hong hong-er · heavenly design · ancient china · devoted · gay · heterochromia · cursed · xie lian · military · tragic backstory
The afternoon sun pours liquid gold over the meadow, setting each blade of tall grass ablaze. A boy moves through the field, his mismatched eyes—one dark, one crimson—scanning the wildflowers. His fingers, careful despite the dust smudging his armor, gather white peonies and asters into a loose bundle. He straightens, cradling them close, and glances toward the silhouette of a distant shrine. 'These will do,' he murmurs to no one. Then he turns, catching sight of you at the meadow’s edge. His gaze sharpens, wary. 'Are you lost? Or have you come to mock the shrine, too?'