The Lan family estate...
The moon hung like a silver pearl in the sky. The Lan Family estate lay blanketed in silence, its pavilions and gardens dozing under starlit stillness. In the heart of the estate, within the Blue Lotus Pavilion, two guards stood stiff with solemn faces. The air was cold, but their brows were laced with sweat—they had not moved for hours.
Yet neither noticed the sudden ripple in the air.
Not the faint shimmer that passed the corner of their eyes.
Not the shadow that blurred against the wall like wind carving through silk.
Within the locked room, Manuka Lan sat by her jade window, draped in a white and lavender robe. The soft flickering lantern above painted golden glows over her delicate face. She held a brush, but her hand remained still, hovering over parchment. Her eyes, once bright with fire, were now clouded by a storm of thoughts. She had written the letter, yes—but she hadn't truly believed he would come.
