Chained to old wounds

CH130

Morgan

There couldn’t be enough staff around her for it to take long to figure out.

She shook her head. “I only know when he has something to say that someone overheard something, but there are so many different staff members around me all the time. It’s hard to

know.”

I nodded. “Here’s an idea: have at least three different stories. Make sure you remember how

you’ve tweaked the story for different subgroups of attendance. You’ll know then at least what subgroup of attendance are reporting to your brother based on what he says to you or what he criticizes you about.” I smiled. From there, you can narrow it down by person by basically doing

the same thing until you figure out who the person is.”

Lady Jun nodded. ‘T’ll give it a shot… Something simple should be easier to remember.”

Just be sure to make it a significant detail… like a gift I gave you, a secret I told you, or something of that nature.”

She nodded again. We spent the rest of lunch discussing our plan to gather information and suss out the people who were on his side.

Tsuneo

After lunch with Kai, I made my way to the western wing, where the renovations to the palace had already begun. The workers were sparse, their faces tired but determined, hammering away at broken beams, clearing debris, and reinforcing walls that had suffered years of neglect. I oversaw their work, ensuring that everything was progressing according to plan. Despite the steady progress, the palace still showed scars from the coup five years ago.

A wave of frustration hit me. The harem’s selfishness had drained the resources, delaying the repairs, and now I would have to rush it. If they hadn’t wasted so much, we wouldn’t be scrambling to fix everything before the Convening. But there was no use dwelling on the past. I was here now, and we would make this place stronger than before.

As I moved through the corridor, inspecting the work being done on the tapestries and the flooring, a familiar presence stirred within me.

Tsuneo.

It was Tarofu. I could feel his energy, pulsing beneath my skin, beckoning me in a different.

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direction.

Come. There’s something you must see.

I paused, glancing around to make sure no one noticed my moment of hesitation. Then, without a word, I veered off the main path, following the pull of Tarofu’s presence deeper into the palace. His guidance was direct and strong, leading me through a series of narrow, hidden corridors. The scent of dust and stale air reached my nose, along with the faint scent of something else that I couldn’t name.

We arrived at a secluded part of the palace, far from the renovations and the noise of the workers. Before me stood an ancient door, its wood darkened by age, covered in intricate carvings I’d never seen before.

“What is this place?” I asked, feeling a strange weight in the air.

The original king’s chamber, Tarofu responded. This room belonged to me when we first established the dragon kingdom. Few know of its existence, but its power runs deep. You need to see what lies beyond. It’s a place that needs protecting and will help you in your efforts.

I reached for the handle, feeling a subtle tremor in the wood as if the door had been waiting for me. With a creak, it opened, revealing a room bathed in shadow. The air inside was cool, almost unnaturally so, and a low hum seemed to vibrate from the walls themselves.

It was much like the place in my dreams, but instead of the large pool was a small pool of liquid as black as midnight. It looked harmless enough–no larger than a puddle. But the moment I laid eyes on it, I knew something was different. The darkness swirled within it, shifting as if alive, beckoning me closer.

I knelt beside it, curiosity overtaking me. Slowly, I extended my hand toward the surface, the tips. of my fingers Brushing against the liquid.

The moment I made contact, a shock ran through me, and I gasped. It was cold–far colder than anything I’d ever felt–and yet it felt like I’d touched the very depths of the ocean. My fingers sank in deeper, and deeper still, though the surface remained the size of a puddle.

“How… how can it be this deep?” I murmured, unable to comprehend the vastness I felt beneath my fingertips.

This pool, Tarofu’s voice echoed within me, is the source of the black dragon’s power. It is a gateway, one that stretches far beyond this realm and into the unknown depths. It may look small, but it contains the weight of eternity.

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I withdrew my hand, shaking off the chill that clung to my skin. “What is it doing here? Why is it hidden away?”

1 kept it locked away to protect the kingdom. Its power is immense, but it’s dangerous. If left unguarded, others may seek to harness it for their own sain

I glanced at the pool again, a knot forming in my stomach. “You’re saying this chamber needs to be reinforced before the Convening.

Yes. The other rulers of the Celestial Compass are no fools. They will know of its existence, and if they can gain access to this power, they will use it. And they cannot.

Is that what started the last war?

… That and Pyra.

I frowned at that. What did he mean? I looked around and stood. The pool had been left untouched for years, perhaps even centuries. The protections had weakened, leaving the kingdom vulnerable.

“How do I restore the protections?” I asked.

You will need to commune with it. I will guide you… and no, you will not lose yourself to it.

I nodded. “Do we start now?”

No. Later. At night when it will be easier and the palace will be at rest.

I had no idea what that meant but I nodded, my gaze lingering on the pool. It was deceptively calm, hiding the power that lay beneath its surface

With one last look around the room, I closed the door and locked it behind me. As I walked back toward the main part of the palace, I wondered what Tarofu would have me do. I was at once nervous and kind of excited. It felt like I was waiting to learn something else about myself.

Will you tell me what happened at the last Convening?

I had to protect my Pyra at all costs. Those fools didn’t understand that she is mine, and we fault.

I frowned. You mean that they want her?

The tiger did… He felt that he was better suited to stand at her side, but he is a fool who knows nothing but his own interests. The turtle simply did not way us together. Jealousy… Perhaps she coveted my Pyra’s place in my life, but how can there be light and warmth without my darkness

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and coldness and the reverse?

He sighed. Hey are all stupid.

I chuckled at that. I thought you came first.

I did… And I would rather cease to exist than to be without her again.

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