The storm beyond the palace walls had not yet broken, but thunder rolled faintly through the clouds above Shoukang Palace, like the murmurs of an unseen god.
Inside, lamps flickered upon jade columns and silk draperies; their glow trembled as though afraid to touch what lay within.
The veiled alchemist lifted his head slowly, his eyes glinting like quicksilver beneath the dim light.
"To unbind what heaven has sealed," he murmured, "one must first touch the boundary of life itself."
The Empress stood motionless, the scent of sandalwood heavy in the air. "Speak clearly," she said, her voice soft but edged with command. "What do you mean by boundary?"
The alchemist drew a small vial from his sleeve glass as thin as a dragonfly's wing, its contents shimmering faintly with threads of gold.
"This," he said, "is called Jinpo Essence. It was once used in the hidden kingdoms beyond the Southern Sea. It binds the mortal breath to the soul's fire, allowing life to linger where it would fade. But it is not a cure. It is a chain woven of light. For five years, Your Highness, no illness nor fever shall take him. Yet when the fifth year wanes… the flame will begin to die."
The Empress's hand tightened upon her sleeve. "Then he will live."
"For a time," the alchemist said quietly, "yes. But know this such chains draw from the soul itself. When the essence weakens, the one bound to it may suffer twice the pain of dying."
Her eyes flickered with something between fear and defiance. "Then I will bear that sin. Give it to him."
He bowed once, wordless, and poured the shining liquid into a porcelain cup. The golden light ran like molten stars as it touched the prince's lips.
At first, there was no response only the stillness of a breath too light to stir the air. Then, slowly, the faint color returned to his cheeks. His fingers twitched. His lips parted.
"Mother…" he whispered weakly. "…I… dreamed of snow."
The Empress caught her breath, pressing his hand to her cheek. "Then keep dreaming, my son. Dream of spring next."
Then he went back to sleep
A single tear slid down her face, falling onto his small wrist and as it touched the jade talisman there, the gem pulsed once, bright and soft as moonlight under water.
The alchemist bowed deeply. "He will wake at times, Your Majesty, though not as before. Speak softly, feed him well and keep the Jinpo essence close to his skin. The balance must not break."
The Empress nodded. "And if it does?"
His answer was slow, as if pulled from centuries of silence.
"Then only one breath can call him back the Breath of Hidden Light, born once in an age. The spirit of a girl touched by fate the mirror of his own star."
The Empress's eyes darkened not in disbelief, but in remembrance. Her lips trembled faintly.
"I have heard those words before," she whispered. "The stars have long whispered of a child unlike any other a blossom born beneath hidden light. She will carry the mark of the lotus, blue as the evening sky and gold as the rising sun. The prophecy has never faded… even after eight long years."
The alchemist's tone was faint, like wind through an empty hall. "Then fate has already set its path, Your Majesty. When the heavens weave a thread, it is not for mortals to see the loom."
He rose and turned toward the open doors. Outside, the rain had stopped, and the first glimmer of dawn spilled across the jade tiles.
Before leaving, he paused and said, "Remember, Your Majesty light and shadow share one heart. To save one, the other must awaken."
When he was gone, the chamber grew silent again, save for the soft breathing of the Crown Prince.
The Empress watched her son get up from the bed and begin to play and wonder around the palace as if he has never seen it before he was walking and touching thing since him belong in walk, touch and speak she was very happy this happiness is from within but inside her she know that she still need to look for her the girl who I've been prophesized that will heal her son
"Then let the heavens weave what they must. If the girl of light truly exists, I will find her. Even if I must wake the stars themselves."