The moment Lin Xuan stepped out of her father's hall, it felt as if the ground was swallowing her breath. The walls, the guards, the corridors... everything felt suffocating. She didn't wait for anyone. She just ran.
Her destination was clear: the inner prison, where her older brother Lin Lan was held.
The guards hesitated to open the door. No one was allowed inside without the sect leader's permission. But she wasn't just anyone. Her voice was like ice:
"Open it... or open it. Makes no difference."
The door creaked open slowly. The first thing that hit her was the scent old incense mixed with the dry sting of tears.
Lin Lan sat in the corner, his head buried between his knees, his small sword lying beside him, his gaze lost in the void.
"Brother... did you kill the elder?"
He lifted his head. His eyes were vacant, full of guilt.
"I found him dead, Xuan... He was just lying there, and I... I couldn't move."
"Were you alone?"
