※ Chapter 1 ※

Luoyi, China

515 AD

The Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei stands on the parapet of a great citadel overlooking a massive smoldering battlefield.

"Archers! Fire on my signal! Catapults! Hold for the next wave!"

He turns to give an order..when a hideous creature, a gargoyle made of twisting dark shadow, swoops in toward him. He reaches for his sword, and a blast of light catches the gargoyle in the side, blowing it into nothingness! He turns to see his second-in-command, the battlemage Empress Dowager Hu.

"Looked like you could use a hand, your majesty," she smirked.

"What's the status on the front?" He asked urgently.

"The lightning forces are many, but they're weak. Our front line is driving them back," she looked up with her eyes full of hope and delight, "I can't believe it, but we might actually win this th-"

She's cut off by a thunderous boom, by a darkness blotting out the sun. They both turn to stare, their hearts sinking..

"Gods above.. it's her! The madmen have actually summoned her!" screams of terror reverberate through the skies and the earth.

The Empress reaches out, grabbing the Emperor's hand, "What do we do now? We can't defeat her!"

He turns to her, eyes sparkling, his face hard and stoic..

"We fight. We die. And we pray that someday a heroic force will rise to avenge us."

One thousand years later..

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Meihua's POV »☆●

"..And then Emperor of Northern Wei were destroyed. Nooo, that's problematic!"

"What's problematic, princess?"

My head snaps from my book to see Head Librarian Ai Liya glaring down at me, ruler in hand.

"Lady Meihua, how nice of you to join us. I hope your dreams weren't too badly interrupted by your work. Master Ziwen's collection of essays on soil fertility won't transcribe themselves," she glared at me.

"I wasn't daydreaming this time! I was very focused on the book. What kind of librarian are you to not recognize the sight of a hardworking attentive lady!" I frown, trying to impose an angry glare back at her, which is just enough to make her take me seriously without making her too angry because I don't want to get smacked by her ruler.

I know I daydream sometimes, okay most of the times. And I fall asleep for the rest of the time that I spend here. How could I not? Most of the collections that I transcribe are so boring that I can confirm the writer themselves have fallen asleep while writing. Tell me how would soil fertility benefit my life in any sense? Truly, I should be out on those field, battling like Emperor Xuanwu, because that could actually help my father.

My father, Wu Yichang, reigns in the throne of the smallest realm among the five kingdoms of China, Wuluan. This year will mark twenty years of his reign. This era of his reign is known as the silver era of peace, virtue and great government. Because he is the only unproblematic King of China. And I'm not saying it because he's my father. I can guarantee you, anyone among five kingdoms who has the minimal humanity left in them will agree with me on this one.

Unlike my father, the others were power-hungry and deceitful. So a sense of tragedy is always in the air. An attack can appear from anywhere, anytime. But despite everything, we are happy, living every day like there was no tomorrow because we knew we can't foresee the future or change the fate set by the stars.

I'm the youngest heir of his lordship and therefore, treated with excessive special care. We didn't lack anything and my father loved me enough to not hesitate giving me the world if I wanted. Except my world will never be complete. Why? Because, even if I'm the King's favourite heir, I'm a girl. They say I'm honored but a girl shouldn't be a warrior. They say I'm honored but a girl shouldn't challenge or meet a man's eye. What honour is there if I'm never allowed to fight my own battles and rely on men to do it for me? What honour is there to memorize informations and transcribe them only for the men to make practical use of my knowledge?

My vast happiness was sealed inside the four walls of the castle and the library. And although, it was the central castle of Thornholt and the other consorts and heirs got moderately smaller castles, and father mostly stayed with me and my siblings, it didn't quite feel like happiness. It was only luxury, unnecessary luxury that I didn't want.

Now, some of you might misjudge me as too demanding and complaining. People love to think that about me. I lost count of how many times since my childhood I've had an abbess, aunt or even maids tell me how ungrateful I am for what I have and most people could only yearn for it. At some point, they managed to make me believe so too. But in all honesty, I'm very grateful. Grateful enough to sacrifice my life for my family. But I'm stubborn, and hold high regard for myself. Being the heir to his lordship brought me all luxury and respect. I never got a chance to prove my worth as a princess. I wanted to prove to my people that I'm worth the honour.

Still, a sentiment of something always swirled inside me.. something wrong, something severe and painful....

Guilt.

Because, well..although I was always forced to act like one, but I wasn't a typical princess. My feelings, behaviour and strength are different than others, which sometimes felt scary to me. I had some special, really special powers. Power to destroy an entire army, power to control a lot of elements of natures, power to kill vampires.

Vampires?

Yes, they do exist, in this real world, and so does other species like werewolves and other shifters. Other than them, there are witches, warlocks and not to forget, the shapeshifters. They're the most dangerous species. Just like the one mentioned in the book I was reading.

I don't know why but I feel like I'm one of them evil supernatural creatures. A book in this library says that only a sorcerer can fight other sorcerers. I showed that to my father, asking him if I'm a monster too? But he always smiled and kissed my forehead, saying I'm not any demon but an angel. And he's sure of it cause my mother said so.

Do Angels have foes too? Because I surely did. Since my childhood, my aunts told me tales about a huge number of enemies, both human and beyond human creatures that my father had to fight since I was born, in order to protect me. They all wanted me. To capture me and steal my power, or to simply kill me and end the evil in me. Whoever found out about me, called me witch, and my father made sure they faced a cruel fate.

Thus, guilt consumed me. My father always had to be alert to protect me. And for all I know, what if I'm actually a witch? What if the people died because of me were actually doing the noble thing? What if my end would've been the best consequence?

