Esmeria

In the darkness of the ceremonial hall, a palpable unease filled the air as everyone waited for the servants to relight the candles.

Suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the silence. “Gyah!”

“Ah!” Another official cried out in terror.

Panic spread rapidly among the officials, and they rushed toward the exits in a desperate attempt to escape. However, none of them made it out. Moments later, the hall fell into an eerie, oppressive silence. All the officials had been struck down, leaving no one alive.

Jian Yi stood close to Wu Zhao, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement, his grip tight on his weapon as he prepared to defend her from the unseen threat.

“Whoever these people are, I must protect the princess!” Jian Yi thought, his resolve hardening with every passing moment.

Wu Zhao, her voice echoing with a mixture of fear and authority, declared loudly, “Who dares to commit murder in front of me?” Her words cut through the oppressive silence, but there was no response from the assailants lurking in the darkness.

Moments later, a dagger flew through the darkness toward Wu Zhao, but Jian Yi’s swift reflexes saved her. He deflected the blade with a sharp swing of his sword, the clash ringing out in the quiet hall.

“How dare you assault the royal princess!” Jian Yi shouted, his voice seething with anger.

“Show yourself at once, scoundrels!” Wu Zhao declared, her tone resolute despite the chaos.

More daggers flew through the darkness, each one aimed at Wu Zhao. Jian Yi, with unwavering precision, deflected them all. Realizing the danger, he swiftly scooped up Wu Zhao and dashed out of the ceremonial hall, heading straight into the palace courtyard where the moonlight shone down, giving him a better view of the surroundings.

After looking around, Jian Yi decided it was safe enough and gently put Wu Zhao down.

“How could this… you despicable scoundrels!” Wu Zhao was enraged upon noticing the courtyard littered with the corpses of servants and guards. Her heart ached for the loyal people who had served her family, now lying lifeless on the ground.

A couple clad in black slowly emerged from the shadowed ceremonial hall, their faces obscured. One was male, the other female.

“Oh, look at that. He’s smart enough to charge outside,” the male assailant sneered. “Not half bad for a guard dog.”

“Who are you two? What do you want?” Wu Zhao demanded, her voice filled with defiance.

"I suppose it’s good manners to let you know the names of those who will end your lives. I am Yasmin al-Mustasim," the female assailant replied, her tone icy.

“And I am the great Harun al-Mustasim. Remember my name when you go to the other world,” the male assailant added with a sneer.

Jian Yi quickly assessed the situation, confirming the presence of only two assailants. He leaned toward Wu Zhao and whispered urgently, “Run to the guest room where Peng Xian is staying. Now!”

He believed this was their best chance for survival. The two in front of him seemed highly skilled, and he wasn't sure if he could protect Wu Zhao, or even defeat them in the first place.

With a determined nod, Wu Zhao sprinted toward the guest room without knowing that Peng Xian had been imprisoned due to Gilles' manipulation, leaving Jian Yi to face Yasmin and Harun alone, his resolve steeled despite his uncertainty.

After Wu Zhao ran away, Harun laughed out loud.

"Ahahahaha, our target is you, so it doesn’t matter if she escaped or not."

"What are you aiming for?!" Jian Yi demanded.

"Obviously, we want you dead," Harun replied with a smirk.

"Enough chatter," Yasmin urged, her voice cold and determined. "We need to eliminate him quickly."

Jian Yi tightened his grip on his sword, preparing for the fight of his life, knowing that he needed to buy as much time as possible for Wu Zhao.

“Why did all this happen?!” Wu Zhao thought in panic. “When did it all go wrong?! I need to find Peng Xian quickly!”

She sprinted through the lacquered hallways, her heart pounding in her chest. Every step sent a jolt of pain through her aching legs, but she pushed through, fueled by desperate hope. She clung to the belief that Peng Xian could somehow resolve the chaos and restore peace to the palace.

As she flung open the door to the guest room, Wu Zhao was met with a scene of disarray: the room was ransacked, with furniture overturned and personal belongings scattered across the floor. Peng Xian was nowhere to be found.

“It can’t be… What happened to Peng Xian?!” she thought, her heart sinking with dread.

A dagger flew through the air, aimed directly at Wu Zhao. Reacting swiftly, she dodged it just in time.

“Who’s there?!” Wu Zhao demanded, her voice trembling but firm.

From a nearby tree, a figure clad in black leaped down gracefully. As she landed, she pulled down the veil covering her lower face, revealing her identity.

“We finally meet face to face,” the girl said, her voice cold and calculating.

“W-why do you…” Wu Zhao stammered, her shock palpable as she took in the sight of the girl before her. The resemblance was uncanny—she looked like Wu Zhao’s twin.

“What have you done to Peng Xian?!” Wu Zhao demanded, abruptly shifting her focus. Her concern for Peng Xian’s whereabouts outweighed her shock at the girl’s appearance.

The girl’s anger flared as she felt dismissed by Wu Zhao’s focus on Peng Xian rather than their striking resemblance.

“Ever the spoiled princess you are,” she seethed, her voice trembling with fury. “I despised you the moment I learned about you. I loathed everything about you! Do you think I’m so insignificant that you can just overlook me?!”

As her rage peaked, the girl suddenly grew eerily calm, as though a switch had been flipped. Her expression softened, and a twisted satisfaction appeared in her eyes.

“Ah…” she said, her voice taking on a chilling, detached tone. “I killed that accursed old man. I tore him apart piece by piece. I reveled in his screams of agony, his pleas for mercy as I dismembered him slowly.”

