Deep in the Garden of Eternal Echoes, Suwei walked in silence. Each step on the stone cobblestones seemed to awaken echoes of a forgotten time. White jade flowers swayed gently in the breeze, and wind lanterns cast capricious shadows that stretched like fingers across the ancient walls. It was one of the few places where he could breathe without the palace's inquisitive eyes finding him.
The afternoon had fallen into a deep gray, and the moon was hidden behind thick clouds. The air was heavy with humidity and mystery, as if the garden itself whispered secrets that only a few were destined to discover. Suwei moved cautiously, alert to any sound that might break the tranquility: the cracking of a branch, the rustling of leaves, the faint murmur of a nocturnal insect. Everything seemed poised to reveal something, or to hide it with greater care.