But for all I care, this doesn't feel good. I wish I was normal and my father didn't have to shield and hide me from the world. I felt like a burden so I always searched for ways to become normal like others. My father always told me I'm special but how? And why? He never told.

I never could find a way. So, I took the only option I was left with, disguise. I pretended to be normal and hide myself from everyone, even me. Some nights I woke up feeling something burning in my chest, I swallowed the feeling. Some twilights, I felt the presence of dark cold figures around us, next morning I woke up with the news of human disappearance, I pretended I know nothing.

I've mastered the skill of masking so much, I sometimes didn't realize my power either. But I didn't care. All I cared about is it's giving my father a little less to worry about.

But that also means I'm ought to cower in the library like a lowly scribe. This is terrible. Extremely terrible. It's unfair that being princess means stroking ugly words in meaningless parchments of paper. I'm supposed to be too important for this woman to have right to yell at me.

"Wait a moment, that doesn't look like the essays at all!" she exclaims as her eyes widen.

Oh no..

She looks down at my desk toward the book I was reading. She grabs it in a fit.

"The lightning and the darkness? What is this fantasy drivel?" she growls.

I cross my arms, "How can you be so sure that it's fantasy? Magic could be real. Imagine the suffering of Emperor Xuan-"

"Emperor Xuanwu died of illness. This fiction is written by his followers who wanted to make him sound like a hero," she cuts me off.

I shake my head, "Wrong. If the purpose was to make him the hero then they would've made tales of his victory, not failure. And the story says he expected a hero to be born. If...ahhh!"

I trail off because of the loud thump of the wooden ruler as she hits my wrist with it.

"Wu Meihua, you may have been raised by a family of some renown, but you're in my library now. And that means doing as I say," she growls, grabbing the book away from me, "As punishment for your dawdling, you'll finish this transcription and then produce a second transcription by tomorrow."

I gasp, "Transcribe this twice?! That means I'll have to-"

"Work all night? Yes. Maybe then you'll learn your listen and start behaving ladylike," with a last final glare, she storms off.

I sigh. Trying to force out every bit of willpower that might have been left in me, I adjust my books, pick up my quills, then begin writing.

An hour later..

..soil, a kingdom's lifeblood, a source of food and conflict..

Two hours later..

..yield is proportional to the amount of the most limiting nutrient..

While I painstakingly copy the paragraphs one by one, a shadow falls across my desk.

"I'm working this time, Liya," I sigh faintly.

"Good, now don't stop until you've worn your fingers to the bone!" A mischievous giggle rings. That sounds like..

Before I can look up, she wraps me in a hug.

"Siyaah! About damn time you came! I'm losing my mind! No person should have to do so much work!" I rest my cheeks on my hand, letting out a frustrated sigh

"Siyaah! About damn time you came! I'm losing my mind! No person should have to do so much work!" I rest my cheeks on my hand, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"My gods, what's that?!" she picks up a paper from the desk. My eyes immediately go wide as I see the sketch in it. Instinctively, I grab it from her hands.

"You're seriously still seeing those gray eyes?" she shakes her head.

I crunch the paper and throw it from the window, "I never stopped. I just stopped telling you

about it because you thought I was crazy!"

For some reason, I get very defensive when it comes to those eyes. As if I deeply relate to them, connect to them in some way.

She sighs, "I didn't think

you're crazy. I was worried because the world we live in is crazy. If they find out about this, they're gonna say even worse things about you! Like you're a witch."

I shrug, "And what if I am? Does it make me bad?"

She shakes her head, "Always arguing. Forget it..What of the gift I sent you? Please don't tell me you didn't get time to read it because you were too busy drawing those gray eyes!" she pouts as she takes a seat next to me.

"The lightning and the darkness? I've read most of it. Which is why I'm still working," I roll my eyes.

She laughs, "Did the perpetually displeased woman catch you reading?"

I groan, "Yes. Which is why we should cut our gossiping short today. This entire tome should be copied out twice by morning."

She frowns, "What? But I wasn't supposed to come today. And she already left with the guards. Did she seriously think of leaving the Princess alone in a library all night?"

My eyes light up, "She's gone? Does it mean only you and I are left here?"

She nods, "Yeah. We should be."

Immediately I jump up from the desk and run towards the window, "Hmph, I see some soldiers on the field but they're far too busy fighting and...yep, no one else around this area. The backside is completely vacant."

"So? Why does it matter?" she frowns in confusion as she stands up.

I turn to face her, and shoot the sweetest smile. I grab her shoulders, "My friend, my dumb bestfriend. You know how much I love you?"

She smiles, "I love you too Meihua. Wait, did you call me dumb?"

I shake my head, "We are alooone!" I start jumping and dancing.

"Meihua, you're acting crazy again! Don't scare me! Are you possessed?" she frowns.

I roll my eyes, "I'm not possessed, Siyaah. I'm happy. And that's a thing people do when they're happy. They sing and dance."

"I..don't understand!" she crosses her arms.

"I know you don't. That's exactly why I love you!" I smile.

"Tell me clearly, what are you thinking Mei?" she raises an eyebrow.

"Okay..so what's gonna happen is that you're gonna sit riiight here.." I gently put her back to her seat, "And I'm gonna run!"

With that, I sprint away from the room towards the border walls in the back of the library. This is my greatest chance to escape from the library or I'll have to study nonsense all night.

"Mei! Wait! Please!" Siyaah runs following me.

"Where..are you going?" she breathes heavily as she struggles to catch up.

"I told you to sit back there. Why did you come? Okay forget it, now that you did come here, grab me some baskets."

"There are no baskets. They took them away after the last time you tried to stand on them and broke your legs," she says, still breathing heavily.

"Very poor management. I should rely on myself then," I roll my sleeves and prepare to climb the walls.

To Be Continued »☆●