Darkness.

Endless darkness.

—

Lady Chen could not see anything.

No sky.

No ground.

No light.

Nothing.

—

At first, she thought she was dreaming.

But slowly—

A strange fear crept into her chest.

Because this darkness did not feel like sleep.

It felt...

Empty.

Cold.

Endless.

—

She stood there silently.

Or perhaps floated.

She could not even tell.

Her body felt strangely light.

Weightless.

As though she no longer truly existed.

—

"...Where am I...?"

Her voice sounded soft.

Small.

Weak.

—

No answer came.

Only silence.

A suffocating silence.

—

Lady Chen frowned slightly.

Trying to remember.

Trying to understand.

—

The last thing she remembered...

Was her courtyard.

—

Warm tea.

Flower petals drifting in the wind.

The sound of servants speaking quietly nearby.

—

Then—

Pain.

A sudden sharp pain inside her chest.

Like something cold wrapping around her body.

Draining her slowly.

—

After that—

Nothing.

—

Her breathing became uneven.

"...What happened to me...?"

—

Still—

No answer.

—

Then suddenly—

A faint sound echoed somewhere in the darkness.

Soft.

Distant.

Almost impossible to hear.

—

"...Pray..."

—

Lady Chen froze.

"...What?"

—

The voice faded again.

Then returned.

Slightly clearer this time.

—

"...Everyone... pray for Lady Chen..."

—

Her eyes widened.

That voice—

She recognized it instantly.

—

"...Your Majesty?"

—

It was the Emperor’s voice.

—

Distant.

As if separated by mountains and rivers.

But unmistakable.

—

Lady Chen’s heart trembled.

"...I’m here."

She spoke immediately.

"I’m here."

—

But the darkness swallowed her words completely.

No response came.

—

The Emperor’s voice echoed again faintly.

"...Pray for her wellbeing..."

—

Lady Chen’s expression slowly changed.

Confusion.

Fear.

Unease.

—

"...Why are they praying for me...?"

—

Then suddenly—

A terrifying thought entered her mind.

—

"...Am I dying?"

—

Coldness spread through her chest instantly.

—

"No..."

She shook her head quickly.

"No, no..."

—

She tried to walk forward.

But there was nowhere to go.

The darkness remained endless.

Unmoving.

—

"Can anyone hear me?!"

Her voice trembled now.

"I’m here!"

"I’m fine!"

—

Nothing answered.

—

Only distant chanting echoed faintly somewhere beyond the darkness.

—

Monks.

Prayers.

Bells.

—

Lady Chen’s breathing quickened.

"...No..."

"No..."

—

For the first time—

Real fear entered her heart.

—

She could hear them.

But they could not hear her.

—

As if she existed outside the world.

Trapped somewhere between life and death.

—

"...This can’t be happening..." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

—

She wrapped her arms around herself instinctively.

But even her own touch felt strange.

Faint.

Unreal.

—

Then—

More voices echoed faintly.

—

"May heaven protect Lady Chen..."

—

"Please let her survive..."

—

"Buddha have mercy..."

—

Lady Chen recognized some of the voices.

Servants.

Court ladies.

Even the Dowager Empress.

—

And beneath them all—

The Emperor’s voice again.

Lower this time.

More tired.

—

"...Wake up..."

—

Lady Chen’s eyes widened.

Her chest tightened painfully.

—

"...Your Majesty..."

—

She tried to run toward the voice.

But no matter how much she moved—

The darkness never changed.

—

There was no direction.

No distance.

Only endless emptiness.

—

"...I’m here..."

Her voice broke slightly.

"I can hear you..."

"Please..."

—

No one answered.

—

Tears slowly formed in her eyes.

—

For the first time in years—

Lady Chen felt truly alone.

—

Not the loneliness of palace politics.

Not the loneliness of hidden love.

—

But something deeper.

Colder.

—

The loneliness of being forgotten by the world itself.

—

Then—

Another sound echoed.

Different this time.

Soft.

Small.

Almost childlike.

—

"...Come..."

—

Lady Chen froze instantly.

"...Who’s there?"

—

Silence.

Then again—

Closer this time.

—

"...Come..."

—

Her breathing slowed.

The voice felt strange.

Familiar somehow.

But also terrifying.

—

"...Who are you?"

—

No answer.

—

Only faint whispers moving through the darkness around her.

Like countless unseen people speaking all at once.

Too quiet to understand.

Yet loud enough to make her uneasy.

—

Lady Chen stepped backward instinctively.

"No..."

—

The darkness around her seemed to move slightly.

Shifting.

Breathing.

Alive.

—

Fear crawled up her spine.

—

"...Someone help me..."

—

Again—

The Emperor’s voice echoed faintly.

"...Lady Chen..."

—

Her eyes filled with tears immediately.

"I’m here!"

She shouted desperately.

"I’m here!"

—

But once again—

Her voice disappeared into nothing.

—

The realization crushed her slowly.

—

No matter how much she screamed—

No one could hear her.

—

She sank to her knees.

Her hands trembling.

—

"...I don’t want to stay here..."

—

The darkness felt colder now.

Heavier.

As though something unseen was watching her.

Waiting.

—

Lady Chen lowered her head.

Tears slid silently down her cheeks.

—

For the first time—

She truly understood fear.

—

Not fear of losing status.

Not fear of palace schemes.

—

But fear—

Of disappearing completely.

—

Outside the darkness—

Far away—

The palace bells continued ringing.

Monks continued chanting.

Candles continued burning through the night.

