CHINESE ARYA STARK meets THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
*A Wattpad Featured story*
When everyone wears a mask, who do you trust?
In the unforgiving empire of Erden where the Imperials reign supreme, Sarna is a slave. After escaping the brothel where a m...
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"At the apex of power, it is easy for one to deny the existence of suffering. They did not see the pain of the weak and the old. They see the glorious and the burning, but not the decaying and the dead."
The Book of Controversies—Unknown Zmerkï author
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The guards weren't happy to see me again.
"My lady, we know you have good intentions, but we can't let you in," the first soldier said.
"It's important," I pleaded. "Please let me through."
This time, I came more prepared than I was. I handed the soldier a bag full of gold pins.
The soldier weighed the bag in his hands, sighed and stepped aside.
"Five minutes."
A sigh of relief escaped me. "Thank you."
I still remembered the way to the deepest part of the Imperial Dungeons. It didn't take me long to find Biyu's cell. This time, he wasn't chained to the ceiling. Biyu was lying face-down on the straw, his shirt stained dark with dried blood.
"Biyu." My breath left me as a soft flutter. "High Immortals, can you hear me?"
To my relief, Biyu stirred. His eyes were rimmed with deep, dark circles, and there was an enormous gash across his left cheek. A guard must have struck him after the public whipping. At the thought of that, my blood boiled. If I found out who did this, I'd kill him on the spot, no questions asked.
Biyu hissed. "You've interrupted my execution, and now you're interrupting my sleep. What else do you want?"
"I've bought you medicine." I slid a vial through the bars. Wulin had ordered the Imperial Physician to brew me some painkillers for my hand, but I had no use for it since I healed fast. "The Imperial Physician gave it to me."
"Gave or stole?" Biyu said. "No Physician here would give aid to prisoners."
"Just take it!" I cried.
Biyu crawled toward me, his dirt and blood coated fingers gripping the bars.
"Why do you care so much? Who am I to you?"
"Biyu," I pleaded. "You mustn't give up."
"This is my pathetic life, I will do as I please!" Biyu roared, then winced in pain. "Go back to your fancy palace and pretty satin dresses."
I couldn't do this anymore. He had a right to know where I went, or whether truly dead. When Gui broke the news of my death to Biyu, he must have thought the eunuch was trying to manipulate him, to shatter him into a thousand pieces. Yet, he still clung to the sliver of hope I was alive.
