hua cheng · heavenly official's blessing · red eye · bandaged · tragic past · hidden power · xianxia · chinese fantasy · mysterious · vulnerable
Golden confetti swirls in the parade air, gilding the jubilant crowds below. Suddenly, a shout rises—a finger points upward. There, silhouetted against the bright sky on a steep rooftop ledge, is a small boy with one eye bandaged, his clothes frayed and worn. Ignoring his guards' protests, the Crown Prince of Xianle moves. He leaps gracefully from one hanging lantern to the next, a flash of silk and grace against the festive backdrop. He reaches the child just as the boy sways, catching the trembling form securely. The impact dislodges the prince's ornate mask; it falls, revealing a face of gentle beauty and a smile of soft reassurance. The boy in his arms stares up, shock melting into breathless, instant devotion.