AT THE SA TI
EMPEROR LIANWEI POINT OF VIEW:
The morning sunlight spilled unevenly through the palace windows, catching motes of dust that seed to float in slow, deliberate patterns. I hadn’t left i Shen’s side since the poisoning, hours turned into days, and every tick of the clock gnawed at my patience.
A hush fell over the courtyard. Even the servants seed to sense it: the kind of silence that stretches just beyond comfort. Then a courier appeared, sweating, hands trembling as he bowed.
"A letter... for the master Lianwei." He stamred, thrusting a folded parchnt into my hands.
No seal I recognized. No emblem. Just... darkness pressed into the paper, as if it had absorbed intent. I ripped it open, eyes scanning the inked words that seed to hiss at .
"Do not let your vigilance weaken. She is precious... but not invincible. Your next move will cost more than you are willing to pay. Be careful, or all you hold dear will burn."
The hairs on my neck rose. The writing was deliberate, almost taunting in its precision. Richard had finally made his presence undeniable. Bai Jun, standing near the doorway, frowned.
"He knows we’re watching. Already. And he wants... fear."He said.
Bai Rong’s jaw tightened.
"We can’t ignore it. But this, this isn’t just a threat. It’s a provocation. He wants a reaction."He said.
I swallowed hard, eyes flicking back to i Shen. She stirred slightly in her bed, a faint groan escaping her lips. My fingers brushed hers, gripping tight.
"No.’ I whispered, more to myself than anyone. "I won’t let him touch her. Not a hair. Not a mont. He’ll regret trying."
Huan stood beside , silent but alert, eyes scanning the corridors.
"We need to... we need to prepare. And find him before he makes the next move."Huan added.
I nodded, folding the letter slowly. Richard had reached into our lives, and now the ga had begun. And I would follow every shadow, every whisper, until I found him. But first... I had to keep her safe. Two days passed like a storm held in a cage. Every corridor, every courtyard, every shadow seed to twitch with anticipation. Then another letter arrived.
"I will appear in two days. Be ready or regret it."
The words burned into my mind. Not a suggestion. Not a taunt. A promise. I gathered the Bai brothers, Huan, Bai He, and the rest of the household. Every sword was polished, every spell ward in place, every servant drilled in readiness. i Shen, still fragile but aware enough to sense the tension, gripped my hand and gave a faint nod of trust. When the day ca, the palace gates shuddered under the approach of an escort unlike any I had ever seen, armored riders flanking a single figure whose calm defied the panic in our hearts. And then he stepped through the gates. My breath caught.
He... looked like my father. Older, yes, lines deeper, eyes sharper. The sa set of proud shoulders, the sa slow, deliberate gait. My father, but not my father. Richard. It hit in a strike I couldn’t deflect. Jin Voss. My father’s older brother, supposedly lost to legend, supposedly the emperor. And yet here he was. Alive. In flesh. In power. And here he stood before us, the shadow of my own family wearing a mask of ti.
The courtyard seed to freeze. Huan’s hand gripped mine, Bai Jun’s jaw was taut, and Bai Rong’s eyes narrowed. Even Zeyrith, silently perched above, let out a low, rumbling warning.
"You’ve been vigilant." Richard said, voice calm but carrying a weight that pressed into my chest. "I hoped you would notice before the palace fell apart around you."
Recognition struck in my bones. Jin Voss, the emperor, the legend, the man I had only heard stories of was not who he claid. He was Richard. My uncle. The architect of every nightmare we had endured.
"I... I know you." I whispered, stepping forward, trembling but defiant. "You’re... Jin Voss... not my father. You-"
He tilted his head, a faint smile curling on lips that promised destruction.
"Nas are... complicated, Lianwei. Call Richard. Or Jin Voss. Either will do. But know this I am the one who moves the chessboard. And you... you are on it."He grinned.
The courtyard tensed, every guard, every ally, every servant aware that the ga had shifted. Not a stranger. Not a distant enemy. Family. And suddenly, everything changed. I swallowed, gripping my sword.
"Then we’ll see who survives your next move."I said coldly.
The air thickened, almost heavy enough to choke on, as Richard orJin Voss stepped deeper into the courtyard. His gaze swept over the guards, the Bai brothers, even the children clinging nervously to their elders. He carried no weapon, no armor only the terrifying confidence of a man who knew no one here could stop him. My mother was the first to break the silence. Her voice trembled, yet rang with old mory.
"Jin Voss... It can’t be. You were lost. You... you should have been emperor. Not your brother. Not my husband."She said.
Richard’s smirk widened.
"Should have been, yes. But fate is a cruel thing. It crowned him, not . And what does one do, when the throne is stolen? When destiny bends away from its rightful heir?" His eyes snapped toward , sharp as a blade. "You, boy. You are the result of that theft. His line. His legacy. A mistake."
The words struck like a hamr, but I refused to falter.
"If you think you can erase my father by killing , you’ll find I’m harder to break than you imagine."I said.
Bai Rong stepped forward, sword half drawn.
"You talk of destiny, but all I hear is a bitter old man clinging to excuses."He said.
Richard chuckled, low and unsettling. Then, with a re flick of his wrist, Bai Rong’s sword flew from his hand, clattering across the stones. The sheer force of it was invisible, like the air itself had bent to Richard’s will. Gasps rang out. Even Bai Jun took a half step back. Bella whimpered, clutching Bai He’s robes. Huan, though trembling, shoved himself in front of her, fists clenched tight. My chest ached with pride and fear all at once.
"Power." Richard murmured, spreading his arms as if to display it. "The kind denied to by a cowardly court. The kind your god has hidden from you."
At that, Zeyrith dropped from the rafters, wings flaring, his voice cutting through the courtyard like thunder.
"Enough, Richard."He said.
For the first ti, Richard’s smile thinned. His eyes locked with Zeyrith’s, the weight of centuries in their stare.
"Ah. The pet god finally shows himself. Still bound by your vows, aren’t you? Still pretending to protect what will crumble."He grinned.
Zeyrith’s voice was steady, warning.
"Your claim is not destiny. It is greed. And greed destroys its bearer.’He said.
Richard tilted his head, amusent sparking.
"And yet... here I stand. Stronger than ever."He said.
The ground shuddered faintly, stones cracking under his feet. He hadn’t even raised his hand.
The guards wavered. The Bai brothers braced. The children pressed closer to us. And I... I knew. This wasn’t just a fight for a throne. This was war against the very blood that had once been ant to protect us. I tightened my grip on my sword, raising it high.
"Then let’s see if power can shield you from justice."I said.
Richard’s smile curved, sharp and cruel.
"So be it."He smirked.
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