"Are you open-minded, Zhang Xi?" I ask, shifting a little on the cushion, resting my arms on my knees. I need to steer this conversation carefully. She doesn't seem like someone who accepts moral shortcuts easily.
"I believe so." Her voice comes out calm, almost meditative. "Nothing in the universe has a single explanation. Everything has two sides… sometimes more than two. What matters is deciding which one you wish to remain on."
The more Zhang Xi speaks, the more the initial image I had of her starts to crumble. She isn't just some docile, altruistic healer. There's depth in her. Conviction. Maybe even a dangerous strength, but one shaped in a way completely different from the people of Thirstfall.
Before I can respond, the door opens without a single knock.
Veric comes in first, followed by Rhayne and Oliver. The flow of energy in the room shifts at once, but Zhang Xi only casts a tranquil glance over her shoulder, as if she already knows exactly who's arriving.
