The western wing of the imperial palace remained unusually quiet.
Unlike the bustling inner courts, where servants hurried with trays of tea and ministers came and went, this secluded residence felt cold and lifeless. Even the birds avoided its roof.
Inside one of its dimly lit chambers, heavy curtains blocked the morning sunlight.
A sharp cough echoed through the room.
"Cough...!"
Shin Gu pressed a trembling hand against the edge of the table to keep herself from collapsing.
Her face had lost its healthy colour.
Dark circles lingered beneath her eyes.
Cold sweat dampened her forehead.
Every breath felt heavy.
"...Impossible..."
She clenched her teeth.
"My spell... failed."
The memory returned vividly.
The dark ritual.
The spiritual thread she had woven to control the Empress.
The sudden golden light that had erupted without warning.
Then—
The backlash.
It had been as though an invisible force had shattered her spell and hurled its power back at its caster.