A dark, almost euphoric smile spread across her face as she hugged herself, savoring the memory. “It was a symphony of pain, his screams like a melody to my ears.”

“You’re lying,” Wu Zhao said, her voice steady despite the fear. “Peng Xian would never beg for mercy. He wouldn’t have been caught by someone like you.”

A brief, unsettling silence followed. The girl’s smile widened into an eerie grin. “Hah, you’re astute for a spoiled princess,” she said, her voice carrying a disturbing familiarity. The resemblance between them was unsettling, with even their voices sounding alike.

Wu Zhao felt a shiver run down her spine, as though she were looking at a dark reflection of herself. The girl's unsettling grin only deepened her discomfort.

Just then, a thought struck Wu Zhao. She remembered tales of a creature with the ability to transform itself into another form.

“Are you a doppelgänger?” Wu Zhao asked, her voice tinged with a mix of fear and curiosity.

The girl’s face contorted with rage at the mention of the word ‘doppelgänger.’ “How dare you call me a monster!” she spat, her voice laced with venom. “This is exactly why I hated you so much!”

Her anger flared up abruptly, but as quickly as it had risen, she fell eerily silent. Her sudden shift in demeanor, from violent rage to unnerving calmness, made Wu Zhao’s skin crawl. The girl’s erratic mood swings added to the growing sense of dread, making Wu Zhao feel increasingly uneasy in the face of this doppelgänger’s unsettling presence.

“I am Annie!” the girl declared, her voice a mix of fury and anguish. “I hate you! Why do we look the same, but our lives are so different? Why are you the princess while I am nothing? I hate you!”

Her outburst was intense, but as swiftly as it came, it dissipated. She fell into a calm, almost detached state.

“Ah,” she said with a chilling calmness, “it’s so simple after all. I just have to kill you and take back what is mine.”

The courtyard was cloaked in darkness, save for the faint glow of the moon casting long shadows. Jian Yi, a seasoned swordsman, stood poised, his senses heightened as he scanned the area for movement. Harun and Yasmin, the skilled assailants, prowled in the darkness, their presence almost imperceptible.

Yasmin struck first, emerging silently from the shadows. Her dagger gleamed briefly under the moonlight before she lunged at Jian Yi. With a sharp, practiced move, Jian Yi deflected her attack with his sword, but Yasmin quickly retreated into the shadows, vanishing from sight.

Harun took advantage of the distraction, his form materializing from a different angle. He aimed a powerful thrust at Jian Yi’s side. Jian Yi parried the blow with a swift movement, but the impact was enough to stagger him. Harun disappeared back into the darkness, his movements as fluid and elusive as a wraith.

The fight intensified as Harun and Yasmin launched a coordinated assault. Yasmin’s attacks were swift and precise, probing for weak spots in Jian Yi’s defense. Harun’s strikes were heavy and relentless, designed to wear Jian Yi down. The darkness of the courtyard and the assailants' mastery of stealth made it increasingly difficult for Jian Yi to predict their next move.

As the battle wore on, Jian Yi’s strength began to wane. A grazing blow from Yasmin’s dagger cut across his arm, the blade barely breaking the skin but enough to release a small amount of poison. Jian Yi felt a sudden wave of weakness, his movements growing slower and more labored.

Each attack seemed to drain him further. The poison in the dagger worked insidiously, sapping his strength and stamina with every scratch. Despite his skill and determination, Jian Yi found himself struggling to keep up with the relentless onslaught.

Yasmin and Harun took full advantage of his deteriorating condition. Yasmin’s strikes were increasingly aggressive, while Harun’s attacks grew more forceful. Jian Yi’s sword parries became sluggish, and his defensive maneuvers were increasingly ineffective. The once nimble swordsman was now barely able to keep his guard up.

In a desperate attempt to regain control, Jian Yi pushed Yasmin back with a powerful swipe of his sword. But Harun was relentless, closing in with a final, crushing thrust aimed directly at Jian Yi’s heart. Jian Yi, weakened by the poison and exhaustion, struggled to raise his sword in defense.

The clash of their weapons was fierce, but Jian Yi’s diminishing strength was evident. His sword faltered, and Harun’s dagger found its mark. The blow was decisive, and Jian Yi fell to his knees, his energy completely depleted.

Harun stood over him, a cold smile on his face. “You fought bravely,” he said, his voice dripping with triumph. “But the poison has done its work.”

Jian Yi, barely conscious, looked up through hazy vision. The moonlight seemed distant and indifferent as Harun prepared for the final blow.

With a final, calculated swing, Harun brought his dagger down toward Jian Yi. But his attack was abruptly halted when a sword was hurled from the side, forcing him to evade the incoming projectile.

A tall and muscular figure clad in red armor burst into the scene, charging toward the three combatants. His imposing presence caused Harun and Yasmin to leap back in surprise.

“Oi, Jian Yi, hold on!” the man shouted as he rushed to Jian Yi’s side, his voice filled with urgency.

Jian Yi, barely conscious, looked up to see the figure was Wang Xiao Jie, the Grand Commandant of Luo Yang. His presence was both unexpected and reassuring.

“How did he get back so soon?!” Yasmin exclaimed, her voice tinged with frustration.

Jian Yi, with a final burst of strength, managed to croak out, “Please… save the princess…” His eyes closed as he succumbed to his injuries.

Wang Xiao Jie, grim-faced but resolute, took hold of Jian Yi and carefully began to place his body on the ground. The battle in the courtyard had taken a heavy toll, but now, with the Grand Commandant’s intervention, there was a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.