The Cursed Red String

The Threads of Fate

Night had settled over the estate, casting long shadows that flickered like ghosts against the courtyard's stone walls. Meiyu stood at the threshold of her chambers, staring out into the moonlit darkness. The revelation from Han Xun still burned in her mind, each word carving itself into her thoughts like an unbreakable seal.

The past was no longer a distant whisper—it was a living force, shaping her present, pulling her toward a fate she had no choice but to face.

She turned back into her room and gathered a small pouch, tucking the parchment with Weisheng's note safely inside. If she was to find him, she needed to be ready. No more hesitation. No more doubts.

A soft knock on the door startled her.

"Lady Meiyu." A servant's voice, hesitant.

She quickly composed herself and opened the door. The young woman bowed slightly. "General Han has sent word. He requests your presence in the outer gardens."

Meiyu nodded. "Thank you."

The servant disappeared into the shadows, and Meiyu exhaled slowly. Han Xun was moving swiftly—perhaps too swiftly. Did he already have information on Weisheng's whereabouts? Or was this another warning, another test of trust?

She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and made her way through the quiet halls, her footsteps light against the polished wood. The lanterns flickered as she passed, their glow barely enough to illuminate the corridors. The air was thick with the scent of night jasmine, but there was an underlying tension that made the silence feel oppressive.

When she reached the outer gardens, she found Han Xun standing near the koi pond, his expression unreadable. The reflection of the moon rippled in the water beside him, distorted by the slow movement of the fish beneath the surface.

"You came." His voice was calm, but there was an urgency in his posture.

"You left me little choice," Meiyu replied, stepping closer. "Have you found Weisheng?"

Han Xun's gaze flickered. "Not yet. But I have found something else."

He turned, gesturing toward a stone bench. "Sit. There's something you need to hear."

Meiyu hesitated, then obeyed. Han Xun remained standing, arms crossed, his tone grave. "I sent scouts to search the city discreetly. They found traces of Weisheng's presence—his movements before he vanished. It seems he was investigating something beyond just the warning signs of our past returning."

She frowned. "What was he looking for?"

Han Xun's expression darkened. "He was searching for someone."

A chill ran down Meiyu's spine. "Who?"

Han Xun exhaled sharply. "A woman named Madam Rong."

Meiyu's breath caught. The name felt oddly familiar, like a memory just beyond reach. "Who is she?"

"A scholar, once," Han Xun said. "But now, she is something else entirely. A guardian of lost knowledge. She deals in secrets—particularly those tied to reincarnation and fate."

The weight of his words settled heavily in Meiyu's chest. "You think she knows about us?"

Han Xun nodded. "It's likely. If Weisheng sought her out, he must have believed she held the key to breaking the cycle."

Meiyu's hands clenched into fists. "Then we need to find her."

Han Xun studied her for a long moment. "It won't be easy. Madam Rong does not offer her knowledge freely. And if Weisheng truly reached her, then either she knows something important... or someone else found him before he could escape."

A silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken fears. Meiyu forced herself to steady her breath. "Where is she?"

Han Xun hesitated before answering. "The old temple ruins. Deep in the forest beyond the eastern cliffs."

Meiyu exhaled. "Then that's where we go."

Han Xun's lips quirked into a shadow of a smile. "You're certain?"

"There is no other choice," Meiyu said firmly. "If Weisheng risked his life to seek her out, then we must finish what he started."

For the first time that night, Han Xun looked almost impressed. "Then we leave at dawn."

As they parted ways, Meiyu felt something shift within her. The past was no longer just something to uncover—it was a battle to be fought. And she was ready.

But as she returned to her chambers, an unsettling thought crept into her mind.

What if breaking the cycle meant losing everything all over again?

She shook the thought away, forcing herself to believe that this time, things would be different.

This time, she would not fail.