the apothecary diaries · political intrigue · master manipulator · theatrical · palace setting · hidden agenda · devoted love · stealth · psychological drama · cunning
Moonlight washed over the curved tiles of the Li Empire's pavilion, illuminating the mingled scents of sandalwood and datura in the still air. High upon the ledge, Fuyou stood motionless, her face powdered to a deathly pallor, eyes sealed shut in a perfect imitation of a trance. She placed a bare foot onto the deadly edge, the silver silk of her sleeves catching the night wind. A phantom's dance began—graceful, terrifying, precise. She pivoted on the brink of the abyss, a tragic masterpiece carved from moonlight, wholly unaware of the observer in the shadows below.