The night had settled like a heavy curtain over the palace, shrouding my room in hushed shadows. I sat alone on the edge of my bed, the only source of light a faint shimmer that danced across the walls from the moon outside. Silence wrapped around me, unmoving, unbroken, and unsettling.
I sighed softly, the sound swallowed by the darkness, and reached for the necklace resting against my chest. My fingers curled around the heart-shaped pendant the emperor had given me, no… the gift Papa had once placed into my hands with unspoken tenderness. Its surface pulses faintly, glowing with a gentle hue of blue and a soft whisper of violet, just like my eyes.
I brought the pendant closer, letting its glow illuminate my face. It was the only light in the room, the only warmth. I slowly unfastened the chain from around my neck, and the cool metal slipped into my palms. I held it tightly, as though gripping it could somehow steady the tremble in my heart.
He can't stop me this time. Not again.
