Zian Hausi had a plan.
A very simple plan.
A very peaceful plan.
Do nothing.
She sat on the sofa.
Same place.
Same tea.
Same calm face.
Yesterday: shadows stronger.
Fighting increased.
Conclusion: still manageable.
Pause.
Today: rest.
From the hallway—
"I SURVIVED AGAIN."
Zian didn't look.
Unnecessary announcement.
"…That was expected," she said calmly.
Sterling walked in dramatically.
"…IT WAS NOT EXPECTED FOR ME."
Zian blinked.
Skill issue.
Huo Lou followed, laughing.
"…You scream before anything even happens."
Sterling pointed at her.
"…THAT'S CALLED PREPARATION."
Zian nodded.
"…Incorrect."
Pause.
"…That is panic."
Huo Lou burst out laughing.
Sterling sat down, defeated.
"…I'm not respected here…"
Zian took a sip of tea.
Peace restored.
For exactly—
Three seconds.
Then—
The air changed.
Instantly.
Heavy.
Pressing.
Zian's eyes sharpened.
…Again.
She stood up.
At the same time—
Fiang Sheng stood up too.
Pause.
They both noticed.
Looked at each other for half a second.
Then—
Looked away.
Sterling whispered,
"…THIS IS GETTING SYNCHRONIZED."
Zian ignored him.
Focus.
The shadows appeared.
Not one.
Not a few.
Hundreds.
Filling the entire space.
Walls.
Ceiling.
Floor.
Everywhere.
Huo Lou stepped back.
"…That's… a lot…"
Sterling grabbed a pillow again.
"…I AM EMOTIONALLY PREPARED."
Zian stepped forward.
Calm.
Still.
Level increased.
One shadow attacked.
Fast.
Zian didn't move.
The air shifted—
It disappeared instantly.
Another came—
She flicked her fingers—
Gone.
Effortless.
Fiang Sheng moved too.
Fast.
Precise.
Blocking.
Countering.
Not struggling—
But not effortless either.
Zian noticed.
He can keep up.
Pause.
But not for long.
More shadows attacked—
Faster.
Stronger.
Zian raised her hand slightly.
The air compressed—
Dozens of shadows—
Crushed.
Gone.
Silence.
Sterling whispered,
"…she's not even trying…"
Huo Lou nodded slowly.
"…This is not normal…"
Then—
Everything stopped.
All shadows—
Froze.
Mid-air.
Mid-motion.
Zian blinked.
…Not my doing.
The shadows slowly lowered.
And then—
One by one—
They knelt.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Sterling's mouth opened.
"…WHY ARE THEY POLITE."
Huo Lou whispered,
"…this is worse than attacking…"
Zian didn't move.
…This is new.
The shadows gathered.
Forming one figure.
Larger.
Clearer.
Stronger.
It stepped forward.
Then—
It knelt.
Deeply.
"…Your Highness…"
Pause.
"…Welcome home."
Silence.
Sterling turned slowly.
"…WHO IS IT TALKING TO."
Huo Lou didn't answer.
Because—
Every shadow—
Was facing—
Zian.
Zian blinked once.
…No.
Pause.
Incorrect.
"…Stand up," she said calmly.
The shadows didn't move.
"…Command not accepted…" the figure said.
Sterling whispered,
"…IT REJECTED HER???"
Zian tilted her head slightly.
Annoying.
She raised her hand.
Snapped.
Snap.
Every shadow—
Disappeared.
Instantly.
Forcefully.
Gone.
Silence returned.
Zian lowered her hand.
Better.
Sterling fell backward.
"…I am not important in this story…"
Huo Lou sat down slowly.
"…We are background people…"
Fiang Sheng stood still.
Looking at Zian.
Not shocked.
Not confused.
Thinking.
Deeply.
"…They weren't attacking you," he said.
Zian blinked.
Correct.
"…Yes," she replied.
Pause.
"…They recognized you," he added.
Zian looked away.
Irrelevant.
"…They were wrong," she said.
Silence.
Fiang Sheng didn't argue.
But he didn't agree either.
He stepped closer.
"…You didn't look surprised," he said.
Zian froze internally.
…
That—
Was also true.
Pause.
Because it felt familiar.
She sat down again.
Picked up her tea.
Calm.
"…Irrelevant," she said.
Sterling whispered,
"…SHE DOES THAT WHEN SHE'S HIDING SOMETHING."
Zian didn't look at him.
I am not hiding anything.
Pause.
I think.
Huo Lou leaned closer to Sterling.
"…This is getting serious…"
Zian ignored them.
Conclusion:
Shadows = evolving.
Recognition = confirmed.
Fiang Sheng = observing too much.
Pause.
Me = still in control.
She took a sip of tea.
But this time—
It didn't taste the same.
Because in her mind—
One sentence repeated.
Welcome home.
Pause.
…Home?
She stared at her tea.
I don't have a home like that.
Outside—
Far away—
The shadows gathered again.
Whispering.
Waiting.
Because this time—
They were certain.
Their ruler—
Had returned.
Even if—
She refused to remember it.
And next time—
They wouldn't just kneel.
They would wait—
For her command. 😈🔥