"Today was... something."
The words escaped in a quiet sigh as I lay on the futon.
The room was dim except for the pale moonlight filtering through the paper screens. Outside, winter lingered over the shrine grounds, the cold pressing gently against the walls. Inside, warmth remained trapped beneath blankets and in the wood that had soaked up heat throughout the evening.
The bath had helped.
The memory of hot water still lingered in my skin, leaving a pleasant heaviness in my limbs. It contrasted sharply with the cold waiting outside every doorway.
For once, my body felt more tired than my thoughts.
"How are you feeling, Yumi?"
Mother's voice came from behind me. The door slid shut with a soft sound.
I rolled slightly onto my side.
"I'm okay."
The answer came automatically.
Mother crossed the room and sat beside her own futon. The floorboards creaked faintly beneath her weight.
"That's good to know."
Her voice was gentle.
I heard the rustle of fabric as she loosened her hair. A moment later, dark strands spilled over her shoulders, freed from the style she had worn throughout the day.
The room settled into silence.
For a while, only the distant sound of wind moving through the trees reached us.
Then Mother spoke again.
"You were staring at Miss Edelstein."
I blinked.
"Hm?"
A faint smile touched her face.
"Did you find her interesting?"
I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling.
The image immediately returned.
The silver-haired woman.
The way she carried herself.
The strange feeling surrounding her.
"She is a mage."
Mother turned slightly toward me.
"Oh?"
"I didn't even know how I knew that."
I frowned.
The sensation had been difficult to explain.
"The air around her was different."
Mother listened quietly.
"Maybe it's because she was one of the delegates who came from Draken during the negotiations about lifting the blockade."
I shook my head.
"No."
The answer came faster than expected.
"Not that kind of different."
I shifted beneath the blanket.
"She was interacting with the aether."
Even saying it aloud sounded strange.
Or maybe impossible.
Mother studied me for a moment. Moonlight reflected softly in her eyes.
"We could ask Miss Ai."
The suggestion immediately caught my attention.
"She must have noticed it too."
Mother reached over and brushed a stray strand of hair from my face.
"I just meant to be careful."
Her hand lingered briefly before she smiled.
"Go to sleep. Mrs. Dari said she would show us around tomorrow."
I nodded.
The conversation drifted away.
Turning toward the window, I watched the moon hanging above the shrine grounds beyond the paper screen.
My thoughts wandered.
The funeral.
Victoria.
The strange mage.
The city below the mountain.
Questions drifted through my head one after another.
Eventually, sleep found me before I found any answers.
"Ah..."
My eyes opened reluctantly.
Sunlight was already spilling through the room.
For a moment I simply stared at the ceiling.
Then realization struck.
"Mum?"
I pushed myself upright.
The futon beside mine was empty.
Neatly folded away.
"What?"
I rubbed my eyes.
"What time is it?"
The room offered no answer.
Quickly pulling on my outer robe, I stepped into the corridor.
The shrine was already awake.
Voices drifted through open doors. Someone carried baskets somewhere nearby. The faint smell of breakfast floated through the air.
I had clearly overslept.
Wonderful.
Not exactly the impression I wanted to make.
"Mayumi."
I nearly jumped.
A familiar voice came from beside me.
Turning quickly, I found myself face-to-face with Lady Liúlóng.
My spine straightened automatically.
"Lady Liúlóng."
I bowed.
"Good morning."
She smiled.
Immediately, I became aware of every awkward thing I might possibly do.
A member of one of the major houses.
Please don't let me embarrass myself.
She laughed softly, as though the thought had somehow become visible.
"Don't be like that."
Her smile widened slightly.
"Victoria said you were more willful."
I blinked.
The nervousness paused.
"Victoria talked about me?"
"She did."
Something warm stirred unexpectedly in my chest.
We began walking together down the corridor. The polished wood felt cool beneath my feet.
"When she was..."
Lady Liúlóng hesitated briefly.
A small sadness touched her expression before she continued.
"She had quite an interest in mages."
I stared at her.
"She did?"
The answer genuinely surprised me.
Victoria had never seemed particularly interested whenever the topic came up.
Lady Liúlóng smiled knowingly.
"She did."
I frowned.
And she acted like she didn't care.
The thought remained safely inside my head.
Somehow that sounded exactly like her.
We turned a corner.
Immediately the smell of food grew stronger.
The kitchen.
People were already gathered inside.
"Good morning."
Greetings bounced around the room as people noticed our arrival.
Before long I found myself helping prepare breakfast.
Most of the visitors from yesterday had already departed, leaving the shrine noticeably quieter. Not empty. Just calmer.
The sort of calm that arrives after a large gathering finally disperses.
"Miss Heiwa, you're a cultivator?"
I asked while cracking another egg into a bowl.
The shell broke unevenly.
I fished out a fragment before it disappeared.
A small victory.
"Yes."
Heiwa smiled.
"And I even beat Victoria in a sparring match."
The statement arrived at exactly the moment Miss Ai entered the room.
