Thick clouds smothered the sky above the Imperial City, turning the world dim and heavy. From time to time, lightning dragons tore through the gloom—silver serpents writhing across the heavens—each strike illuminating rooftops, palace walls, and distant mountain ridges for a fleeting heartbeat before the darkness reclaimed everything.
Inside the Phoenix and Dragon Dojo, that same flickering light slipped through the windows, painting the room in alternating shadows and brilliance.
Li Mei sat in the center of the dojo hall, cross-legged on a simple mat, her slender back perfectly straight. Her chest rose and fell in slow, measured breaths. With each inhale, faint threads of qi swirled around her like drifting stardust; with each exhale, the air trembled slightly, as if her presence alone disturbed the natural rhythm of the world.
She was calm. Too calm.
The quiet before a storm.
