Volume 1] Chapter 249- Time to leave 2

. Mer Chu's eyes softened, but the concern in them remained. He carefully set the tray aside and moved to the second one, his steps measured and cautious.

As he turned to the second tray, his hands continued to tremble. He lifted the cloth with deliberate slowness, revealing a silver bowl filled with a deep red liquid. The liquid shimmered in the sunlight, casting a vibrant, almost otherworldly glow. It was a striking contrast to the serenity of the white cloth and the solemnity of the occasion.

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This is a ritual that has been followed in this empire for a long time when someone goes to war or somewhere far away where it is unclear if they could come back or not.

In this ritual, the person who is going would put their hands in a red-colored liquid, their fingers trembling as the warm dye envelops their skin.