Shadow Over the Heavenly Throne

A Few Days Earlier

Evening light slowly soaked into the palace marble, gilding the edges of its columns and casting long shadows across the corridors. Shion stood hidden in the shade of one pillar, motionless, almost part of the stone itself. It wasn’t the first time she watched this same scene from afar—Sylphia and her mother, Veynessa, sharing soft laughter by one of the gardens, their world radiant and untouchable.

The faint scent of qi-blossoms drifted through the air—gentle, sweet, entirely at odds with the storm twisting inside her.

Sylphia looked beautiful in that light. As always. The sun caught in her hair, and when she smiled, even the light itself seemed to retreat in reverence.

Shion didn’t know what exactly tightened in her chest. Was it jealousy? Longing? Gratitude? Maybe all of it at once.

Her fingers clenched the fabric of her sleeve.

"Why her...? Why not me?"

Sylphia had a mother who embraced her without shame. A voice that was heard. Eyes that looked at her with respect, not dismissal. She had a home. A past. A future. Everything.

And Shion?

Shion had pain. And disappointment. That was her legacy.

And yet... Sylphia had always been kind.

Not like a noble to a servant. Not like a master to a subordinate. But like someone who truly saw her.

She remembered the day she collapsed from exhaustion. She couldn’t get up. Shouldn’t have. But Sylphia simply knelt beside her and covered her with a blanket.

And when she first invited her to bathe together. Shion had been stunned. She didn’t know how to respond. Her body had gone taut, bracing for laughter, for scorn, for rejection. But Sylphia had just taken her hand and smiled, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. That day, for the first time, Shion saw her reflection not in a cold mirror of uselessness, but in the eyes of someone who saw a person.

Those gestures had taken root.

But today... those roots twisted with pain.

She turned and walked away before either of them could notice her. Her legs carried her through the corridors, past marble halls, until she reached her room. She shut the door. Leaned against it.

And shattered.

At first she tried to repeat the old mantras. Be strong. Don’t cry. Don’t feel envy. But the voice inside that had always silenced her... had no strength left. It faltered. And then it was gone.

She didn’t cry quietly. Didn’t try to hold it in. She wept like her body had finally decided it was allowed to.

Why...?" she whispered into the void. "Why didn’t anyone want me? Why didn’t I have a mother to hold me? Why didn’t he ever look at me the way he looked at my sister? Why did he sell me like a thing?"

Tears hit her hands, clenched in her robes.

"And she... Sylphia... she’s so good. So pure. And I’m just a shadow. A remnant no one wanted."

But in the middle of that pain...

There was something more.

Not memories of words—there hadn’t been many. But looks. Moments. When Sylphia had seen her not as property, but as a person. When she reached out, not because she had to, but because she wanted to.

They were fleeting.

But for someone who had lived their whole life hearing only orders and mockery... they meant everything.

And that was what hurt most.

Because only then did Shion understand how much she’d longed for something she’d never had.

And despite the agony, that feeling...

It started to build something new.

Between the sobs, a spark. Small. But alive.

"I can’t change what I was..." she whispered, sinking to her knees. "But I can choose who I’ll become."

And something inside her stood tall. Not strength—not yet. But will.

She looked down at her hands, still trembling. But for the first time... not from fear.

"I want to be someone who can stand beside her. Not behind. Beside. With my head held high. With a strength I forge myself."

It was the first step.

She stood. And though tears still clung to her lashes, something new glimmered in her gaze.

Resolve.

The tears finally stopped. Not because the pain was gone. But because there was nothing left to cry out.

She took a step toward the door. Small. But truly hers.

No one knew what had been born that day.

Not even her.

But the first step had already been taken.

The next day, in a quiet morning steeped in the scent of the damp royal gardens, Shion stood before Sylphia’s door. Her hands were clenched into fists, as if that alone kept her from turning back. Her heart pounded in her chest, breath shallow.

She didn’t have to wait long. The door opened almost instantly. Sylphia stood in the doorway, still in a light cream robe, her expression soft with surprise.

"Shion?" she asked gently. "Is everything alright?"

Shion lowered her gaze. For a moment, she said nothing, struggling to gather her thoughts.

"I wanted... to talk to you," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sylphia nodded and stepped aside, letting her in. The room was bright, filled with the scent of dried herbs and fresh air. Shion moved toward the window but didn’t turn around.

"What I’m about to say might sound strange," she began, her voice trembling. "But... I want to start cultivating."

Sylphia blinked, then lit up like a child at a festival.

"Really?!" she gasped, unable to hide her excitement. "You want to cultivate?!"

Shion nodded, still not meeting her eyes.

"Not because someone told me to. Not because I have talent. But because... I need to. If I don't, I’ll never escape who I was. The past that keeps chasing me."

Silence settled between them. Warm, but tense.

Then Sylphia stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that," she said softly. "But I’m glad. And I’m proud."

Shion turned her head. Tears shimmered in her eyes, but they were different this time.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For... not pushing me away."

Sylphia gave a small, warm smile.

"Sometimes, one step is all it takes to change everything."

She giggled quietly and hugged Shion without hesitation.

"Who could push away someone as sweet as you?" she said, her voice glowing like sunshine after a storm. She held her tighter. "As soon as Mom gets back, we're telling her everything. I can’t wait to see her face!"

***

Present Day

"Mom... Shion has something to say."

Shion felt all the blood drain from her face. Sylphia stepped aside, leaving her alone with the woman whose presence commanded attention in every glance, every word. Veynessa looked at her calmly, without emotion—not judging, but listening.

"Well?" she asked coolly. "What do you want from me?"

Shion swallowed. Her throat tightened, but she didn’t look away.

"I want... to begin cultivating," she said, forcing her voice to stay steady.

Veynessa’s expression didn’t change. For a moment, her eyes were unreadable—only silence.

"Why?" she asked, voice quiet but edged with steel.

Shion fell silent. Then took a deep breath.

"Because I want to change. Because I don't want to just exist anymore. I don't want to be weak." Her voice grew firmer. "Because... someone reached out to me. And I want to be worthy of that trust. I want to be strong enough to protect her the way she protects me."

At those words, Veynessa narrowed her eyes. And just for a moment, something flickered—perhaps a shadow of a smile. Perhaps a glimmer of respect.

"Fine," she said slowly. "Then you begin tomorrow at dawn. Your instructor will meet you in the eastern courtyard. If you truly want this path, there will be no special treatment."

Shion nodded, heart pounding again—but this time, it held more than fear. It held hope.

"Thank you, Lady Veynessa."

Veynessa held her gaze a second longer.

"We’ll see if there’s anything worth thanking me for."

Sylphia smiled from the side—warm, proud, as if witnessing someone take their very first step down a long and difficult road.

And Shion... for the first time, truly felt that this path was hers. Hers alone.