The capital transformed on the night of the Lantern Festival.
Every street flickered with the glow of golden lamps. Rows of scarlet
lanterns floated on the river, their reflections dancing like restless fire
spirits on the surface. Temple bells rang in the distance, and the scent of
roasted chestnuts and candied plums hung thick in the air.
Ju Xian and Taotao moved through the crowd in silence, their eyes wide. It
felt as though the city had been dipped in moonlight and dream-dust. They
followed the winding path from the merchant square to the palace's outer
courtyard — the route lined with jasmine ropes, glowing paper cranes, and
children wearing butterfly masks.
Taotao wore a robe of light blue. It was borrowed, a little too long in the
sleeves, patched at the hem, but the color softened him — making him look
almost princely despite the frayed fabric.
> "You don't look like a thief tonight," Ju Xian teased.
> "And you," he said, eyeing her outfit, "look like a firework disguised as
royalty."
Ju Xian wore a layered robe in shades of pale pink, white, and soft purple.
The stitching was simple, the fabric slightly worn — but the colors wrapped
around her like twilight silk. The moment she stepped under the lantern
glow, people turned to look.
> "They're staring," she murmured.
> "That's what happens when fate finally decides to show off," Taotao said,
adjusting his collar with a smirk.
The palace gates were open for the festival. Musicians played from the
garden terraces. Courtiers in embroidered silks gathered near fountains,
sipping spiced wine. Dancers twirled with ribbons shaped like flowing rivers.
The princess's invitation had worked. At the south checkpoint, a quiet guard
took one look at the small wax-sealed scroll and waved them through.
> "Enjoy the night," he said.
As they stepped into the heart of the festival, Ju Xian slowed.
She turned toward the palace beyond the courtyard — and somewhere, just past its outer garden, she knew Sky was waiting.
> "We're closer now than ever," she whispered.
> "Let's just make it through the dancing first," Taotao muttered. "And pray
no one asks me to talk about philosophy."
They vanished into the color and sound, two figures wrapped in borrowed
silk and borrowed time — stepping deeper into the belly of destiny.