed his.
He walked straight through bodies, through shadows and through the world itself,
So this is what it means to be a ghost, he thought with a bitter, hollow amusement.
Yet despite his lack of form, something started pressing against his chest. The deeper he walked toward the heart of the palace, the heavier the air became. It was as if invisible water filled his lungs.
Yan Ling slowed, this feeling again...I guess the seal is around somewhere...
