The palace had finally begun to settle.
After days of chaos, fear, whispers, and tension—
There was… calm.
But it was not peace.
It was the kind of silence that comes before something dangerous unfolds.
—
Morning sunlight filtered softly into the Dowager Empress's courtyard.
Incense burned steadily.
Servants moved quietly, their steps cautious.
Even their voices were hushed—
As if afraid to disturb something unseen.
—
Inside the chamber—
The Dowager Empress sat upright against silk cushions.
Her complexion had improved.
The pale weakness from her fever had faded.
Her breathing was steady.
Her posture regained its usual authority.
—
But—
Her eyes were different.
—
There was something lingering in them.
Something she hadn't spoken about.
Something she couldn't fully understand.
—
Her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup.
—
"…It was not a dream."
—
She murmured softly to herself.
—
The shadow she had seen.
The presence.
