That night
The study was quiet.
A single candle burned on Shen Yao's desk, its flame low and wavering, casting restless shadows across the scrolls and papers scattered before him. The night air pressed against the window, cold and still.
Shen Yao sat with his back straight, a scroll half‑unrolled before him. His eyes moved across the characters without truly seeing them. He had been reading the same line for the past ten minutes.
He couldn't tell why he couldn't focus
Setting the scroll down, he rubbed his brow.
His fingers trembled slightly.
Looking at them, he pressed them flat against the desk and the trembling stopped. He let out a slow breath and flexed his hand.
"It's nothing," he told himself.
"I'm just stressed and tired."
The feeling was familiar somehow, and that familiarity unsettled him more than the pain itself.
He stood to stretch and maybe because of how abrupt it was he swayed.
The room tilted. His hand shot out and caught the edge of the desk. He gripped the dark wood until his knuckles turned pale.
His veins visible under the flickering light.
It wasn't exhaustion.
Feeling felt way too familiar to him, but he couldn't remember why
Pushing himself back, he sat back down slowly, his legs felt heavy, his breath shallow. A dull ache pressed against his chest.
He coughed.
Once. Twice. A dry, hollow sound that scraped his throat like dry cement.
Then on the third one he quickly covered his face with a cloth feeling something rusty caught in the back of his throat.
He pulled his hand away.
He glanced down to see a glaring darkish red color spreading across the cloth in his palm.
Blood.
His eyes narrowed.
Not the normal red but a darker shade
How?
He knew what it meant he had been poisoned.
He stared at it for a long moment in silence.
When?
Was it during the banquet?
He frowned realizing he had been careless.
Before he could think anymore the cold hit him like a wave — not just sudden, but with a creeping icy feeling going through his chest, limbs, and fingertips. He felt like his body was no longer his own.
Exerting his strength, he tried to stand again, but his legs wouldn't respond. As his body sank back into the chair, his head lolling to the side. His dazed eyes fell to the bloodstained cloth beneath his chair as he used lay motionless, its edges crumpled and dark.
Remembering the duration, he realized that whatever he had taken had triggered this
And that pill
He hadn't taken any in days. He had been careless at the banquet. Distracted by everything, the scheme, the chaos.
And now it came back to bite him.
He closed his eyes.
His lashes slightly trembling as he waited for whatever it was to pass.
---
Slouching in his seat the only thing Shen Yao could hear right now was the sound of his own heartbeat as he glanced down.
The courtyard was silent for a while.
Until he heard footsteps. Far away. Drawing closer.
A servant maybe,
he thought.
Why would they come here?
No... not this time
Not now
He tried to stand but couldn't. His thoughts slipping away with every wave of pain.
Outside the footsteps paused at his door. He heard the hesitation at the handle — as whoever it was withdrew.
Then they waited.
From the corner of his eyes, he noticed a shadowy figure move. Before a cool hand pressed a pill to his lips.
He swallowed instinctively.
After a while of silence, a knock was heard from outside.
"Young master"
The shadow paused for a while before it vanished.
"Young master"
"Young master, are you alright?"
As if noticing the abnormality in the room, the door was pushed open. A servant stepped inside.
His eyes darting urgently around the room before landing on Shen Yao. Seeing him seated and conscious, he breathed a sigh of relief.
But looking at his pale face he frowned slightly
"Young master, you're face it-"
"Why are you here?" he asked cutting him off completely.
Then as if remembering his purpose, his faced visibly paled as his eyes lowered, his voice urgent.
"Young Master....it's an imperial decree. You have been ordered to enter the palace immediately. The Xeng barbarians have broken through the northern border. The emperor requires your presence immediately."
Shen Yao nodded.
His vision was still slightly blurred, but his mind was coming back to normal. The cold was fading, leaving behind a hollow ache all over his limbs.
"You may leave" he said in a hoarse voice.
"Young master, I can-"
"Go"
Though a bit hesitant, the servant bowed and left quickly.
Watching the door close in front of him, Shen Yao took a deep breath.
After a while feeling a bit better, he raised his sleeve wiping the corner of his mouth then slowly stood up, his hand bracing against the desk.
He hissed silently standing next to the desk.
He had to change before he left, he thought glancing at his sleeve.
Stepping forward, he paused glancing at the ground specifically where the cloth was. He sighed in relief.
It wasn't there
Groaning slightly he headed out the study.
Luckily the pill acted fast
He closed the door of his study the candles flickering off as a shadow by passed it.
Throwing the room into darkness