Chapter 9

Elsa paused, surprise flickering in her eyes as she looked up at me. She poured me a cup of coffee, its fragrance cutting through the lingering scent of medicine. After a moment, she spoke slowly, "I once heard my mentor say that, right before the Era of Luminance fell, a hundred priestesses discovered a secret ritual.

"They enter the formation with their own bodies, hoping it would let them cross time and space. The technique was called Time Reversal. But after the ritual was completed, all the priestesses disappeared. No one really knows if it's true or just a rumor; most people treat it as nothing more than a legend."

"Enter the formation with their own bodies..." I murmured, my fingers gripping the cup, the cool porcelain pressed against my palm. "But what if someone really did enter it? What would happen then?"

"All the priestesses who entered the formation vanished. I can't say what really happened to them. Maybe they could cross time and space, their bodies and souls both sent into the past." Elsa's gaze lingered on me, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "How do you know about this formation?"

I froze, unable to speak for a long moment.

Being here, having crossed ten years to the twelfth year of the Era of Luminance, and ending up beside young Winston, meant the ritual was real.

I looked at Elsa and said after a long pause, "You will enter this formation."

Elsa was clearly confused, but I kept showing up at her place every couple of days. Using what I remembered about her, I gradually got closer to her, and casually steered our conversations toward the Time Reversal ritual.

She was already fascinated by the lost formation, so she agreed to investigate it. The problem was, there was almost no information about Time Reversal beyond its name. No one knew which materials were required or what was needed to activate the ritual.

The New Year's Eve in the twelfth year of the Era of Luminance arrived unusually early. A heavy snowfall turned the palace into a world of silver, and even the courtyard of Tranquil Hall was blanketed in white, no longer as cold and empty as before.

I had planned to stay up for the New Year with Winston, and since Elsa was all alone, I invited her to the Tranquil Hall. But when Winston walked in carrying a bouquet of roses, his smile froze the moment he saw Elsa. A flicker of childish sulk crossed his face.

"So, you've been gone from the hall lately just to see her?" He set the roses down on the table, sounding jealous.

I couldn't help but laugh at his question, while Elsa, picking up on the mood, stood up and said, "Your Highness, you and the young lady should enjoy New Year's Eve together. I won't intrude."

With that, she turned to leave, but Winston quickly reached out to block me, not letting me follow her. He planted his hand on the doorframe, looking down at me like a little beast guarding its prize. "Tonight, it's just you and me."

His eyes sparkled with the reflection of the snow, outshining even the red roses in the courtyard.

In the end, I couldn't say no to him. We sat together by the charcoal fire, the sweet scent of roasted sweet potatoes filling the air and melting away the winter chill. He peeled a sweet potato for me and handed it over.

It was so hot it made my fingertips go numb, but he leaned in and gently blew on them, his warm breath warming not just my fingers, but my heart too.

"Rae," he said suddenly, his voice soft, "I promise, next year, you'll have a good life. You won't have to beg for food in the palace kitchen anymore, and no one will dare push you around."

I took a bite of the sweet potato; the sweetness lingered on my tongue, but my nose burned with the urge to cry.

I looked at him and whispered, "Alright."

But as for what kind of "good" it really was, not even I knew for sure.

Winter faded into spring, and the summer of the thirteenth year of the Era of Luminance was unusually stifling. Winston spent his days studying at the Royal Academy, and when he came back at night, he'd sit under the lamp, writing his essays.

I sat beside him, fanning him and shooing away mosquitoes. Fireflies danced around the candle flame, and as I reached out to catch one, I accidentally knocked over the candle, plunging the room into darkness.

"Wait, did I go blind again?" I blurted out, instinctively reaching out, and my hand brushed against Winston's. His hand was cool, and he gently took mine, whispering, "The candle went out. Don't be scared."

He relit the candle, its glow softening his features. I noticed a light sweat on his brow and quietly slipped off my outer robe, leaving only a thin silk dress. But before I could settle in, he reached over and draped the robe back onto my shoulders.

Keeping his eyes fixed on his book, he said, "Men and women should keep proper boundaries. I'm still young, and I need to be careful."

He kept lecturing me, making my cheeks burn even hotter. I reached for my robe again, but he grabbed my hand, his ears turning bright red. Then he turned away and muttered, "You should go."

I watched his retreating figure as he practically fled the room, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

How could this awkward, innocent boy ever become the hardened ruler he would one day be?

Life had been calm, but everything changed because of one dried-up well.

Rumors spread among the palace staff: the dried-up well on the west side of the imperial garden was reeking of something awful. My heart tightened; this was the very well where Winston had tossed Rae's body and the queen's ceremonial robe.