The reaction was immediate.
Ai narrowed her eyes.
Heiwa looked entirely too pleased with herself.
For a second, I could almost see the invisible exchange passing between them.
Heiwa chuckled.
Ai looked even less amused.
Something about the interaction felt familiar.
I couldn't quite place it.
Then it clicked.
The habit of deliberately annoying someone.
Victoria used to do that.
Constantly.
The realization brought a small smile to my face.
A real one this time.
Breakfast came together gradually.
Plates appeared.
Tea was poured.
People settled into seats.
Soon everyone gathered around the table.
"Thank you for the meal."
The familiar phrase moved around the room.
Conversation rose and fell naturally as food disappeared.
"Pass the milk, please."
Heiwa's voice reached me.
I handed it over.
For some reason, that simple moment made me smile.
The meal felt normal.
Comfortably normal.
After everything that had happened recently, that alone felt valuable.
Maybe more valuable than I would have admitted a week ago.
When breakfast finally ended, dishes were cleared away and plans began forming.
"You girls can go look around."
Miss Himitsu smiled.
"Heiwa can show you around."
I looked toward Mother.
She simply nodded.
Permission granted.
A few minutes later we were descending the shrine steps.
Or surviving them.
The mountain seemed determined to remind us exactly how many stairs existed between heaven and earth.
By the time we reached the bottom, I was convinced the stairs held a personal grudge.
"The steps tried to kill me."
Victoria's voice surfaced immediately.
I almost laughed.
Almost.
"Where should we go first?" I asked.
My eyes drifted toward Miss Ai.
She had been unusually quiet.
Several times I had caught her looking toward Heiwa.
Does she want a rematch?
The thought nearly made me laugh.
Heiwa certainly seemed capable of provoking one.
"The beach?" Heiwa suggested.
"Or we could visit the palace of one of the Earth Dragon rulers and the First Empress."
That immediately caught my attention.
And so we went.
The city unfolded around us as we traveled.
Winter sunlight reflected from rooftops. Merchants called to customers while people moved through busy streets. The sea remained visible in the distance, a steady band of blue-gray beyond the city.
For the first time since arriving, I found myself paying attention.
Eventually the palace came into view.
Its scale was impressive even before we entered.
"The Jade Empress."
I read the inscription quietly.
Inside, halls stretched onward beneath decorated ceilings. Stone dragons watched from pillars while large statues occupied open courtyards.
History seemed embedded in every wall.
"How nice."
I slowed beside a dragon statue.
Its carved scales caught the light beautifully.
We spent a long while exploring before eventually leaving.
By then, morning had slipped well into afternoon.
The air carried the smell of the sea.
"Can we visit the Butterfly Apothecary?" I asked.
"Oh."
Heiwa brightened.
"Good idea."
Miss Ai remained silent.
Still thoughtful.
Still distracted.
The apothecary overlooked the water, its position offering a clear view of the sea beyond the harbor. The sign swung gently in the breeze.
"Mumeishi, we're here. Good morning."
Heiwa opened the door.
A bell chimed softly.
Warmth greeted us immediately.
So did sunlight.
The interior seemed to gather and hold light in a way that felt intentional. Golden reflections lingered across shelves and polished surfaces.
For a moment, it felt like stepping into a sunrise.
The feeling was oddly comforting.
Behind the counter sat two familiar figures.
People I had met only recently.
Greetings were exchanged.
Seats were offered.
Tea appeared shortly afterward.
"Heiwa, how have you been?"
Mr. Mumeishi asked.
Ezra placed cups before us. Gentle curls of steam rose into the air.
"I've been alright."
Heiwa smiled.
Mr. Mumeishi nodded.
Then his attention shifted.
"How do you like the city?"
"It's lovely."
The answer came honestly.
Ai nodded in agreement.
The city really was beautiful.
Different from home.
Different from the stories.
Yet somehow both at once.
"A mage and two cultivators."
Mr. Mumeishi leaned back slightly.
"Now that is a sight."
My hand froze halfway to my cup.
I turned.
Ai turned as well.
Neither of us had sensed anything.
No qi.
No distortion.
Nothing.
A small chill ran through me.
Ai frowned.
"I don't sense any qi."
She spoke softly.
Neither Heiwa nor Mr. Mumeishi looked surprised.
Which somehow made the statement even stranger.
The silence stretched briefly.
Long enough to become uncomfortable.
Then Mr. Mumeishi smiled.
"How about a competition?"
I immediately shook my head.
"No."
The answer escaped before I could stop it.
"I know nothing about fighting."
And I had absolutely no desire to discover otherwise.
He nodded, accepting the objection without issue.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the other two.
Something shifted in the room.
Not physically.
But visibly.
Heiwa sat a little straighter.
Ai's eyes narrowed.
For the first time all morning, she looked fully awake.
I recognized that look.
This was a terrible idea.
Mr. Mumeishi noticed.
The smile on his face widened slightly.
As though he had been expecting exactly that reaction.