Samsara

Ye Huan was shaken. Her abilities had been copied and used against her. She stared into the bronze mirror, watching her eyes shift through restless colors.

Her gaze lingered on the image before her. It reflected the proud woman she had always been—high-born, untouchable, beautiful. Yet today, her eyes betrayed her. They no longer shimmered with that dazzling kaleidoscope of hues she was so famed for. Instead, she now wished for the simple hazel they had been before her awakening.

She turned to the glowing screen before her and began to recount her abilities.

Reverie 11 — Sin-Touched Demoness

Traits: Shadow Manipulation, Incitation, Charm, Echo of Emotion, Night's Embrace, Mirage of Want, Demon's Window, Empathic Vampirism, Interference – Curse of Tainting, Sin-Touched Aura, Misery.

She had a decent set of abilities, and for a time, they made her feel untouchable. Collecting the remaining dream fragments for her reveries seemed simple, her ascendance guaranteed. She believed she could escape the tragedy of her past life. But now she knew there were others—stronger, more skilled with their abilities. That old, bitter feeling returned: powerful and powerless all at once.

Her hands tightened in her lap.

It felt like a cruel joke by the universe, offering her hope only to snatch it away. What if her family, her child, her future all ended the same way—an empress ruling over ruins? The thought weighed on her, and for a moment she was lost in despair. Yet a spark of resolve stirred again. If she was diligent, perhaps she could avoid her doomed fate.

Her engagement to Crown Prince Zhao Mingyu hadn't yet come; it was still a year away, during his exile to the borderlands. And yet the thought gnawed at her—if the prince was already in another predicament, would it twist the path of her future?

Her mission rose to the forefront once more.

" Gain the Anchor's favorability/trust before the next seeding."

She wasn't sure how to feel about the situation. Her emotions toward Mingyu were tangled—adoration and loathing, longing and the urge to tear him apart. Love and hate knotted together as memories of him surfaced. She forced her heart into silence. It didn't matter. This wasn't the first time her mission revolved around Mingyu. All she had to do was see it through, collect the dream shards, and complete

Reverie Ten: Daughter of Sin.

The time of the next Seeding was uncertain, so she had to act carefully, building her connection with Mingyu. Her mind, however, drifted to the figure she despised most—the woman who had stolen her life in her past existence. Selfish, greedy, devoid of morals, that woman had been the bane of her existence. But Ye Huan's heart steadied. In this life, she would not appear—at least, not for a while.

As her thoughts churned, a familiar scent threaded through the air, drowning out the perfumes of rouge, scented pouches, and costly oils. Ye Huan turned from her bronze mirror, scanning her chamber. Her emotions lurched toward the new presence, as though reaching for escape.

Her door creaked.

"My Lady, may I come in?" The soft, timid voice belonged to Lian Ku.

"Come in. Quickly," Ye Huan said, her voice sharper than intended.

The timid maid slipped inside, closing the door behind her before hurrying to her mistress's side.

"Did you find out who this special guest I'm preparing for is?" Ye Huan asked, curious.

Instead of answering immediately, Lian Ku guided her mistress back to the seat before the bronze mirror, gently pressing her down to finish her preparations. She took Ye Huan's hair into her hands, smoothing it carefully.

"I am not certain, my lady," she said at last. "But from the honor he received from your father, he must be someone of great importance—most likely a royal relative."

"Possibly… a prince?" Ye Huan murmured, the words slipping out more to herself than to her maid.

Her thoughts drifted as Lian Ku worked—tightening her hair, refining her face, placing ornaments Ye Huan selected unconsciously while lost in contemplation.

Who could it be? She knew her reputation well enough—throughout the capital, she was infamous as a demon, feared for her sadistic tendencies. Few men dared pursue her hand. And yet, today, someone had gone out of their way to seek her out, perhaps even to court her.

The only explanation was ambition. A prince, most likely, hoping to secure the Prime Minister's support in the power struggle to come.

But which prince?

Her knowledge of the imperial sons was shallow, even with the remnants of her past life. Mingyu she knew intimately, but the others remained silhouettes.

There was only one way to be certain.

Her chair scraped against the floor as she suddenly rose, startling Lian Ku.

"My Lady, I—" the maid began, but faltered when she saw the look in Ye Huan's eyes.

She bowed her head, swallowing her protest. "...As you will."

Ye Huan strode out of her chamber into the courtyard, vanishing into the winding walkways of the Prime Minister's estate. She chose the discreet route she and Lian Ku used as children—through the gardens, into the narrow hidden path. After a short while, she slipped into a secret passage known to few within the mansion, and from there, made her way toward the great hall.

The secret passage spilled Ye Huan into the shadowed recesses of the hall.

t wasn't the open hall she entered, but a hidden alcove where she could remain unseen and watch. From her shadowed vantage, Ye Huan strained to glimpse the guest. Lian Ku followed quietly at her heels, just as curious as her mistress.

