A Trapped Soul

Ashina bit his lips as he tried to move himself. The soft bed sheet clung to his sweaty skin, making every aching joint movement difficult. He forced his arm up. Agony coursed through his body, making him wince.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, trickling down his temples as he struggled to control his breathing from the pain. He could hear the rapid pounding of his heart in his ears, like a loud war drum. The muscles were too sore, but he knew lying in bed motionless will only make the body's condition worse.

An arid scent of medicinal herbs in the air annoyed him further. Central Plains medicine was not any better than Xirong medicine. Damn primitives.

He needed cunub, a plant to smoke. The cunub's smoke will help ease some of the pain and loosen the stressed muscles.

Not some bowl of bitter crap, which smelled worse than camel piss. The taste alone almost made him spew the contents out.

Ashina snarled in frustration and turned his head towards the closed window. The first light of day filtered through the opaque, thick paper covering the window's openings. Birds were chirping outside. They were free, unlike him.

He is trapped in his own brother's body. And worse, there's a faded slave mark of a scar around his forearm. What has Ashamani gone through? Ashina had no clue. From the looks around the room, it seemed like the Grand Prince treated Ashamani well. Slaves don't get their own rooms or servants to serve them.

Surrounded by shadows, his head fell back on the pillow as his fingers felt the side of his bed blindly. He remembered leaving the bronze mirror there. His fingers grazed the cool surface of the bronze mirror and he dragged it upwards.

Even moving a light mirror exerted his strength. Ashina turned to his side and flipped it up. He stared into the polished surface, his brother's gaunt reflection staring back at him.

'Why?' His brother seemingly mouthed in the reflection. That question echoed in his mind. Why had fate dealt him such a cruel hand? With so much power in his hands, why did he, Ashina, fail to fulfil his late mother's wish of protecting his own twin brother?

What his late mother said was true. He will feel an attachment to his twin even if they never knew each other since young. It felt like he found a missing part of himself. Maybe because they shared a womb together, empowered by the same blood.

Power meant nothing to him if he couldn't use it to protect his closest kin. All those spiels about duty to the empire — what a load of nonsense. Why did he have to care about a couple of superstitious old men? To hell with them. If an empire could fall because of twins, then don't exist at all.

When he was young, he used to watch other twins from ordinary families with envy. They looked after each other, playing and sharing things together on the streets. They looked so happy to be in each other's company. Fate played a cruel trick — Ashina and Ashamani were both born into the wrong family.

Ashina covered his eyes with his forearm, trying to suppress his anger and confusion at the double blow. He had never failed before. The bitter taste of failure made him furious.

The lack of the Simurgh tattoo replaced by old scars on his brother back confirmed his brother's death meant both of them were dead. Only he returned to the wrong body — his brother's body. But why him? Not his brother?

The door creaked. Ashina's gaze shifted towards the door, his muscles tensed up. He couldn't let his guard down. Given the state of his brother's body, he was helpless. And he hated it.

Who could it be? Another young man's face peered at him. The features were central Asian features, tanned with a jawline. Ashina recognised him from the inn in the Black Mountains when he drugged the entire inn.

Ashina's gaze narrowed with wary distrust as he watched 02's approach. The familiar contours of 02's face gave him the feeling of a viper waiting to strike. There was nothing civil about 02's sour expression and the way he sized Ashina up.

The tension in the air thickened with 02 stepping into the room, deliberate and controlled as though he expected a trap somewhere.

Ashina's grip tightened on the bronze mirror. He prepared to strike if necessary. He might be helpless, but he won't go down without a fight.

"Just came by to check on you," 02 spoke. The words sounded like concern. No warmth in the tone. Not even a hint of camaraderie found among fellow soldiers.

Ashina's lips curled into a sneer. Instincts told Ashina that 02 was testing him, probing for weakness in his facade. Ashina was no stranger to the games of power play.

02 stopped and stared at him with a steely intensity. "What's with that look?"

Ashina glared back with a deepened smirk and a tilt in his chin with a silent challenge to authority and strength.

"I don't know what look you speak of," Ashina shrugged.

"They said you may have some memory loss," 02 continued, without softening his stance. The way he threw his words felt like daggers aimed at shattering the facade Ashina created. Yet, it didn't sound like gloating. There was no triumph in his voice. No satisfaction too.

Ashina didn't bother to answer. Why would he?

"Well, I'm here to let you know," 02 said. "After breakfast, 05 and I will take you to the hot springs."

"Why?" Ashina asked swiftly.

He didn't like to be ordered around. 02 rotated his own wrist cuff in front of Ashina, breaking away any eye contact. Ashina sensed he was hiding something.

"Grand Prince's orders," 02 replied without a tinge of emotion. "It's a special hot spring to help your recovery faster."

As 02 turned to leave, Ashina's gaze followed him. No one can intimidate him. Not 02, not anyone. Not even a Grand Prince.

What was going to waiting for him at the hot springs? Ashina never stepped into any hot springs, let alone seen one in his life. He almost wanted to ask what it was.