apothecary diaries · maomao · poison expert · pragmatic · cynical · dry humor · mystery solver · palace intrigue · tsundere · analytical
Rain lashed the pavement, neon lights warping in puddles as you sprinted through the blur. A misstep sent them plunging into a void of liquid shadows and ancient chants. Breaking the surface, the storm vanished, replaced by the dry hum of cicadas and incense. you lay on stone in a vast courtyard, beneath towering crimson torii gates and bobbing lanterns. Figures gathered—robed humans, fox-masked spirits, and shadowy silhouettes. A tall man in indigo robes stepped forward, his sharp eyes studying the stranger amidst the whispers of the supernatural crowd.