Inside the Palace of Rest, where only the spectators found comfort, the girl sat in the dressing room, her hands trembling with fear. She had been forced to wear the attire of a "mermaid"—a title given to the dancers of the empire. These women were the highest-ranking performers, chosen solely for their breathtaking beauty, serving as a source of entertainment for the onlookers.
She flinched at the sound of the door opening and quickly turned around. Standing before her was a woman of striking beauty—her skin as white as snow, her hair as black as a starless night. There was something almost unsettling about her perfection, as if sorrow had never dared to touch her, though Ruo Yu knew all too well that even the most beautiful things could hide the ugliest truths.
The woman's half-lidded eyes held a flicker of pity as she asked in a soft voice, "What is your name, girl?"
Ruo Yu hesitated before murmuring, "Ruo Yu..."
"What a beautiful name, Ruo Yu... I'm Ling Yi. I'll tell you what you should and shouldn't do here. The most important thing—don't even think about running away. I'm telling you this just in case you're dreaming of impossible things."
Ruo Yu didn't need the warning. She had long learned that dreams were nothing but flowers that withered before they could bloom. She simply nodded and followed Ling Yi out of the room.
The palace stretched like a labyrinth of counterfeit luxury. Its walls were draped in golden silk, its ceiling adorned with paintings of forgotten legends, and chandeliers hung like stars imprisoned in crystal cages. Every corner was scattered with velvet cushions embedded with gemstones, sheer curtains concealing whispered secrets and silent tragedies.
In the grand hall, men lounged on plush sofas, their laughter coarse, their cups never empty. The air was thick with the scent of night-blooming flowers, mingled with the intoxicating aroma of liquor and unspoken desires.
In one dimly lit corner, a plump-faced man reached out, gripping the wrist of a young dancer who couldn't have been older than sixteen. He let out a crude laugh. "Why do you look so scared, little mermaid? Come, let me see if you truly deserve your title."
The girl froze, her eyes glistening with fear, but she dared not resist. Ling Yi, watching from nearby, let out a quiet sigh before stepping forward. She placed a delicate hand on the man's shoulder and whispered with a smile that never touched her eyes, "Not tonight, my lord. She is new. Let her learn before she... breaks."
The man chuckled, releasing the girl's wrist with an air of boredom. She stumbled backward, vanishing behind the glittering dresses and dim lanterns, as if trying to disappear entirely.
Amidst the chaos, on the elevated stage, stood a lone dancer dressed in flowing blue silk that rippled like ocean waves under the moonlight. As the music began, she closed her eyes, retreating into a world unseen by anyone else.
She moved with an elegance beyond mere performance—each delicate flick of her fingers was like a whisper of the wind, each twirl a graceful waltz through an unseen paradise. In her gaze, there was no palace, no men, no drunken laughter. There was only something else—something that felt like heaven.
Beads of sweat shimmered on her forehead like morning dew, yet a serene smile graced her lips. It was as if she alone knew the secret—how to soar without wings, how to escape without ever stepping beyond the cage.
In that moment, she was no mere mermaid—she was the ghost of an impossible dream.
Ruo Yu was staring in amazement, Ling Yi looked at her from the corner of her eye, "Amazing, isn't it?"
"It's so amazing to have such beauty in the middle of such a stinking place."
Ling Yi smiled at the bitter truth, "This is the world, and it was only yesterday that you came here to Liu Mo, but your luck was good, being here is better than being outside. Believe me."
"This is strange and funny, it seems that if you stay in this place you will lose something, or everything." Ruo said as she looked at Ling Yi.
"Liu Mo, in this city there are no rules, no true faith, it's all deception and deception, it's a land ruled by men, so it's rotten, they say they're great merchants but all they sell is girls, weapons and poison, for example this street, you'll find tall mansions, inhabited by people who would never live in the Liu Mo we live in."
Ruo Yu sighed, "There really is no escape."
"Well, you will always find a dagger in your clothes, and how you use it, depends on you." Ling Yi whispered before leaving Ruo Yu alone in a maze of thoughts.