—

And inside her courtyard—

The Emperor still sat beside her unconscious body.

Waiting.

Hoping.

Unaware—

That somewhere beyond reach—

Lady Chen was desperately trying to return.

The Woman Hidden Beneath the Shadows

While the palace drowned itself in prayers—

One courtyard remained silent.

Too silent.

—

No monks chanted there.

No incense burned for blessings.

No servants whispered hopeful prayers.

—

Because inside Shin Gu’s courtyard—

Something far darker existed.

—

The room was dimly lit by only a few candles.

Their flames flickered unnaturally despite the still air.

Long shadows twisted against the walls like living things.

The scent in the room was strange—

Not floral.

Not medicinal.

But heavy.

Cold.

Almost rotten beneath the layers of incense.

—

At the center of the chamber—

Shin Gu sat quietly before a bronze mirror.

Her black robes spread around her like flowing darkness.

Her eyes remained fixed on the mirror surface.

But the reflection inside—

Was not her own.

—

It was Lady Chen.

Trapped in endless darkness.

Crying.

Calling for help.

Trying desperately to return.

—

And Shin Gu—

Smiled.

—

A slow.

Satisfied.

Terrifying smile.

—

"...So you finally understand fear."

Her voice was soft.

Gentle even.

But beneath it lingered something monstrous.

—

In the mirror, Lady Chen stumbled through the darkness again.

Desperate.

Lost.

Alone.

—

Shin Gu watched calmly.

Like someone admiring beautiful scenery.

—

"You shouldn’t have seen it."

—

Her fingers traced lightly against the edge of the mirror.

The candlelight reflected strangely in her eyes.

—

For a moment—

The elegant mask she always wore disappeared completely.

Revealing something colder underneath.

Something inhuman.

—

"You were useful."

She murmured softly.

"So very useful."

—

Her gaze darkened slightly.

—

Lady Chen had been the perfect companion.

Easy to manipulate.

Easy to guide.

—

Jealousy.

Love.

Hatred.

Desire.

Those emotions made people blind.

And blind people were easy to use.

—

Shin Gu had understood that long ago.

—

She remembered the first time Lady Chen came to her.

Heartbroken.

Angry.

Wanting the Emperor’s attention.

Wanting the Empress gone.

—

At first—

It had amused her.

A noble lady foolishly believing she controlled the game.

When in reality—

She herself was only a chess piece.

—

Shin Gu chuckled quietly.

"...Humans are so predictable."

—

The mirror flickered again.

Lady Chen collapsed to her knees inside the darkness.

Crying now.

Desperately calling for the Emperor.

—

Shin Gu’s smile widened slightly.

"You should feel honored."

—

"I was going to give you an easy death."

—

Her voice remained calm.

As though discussing the weather.

—

"After the Empress died..."

"I would have let you go peacefully."

"No pain."

"No suffering."

—

A faint sigh escaped her lips.

"...But then you ruined it."

—

The temperature inside the room seemed to drop instantly.

Even the candle flames dimmed.

—

Because Lady Chen had seen something she should never have seen.

—

That night.

Before the Empress almost died.

—

Lady Chen had witnessed her ritual.

Seen the darkness.

Seen the truth hidden beneath Shin Gu’s gentle appearance.

—

That—

Could not be allowed.

—

Shin Gu leaned closer to the mirror.

Her reflection distorted strangely for a brief moment.

—

"You should have stayed blind."

—

Inside the mirror, Lady Chen trembled violently.

As though hearing something distant.

Feeling something watching her.

—

Shin Gu laughed softly.

"...Can you feel me?"

—

The mirror surface rippled slightly like dark water.

—

Shin Gu’s fingers moved slowly through the air.

Drawing strange symbols.

Ancient.

Twisted.

—

Dark energy gathered around her quietly.

Invisible to ordinary people.

But heavy enough to make the room itself feel suffocating.

—

"I cannot let you remember."

She whispered calmly.

"When you wake up..."

"You will forget everything."

—

Her expression softened again.

Almost kind.

—

"You’ll forget the ritual."

"You’ll forget the shadows."

"You’ll forget me."

—

The darkness around the room stirred slowly.

Like something alive responding to her words.

—

Shin Gu closed her eyes briefly.

Listening.

Feeling.

—

The palace fear.

The prayers.

The panic.

—

All of it fed the darkness beautifully.

—

And at the center of it all—

The Empress.

—

Her smile slowly faded.

Replaced by cold irritation.

—

"...You should have died already."

—

For the first time—

Something close to anger appeared in her eyes.

—

The Empress surviving had disrupted everything.

The ritual.

The balance.

The timing.

—

Even now—

Shin Gu still could not fully understand how the Empress escaped death.

—

That bothered her.

Deeply.

—

Because dark rituals rarely failed.

And yet—

That night—

Something interfered.

—

Her fingers tightened slightly.

—

"...No matter."

—

The candle flames suddenly rose higher.

Violently.

—

Shin Gu’s expression calmed again.

Smooth.

Elegant.

Deadly.

—

"The palace is already weakening."

"Fear is spreading."

"Spiritual balance is collapsing."

—

Her voice became quieter.

Almost affectionate.

—

"And soon..."

"...everything will belong to the darkness."

—

Outside—

Thunder rumbled faintly in the distant sky.

Clouds covered the moon completely.

The palace seemed darker tonight than ever before.

—

And hidden inside one quiet courtyard—

A woman sat smiling before a mirror.

Watching another woman suffer.

While patiently waiting—

For the next piece of her plan to fall into place.