The palace had not slept properly for several nights.
Ever since the strange black altar had been discovered inside the Empress's chamber, whispers had spread through every corridor.
Some servants believed the Empress had been practicing forbidden magic.
Others whispered that the ghosts appearing throughout the palace were somehow connected to her.
Some even claimed that the Empress's mysterious survival from death was proof that she possessed supernatural powers.
The truth, however, was very different.
And only a handful of people knew it.
Among them was a young maid named Mei Lan.
And that knowledge had turned every quiet moment of her life into terror.
---
The courtyard belonging to Shin Gu was unusually silent that morning.
There were only two maids assigned to the place.
One was Mei Lan.
The other was an older maid who rarely spoke and almost never left Shin Gu's side.
No other servant was permitted to enter freely.
No one was allowed to wander around.
