Palace of Solitude
The Moonstone Palace gleamed beneath the quiet of night. Its walls, carved from translucent crystal, caught the glow of spirit lamps and scattered pale radiance across the courtyards. Below the jade balcony, lotus ponds shimmered like pools of starlight, their blossoms glowing faintly from the formations that nourished them year-round. A breeze carried the subtle fragrance of petals through the open arches, cool and refreshing, yet it did nothing to settle Su Liana's heart.
She sat on her jade chair with perfect posture, her snow-white robes flowing in graceful folds that seemed untouched by the weight of the world. From afar, she might have looked serene, the very picture of immortal composure. But her fingers, tapping lightly against the armrest, betrayed the storm within.
Her thoughts refused to stay in the palace. Again and again they returned to a world of thin essence and fragile mortals. She remembered the hotel, the sterile air, the nervous workers, and the moment her artifact pulsed. That resonance had seized her heart like a chain. At last, I've found him, she had thought. She had walked forward without hesitation, certain her brother was within reach.
What she found instead was the man now locked in the prison below. Karma.
A mortal, ordinary and unremarkable by all appearances. Yet when she probed him, a faint thread of resonance clung to his blood, fragile but undeniable. In her desperation, she had convinced herself he was her brother Su Chen, sealed or dormant, his aura hidden away. She had dragged him across worlds to the Astral Vein.
Her father's judgment had been merciless. "This is not your brother. He is a mortal. A mistake. Dispose of him."
Even now, those words echoed like knives. She had pleaded until her father relented, sparing his life but throwing him into the Sage Suppression Prison. And ever since, guilt had gnawed at her. She had torn a man from his world, from his family, from everything he knew—an innocent caught in the wake of her desperation.
And her brother? Still missing. Still lost in that fragile world, stripped of essence, unable to defend himself. Every passing day carved deeper worry into her heart.
Su Liana pressed her fingertips to her temple, closing her eyes. The palace around her glowed softly, but it brought no peace.
The Mortal's Request
A maid's voice broke the silence. "Young Lady."
Her eyes opened, sharp as a blade. The two maids bowed low. One hesitated before speaking again. "The mortal… he is shouting. He reeks, my Lady. The guards say the smell is unbearable, but none dare act without your word."
For a moment, irritation stirred. But then, a heavier feeling. So, he had awakened. Perhaps now he would finally beg her for release, demand to return to his world. What would she do then? Could she send him back? Or would she only bury herself under more guilt?
Her heart tightened. Still, she rose, her steps graceful as drifting snow. "I will see for myself."
The stench struck her before the prison came into view. Acrid and vile, thick enough to make her refined senses recoil. Her expression remained composed, though her attendants shifted uncomfortably behind her.
And then she saw him.
Karma knelt on the stone floor, drenched in black sludge. His eyes were wide, desperate, his hands clasped together as he made frantic gestures.
She braced herself for fury. For curses. For pleas to return him to Earth.
Instead—
"Water!" he begged, pointing at himself, scrubbing the air with trembling hands. "Please… water… clothes…"
Su Liana froze.
Of all the things she had imagined, this had not been one of them.
No hatred. No accusations. No mention of Earth. His only plea was for water.
Her phoenix eyes softened slightly, though her voice remained steady. "Bring him water. And garments."
The servants hurried. Buckets were rolled in, towels and soap laid out, a fresh white robe placed carefully nearby.
For three hours, the mortal scrubbed himself raw, each motion a desperate attempt to strip off the life he had known. The black sludge clung stubbornly, but with every agonizing hour, the last vestiges of his old life came away.
Su Liana remained, though her attendants fidgeted from the smell. She watched, silent, as the man washed himself clean.
An Unspoken Bond
When at last he emerged, his appearance startled her. Gone was the weary youth she had mistaken for her brother. His skin shone pale and clear, his features sharpened into striking symmetry, his hair long and black, gleaming in the dim light. Even his bearing felt different—subtle, yet undeniable.
For a moment, her breath caught. She mastered herself instantly, but the image lingered in her heart. She noticed a faint, almost imperceptible glow to his skin, a new light in his eyes, and a quiet strength in his posture that had not been there before.
He bowed slightly, his lips moving in words she could not understand. But the tone was unmistakable. Gratitude.
Su Liana tilted her head, unsettled. This was not the face she had dragged from Earth. He had changed—refined, renewed, almost as though fate itself had remade him.
Her father's words returned to her mind. "He may become a threat."
Once, she had dismissed it. A mortal, dangerous? Impossible.
No mortal should have survived refinement. No mortal could have shed impurities without guidance, without technique. Yet he had. His body had adapted, his aura faint but alive.
Was it chance? Was it fortune? Or was it something else entirely?
But now, watching him stand with quiet resolve, she felt a chilling certainty; this was no mere accident. Her gaze lingered longer than it should have.
At first, she had seen only guilt—a mistake to be corrected. But now, she saw possibility. He was not her brother, but perhaps fate had placed him here for a reason.
Still, she would not be careless. She would not let her heart rule her judgment. She would watch him, test him, and judge for herself. His next request, whatever it might be, would reveal his soul.
And if he proved himself? Then perhaps this stranger from another world would no longer be just a mistake.
Su Liana turned away, her robes whispering across the stone. Yet her thoughts remained caught between guilt, doubt, and a faint thread of curiosity she could not sever.
The mortal had asked for water, and she had given it. The next thing he sought would decide his path.
And she, Su Liana of the Astral Vein, would decide what to do with it.