Voices reverberated through the hall.

When Ye Huan's eyes settled on the speaker, her pulse quickened. A gentle face, calm in demeanor—the Second Prince. In her past life, he was anything but gentle, a master of cunning. Then another figure drew her gaze—slightly anxious, faintly irritated—the Fourth Prince.

Her breath froze. Why were both of them here, in her father's hall? The question gnawed at her as she leaned forward, listening intently.

"Are you willing to help us, Prime Minister?" the Second Prince asked smoothly.

"The best course of action for this epidemic would be to follow your plan," her father replied. "We should isolate the affected area, establish clinics, and set up relief stations. But, Your Highness, Second Prince—are you certain you wish to put yourself at such risk? You might—"

"If nothing is done soon, the entire capital may fall into ruin, and the kingdom itself could collapse," the Second Prince declared. "It is better that I give my all to aid the people. It will show that the royal family takes this matter seriously, and grant us the authority to seal off the afflicted districts. I have also heard rumors of a gifted physician—perhaps one with a cure. The southwest quarter must be tended to before it spreads further and devastates our people. And if my life is lost in the fight, then so be it."

Ye Huan rolled her eyes at the display of righteousness. How noble he sounded, yet she knew better. The Second Prince never risked his life without a grand scheme hidden beneath the surface.

Her thoughts drifted back to the strange scent she had noticed earlier—sharp, heavy, clinging to the air at odd times during the week. Now she understood. It was the stench of pain and suffering.

A thought stirred in her mind. What if she went to the afflicted district herself? If she cultivated goodwill on Mingyu's behalf, it could serve him well. Perhaps she would not gain exactly what she wanted, but she was certain Mingyu could seize such an opportunity to shift his fortunes. And besides—the anguish, the fear, the negative emotions would only feed her power, making her abilities stronger still.

"As for your daughter…"

The words trailed, but Ye Huan stiffened. Ice lanced through her spine. No. She would not stay here to hear that conversation. She already knew too well how men plotted futures for women like chess pieces.

She turned abruptly, silks rustling as she strode away. Lian Ku scrambled after her.

"My lady, should I—"

"You may remain," Ye Huan cut her off, her tone clipped.

But the girl only bowed, determination flashing in her timid eyes. "Where my lady goes, I go."

Ye Huan paused, the edge of resistance softening. She gave the faintest nod. "Very well."

They rented a carriage to avoid drawing attention. Hidden behind its plain curtains, Ye Huan made her way toward the southwestern quarter of the city.

The moment they arrived, the air changed—thick, cloying, saturated with misery. The miasma pressed on her senses, brimming with anguish and despair. She could feel it feeding her power.

As she stepped out, her gaze swept over the streets. Weak, hollow-eyed figures shuffled past, their bodies wasted by hunger, their clothes in tatters, their spirits broken. Some were little more than husks—aged before their time by hardship.

Ye Huan had not known such a place existed in the capital. It was a world apart from the bustling, prosperous districts she had always known.

Ye Huan walked through the cramped, poverty-stricken quarter, studying the narrow streets and crumbling homes to understand the layout. Then she noticed a long line of people gathered ahead. Curious, she sent Lian Ku to investigate. After some discreet inquiries, the maid returned with the answer: a kind physician was tending to the sick.

"This must be the physician the Second Prince mentioned," Ye Huan murmured as she strode toward the front of the line. If the princes sought his aid, then she would reach him first—and claim his allegiance for herself.

She entered the area with her usual poise, her bearing proud despite the murmurs of discontent her presence stirred. But as her eyes fell on the figure before her, her steps faltered. Her muscles tensed, her eyes narrowed, and instinctively her power flared, shadows spilling out to blot the light around her.

"You!"

The word tore from her lips, thick with anger—and something darker, tangled and confused. Standing before her was the last person she expected to see so soon: the bane of her past life at court. Princess Haitang, the Sixth Princess of the Northern Li Kingdom.

What is she doing here? The thought hammered in Ye Huan's mind. But before she could act on it, her shadows lashed forward, slithering toward the woman, eager to choke the life from her.

Then it came. A low, sonorous chant reverberated through the air. Golden light washed over the street, cutting through her darkness, dispersing it as if it were nothing.

From the glow emerged a young boy, radiant, his skin gleaming like hammered gold. He walked toward her with measured steps, a lotus blooming beneath him.

"Do you wish to escape samsara?" His voice rang out, clear and resonant, filling the space.

Before Ye Huan could answer, the world shifted. Darkness swallowed her whole. She stood encompassed in shadow, with only the boy before her, seated upon the lotus, his golden skin aglow.

"Ye Huan," he intoned again, his voice deeper now, heavier. "Do you wish to escape samsara?"