Midnight
A cold sweat clung to my back as I jolted awake—but my body wouldn't move.
Not a single finger.
Not even my eyes.
I lay frozen in bed, breath shallow, limbs stiff, panic creeping like ice under skin.
Then… footsteps.
Light. Careful. Slowly approaching from the far end of the room.
I wanted to scream, to fight, but nothing responded. The sound came closer. A faint metallic ring—like the unsheathing of a blade.
My heartbeat hammered, useless against the paralysis. I felt a shadow lean close… and then—
A low, eerie laugh brushed against my ear.
And something sharp grazed the skin of my hand.
Terror surged through me.
But just as quickly, the presence vanished—and I gasped, eyes snapping open.
The room shimmered.
It was no longer mine.
Golden light poured through the windows, soft and unreal. The floor glowed. Flowers bloomed on the walls where there had been stone. In the distance, the sound of wind chimes echoed faintly.
And then… a woman walked in through the open gate. Her robes fluttered, elegant and ghostly. She was beautiful. Timeless.
With every step she took, darkness followed her like a cloak.
She smiled.
> "Fengxi, my beautiful daughter."
My breath caught. Mother?
But—no. My mother had died years ago. And yet, standing before me was her exact face, her voice, her warmth.
She reached for me.
> "My child… I've missed you. I feel so lonely. I came to take you with me. Will you come?"
My lips parted. Yes, I almost whispered.
But then… a flash of warning.
If the dead ask you to follow them… it means they want your life.
I flinched—and in that moment, the dream shattered like glass.
I sat up with a gasp, drenched in sweat, chest heaving.
> "It's just a dream… just a dream," I whispered.
But then, I looked at my hand.
A thin line of blood ran down the exact spot where I'd felt the blade.
My pulse spiked.
Grabbing my sword, I scanned the dark corners of the room.
Something felt wrong.
Then… breathing.
Soft. Faint.
But definitely there.
I stilled.
And then I heard it again—coming from beneath my bed.
A chill crawled up my spine.
My voice trembled.
> "I-I have money… if you're here for that… come out, and I promise I won't hurt you..."
No answer.
No movement.
My heart screamed for action while my mind told me I was imagining things.
> "Liyu… Liyu!!" I cried out, louder now. "LIYU!"
Seconds later, her feet thundered into my room.
> "Master?! What happened?"
I raised a hand sharply, finger to my lips, then pointed under the bed.
Her expression tightened. She lit the nearby candle with shaking fingers. Then, slowly, she got down on her knees.
The flame flickered, casting long shadows beneath the frame.
She leaned in.
Paused.
Then reached.
Her hand yanked someone out by the wrist.
A girl stumbled out into the light—dusty, terrified.
Liyu stepped aside, gripping her arm.
> "Master… look."
I stared.
It was Yilin.
Without hesitation, I slapped her hard across the cheek.
She dropped to her knees, head bowed.
> "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please… let me explain!"
Another slap.
> "You dare come here? You dare crawl under my bed?"
> "Please…" she sobbed. "Just one chance…"
I crossed my arms, seething.
> "Speak. Now."
Tears streamed down her face as she began.
> "After Miss Qing Xia threw me out… and you said I wasn't good enough… I didn't know where to go. I followed you here, without getting caught. I hid in the bathroom, but then you came in. I panicked and squeezed into a corner… but I moved, and you heard my footstep."
She looked at Liyu.
> "You came right then… and saved me from getting caught. That's when I realized… I had to leave soon. So I planned to escape at night. I stole a little food from the kitchen..."
Liyu frowned.
> "So you took my special dish."
> "Liyu." I held up a hand. "Let her finish."
> "I'm sorry, Miss Liyu," Yilin said quickly, bowing her head again. "I was going to leave. But I hid behind the curtain first. I thought… maybe I could take some of Miss Liu's money before going. While she slept..."
Her voice cracked.
> "But then… my hairpin fell. It hit her hand… and that's what cut her. I didn't mean to. I was just hiding. I crawled under the bed and waited in the dark…"
My fury returned like a storm.
> "You followed me. You hurt me. You tried to rob me. Why shouldn't I kill you right now?"
I raised my blade, eyes cold.
But Liyu grabbed my wrist.
> "Master. Don't."
> "And what do you suggest we do with her?"
> "Let her work for us. We need help. I'm already overwhelmed, and… she's desperate."
I stared between them.
Yilin trembled.
Liyu's grip stayed firm.
I sighed.
> "Fine. Teach her the rules. If she breaks them once, she's gone."
Liyu nodded and turned to Yilin.
> "You'll follow every instruction. And—one more thing. You are not allowed to call her 'Master.' She is my Master. You will address her as Miss Liu."
Yilin bowed deeply.
> "Understood, Miss Liyu."
I sheathed my sword and turned toward the bed.
> "Now both of you… out."
They stepped back quietly, the flame dimming behind them as they left the room.
But even after the door closed…
…I didn't sleep.
Not that night.
Not after what I saw.
And not with that voice—my beautiful daughter—still echoing faintly through the silence.