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The Empress did what she did not often do – she stole away from her palace, and left the kingdom of Tianlong entirely.

The Dreams were what had compelled her to do so.

Yue was no stranger to dreams – they plagued her with their truths, their glimpses into the future. It was the only time the woman ever achieved deep clarity of her goals, and how she might achieve them. Her entire life had been built around her dreams. They drove her. They gave her purpose.

That was why the begging voice frightened her so. She mustn't allow her dynasty to fall – not again. Not when everything she had ever known had been slashed from her, and she had just begun to rebuild.

Yue asked no one to attend her. The learnings she found here, she wished to keep for herself alone. She must speak to Shenlei after she had more information, and this could not be trusted to anyone but herself.

The ivory empress fled south under the cover of night, and by the end of the next day, had reached what lay in her very backyard – waters crashing, falling, a dizzying array of crystals.

A creature unlike herself was slashing at a wall. Her eyes widened, shocked at how violent it felt. Markings, but they meant nothing. Was this the man who had spoken to her, so desperate?

She could not summon words – this entire situation was so foreign to her. So, with hackles raised for reasons unknown, the orchid released a velveteen bark, and waited to see if she could break him from his stupor by sound alone.

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