Page 18 of The Wind Dancer
“Blood purity exceeds 99%.”
The voice reached to the very depths of the mind, carrying something inescapable, unchangeable, like time itself.
“The transfer of security systems control rights has been confirmed.”
I wanted to ask what all this meant, but the words were stuck in my throat.
Suddenly, the floor beneath me burst into flames. Ancient symbols glowed in dazzling gold, enveloping the space in a shining network. I felt like they were pulsating in time with my heartbeats.
The ground beneath my feet trembled again.
And I sensed the call.
Something that had been dormant inside me opened its eyes. It wasn’t a feeling, or a thought, but a direction.
I sensed the way I needed to go.
I didn’t know where this was, but I felt like a compass needle was inside my skull.
The voice continued:
“Access granted. The Ascension protocol has been activated.”
The world shook and dissolved into fire.
Mei Lin’s Interlude
Mei Lin’s room lay in near darkness. The only light source was a thin strip of moonlight coming in through the shutters. She was sitting at the table, bent over the spread-out reports, when the air suddenly felt thicker.
The mirror on the wall trembled, as if stirred by a passing wind, and slowly, another presence formed within it.
Mei Lin straightened and bowed her head, respectfully folding her hands in front of herself.
“Master,” she said evenly.
A tall man in dark robes embroidered with delicate silver patterns appeared in the reflection. His face was partially hidden in shadow, but there was an icy, bone-chilling flame in his eyes. Just like hers.
“Have you found traces of Jian Wei’s legacy?” His voice was deep and level, and the authority in it left no room for argument.
Mei Lin nodded.
“Yes, sir. I found his student.”
There were a few seconds of silence before the man spoke again.
“Give me an evaluation of him.”
She thought for a moment, choosing her words with the utmost precision.
“He’s better trained than most of our field agents. He’s smart, quick, and cold-blooded. However, he is too independent and strong-willed. He would not tolerate being controlled. And...” Mei Lin tilted her head slightly. “He does not yet realize the situation he is in.”
The master was silent for a while, then he said softly:
“Jian Wei has always been skilled at hiding the truth... even from those closest to him. There is a reason one of his aliases was the Master Without a Face.” There was a hint of reminiscing in the man’s voice. “He had always done things his own way. We may have been like brothers, but his views were different from mine. Still, he was always honorable, one of the few people I really respected.”
Mei Lin didn’t dare interrupt, patiently waiting for the old dragonblood to continue.
“He disappeared twenty years ago. He had dug too deep and found something that could shake the very foundation of the Empire.” The air seemed to grow heavy. “At that time, the palace was preparing to order his execution. But Wei knew about it. And he managed to leave a penitential letter to the DowagerEmpress... and then he vanished without a trace.” He grinned eerily. “She forbade him to be touched.”
