Waves of Serenity

The midday sun bathed the bustling streets of the imperial city in a warm glow, casting intricate shadows across the cobblestones. 

The royal registry office loomed ahead, its imposing wooden doors adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes.

As Wei Ning Zhi pushed open the heavy doors, the scent of aged parchment and ink greeted her senses. The room was vast and adorned with tall bookshelves that reached towards the ceiling, each shelf laden with scrolls, books, and ancient tomes.

Scribes sat hunched over desks, quills scratching away as they recorded births, deaths, and the ebb and flow of the empire's history.

At the far end of the room, a figure caught her eye; Master Yuan. 

Master Yuan saw her and walked towards her. ''Young Lady! I thought our meeting ended at the tavern?'' 

She nodded resolutely. "There's an issue with the selection lists; that's the reason my brother's name didn't make it through."