Ghost in the palace

Night had fallen over the imperial palace.

The palace was quiet.

Too quiet.

After the events of the previous days, the servants had become accustomed to speaking in whispers. Guards walked more carefully through the corridors, and even the usual laughter from the courtyards seemed to have disappeared.

Inside Shin Gu’s courtyard, however, every lamp was still burning.

Shin Gu sat alone beneath the window.

She had been sitting there for nearly an hour.

She had not touched the tea in front of her.

She had not opened the books beside her.

She had not even noticed when the incense burned down to ash.

Something was wrong.

She couldn’t explain what.

But every instinct inside her was screaming.

Something was coming.

Something she couldn’t see.

Something she couldn’t control.

She slowly raised her eyes toward the darkness outside.

The courtyard looked exactly as it always did.

The trees were still.

The flowers moved gently in the night breeze.

No footsteps sounded beyond the walls.

No servant approached.

No guard entered.

Yet Shin Gu couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

She pressed her fingers against her temple.

"Why do I feel like this?"

Her voice was barely audible.

A moment later, Mei Lan entered carrying a fresh cup of tea.

"Lady Shin Gu?"

Shin Gu looked toward her.

Mei Lan immediately noticed her expression.

"You look exhausted."

"I’m fine."

"You haven’t moved for so long."

Mei Lan placed the tea on the table.

"Perhaps you should rest tonight."

Shin Gu frowned.

"Rest?"

"Yes."

Mei Lan smiled gently.

"Maybe it’s just the atmosphere. The palace has been tense lately. Everyone has been talking about the Empress, the investigation, the strange incidents..."

She hesitated.

"Perhaps you’ve simply been thinking too much."

Shin Gu didn’t answer.

Maybe Mei Lan was right.

Perhaps it was only exhaustion.

Perhaps nothing was wrong.

But the feeling refused to disappear.

Instead, it became stronger.

Shin Gu finally stood.

"I’m going back to my chamber."

Mei Lan nodded.

"I’ll prepare your sleeping clothes."

"No."

Shin Gu stopped her.

"I want to be alone."

Mei Lan looked surprised.

"But—"

"Go."

After a moment, Mei Lan bowed.

"Yes, Lady Shin Gu."

She left.

The door closed.

Shin Gu waited.

She listened.

Nothing.

No footsteps.

No movement.

She slowly locked the door.

Then she walked toward the hidden section of the room.

Her expression became serious.

She pressed her palm against an ancient symbol carved into the wall.

A faint ripple appeared.

The air twisted.

A dark portal opened.

Shin Gu stepped through.

---

The Hidden Chamber

She emerged inside a small, shadow-filled chamber that seemed to exist between places.

There were no windows.

No doors.

Only darkness and strange symbols carved into the walls.

Shin Gu stood in the center.

She closed her eyes.

"Reveal."

The symbols around her began to glow faintly.

She extended her hand.

One by one, she checked the surrounding spiritual energy.

The first sign appeared.

Negative.

Her expression tightened.

She checked another.

Negative again.

Then another.

Again—

Negative.

Shin Gu’s breathing slowed.

She continued.

The result remained the same.

Everywhere she looked, the spiritual traces were disturbed.

Something had changed.

Something was interfering with the energy surrounding her.

"This isn’t possible..."

She stepped backward.

For the first time that night, genuine uncertainty appeared in her eyes.

She checked again.

And again.

The result did not change.

Negative signs surrounded her.

She looked toward the darkness.

"Who is interfering?"

No answer came.

Shin Gu slowly lowered her hand.

She had never felt this uneasy before.

Her plans had always depended on control.

Control over timing.

Control over information.

Control over people.

But tonight—

She had none.

She couldn’t even understand what was happening.

And that frightened her more than she wanted to admit.

---

She returned through the portal.

When she stepped back into her chamber, the candle beside the bed was still burning.

Everything looked normal.

Almost painfully normal.

Shin Gu walked to the window and looked outside.

No one was there.

She checked the courtyard.

Empty.

The guards were in their usual positions.

The servants were nowhere nearby.

Even Mei Lan had disappeared.

Yet the feeling remained.

Someone—or something—was warning her.

She turned away.

"Tonight..."

Her voice was quiet.

"...I was supposed to continue."

The second wave had already been prepared.

The first disaster had caused widespread fear throughout the realm.

The second stage was supposed to be worse.

But tonight, Shin Gu hesitated.

She had expected herself to feel excitement.

Instead, she felt dread.

Her hand slowly tightened.

"Why?"

She had never questioned the orders before.

Tonight was different.

Her instincts told her to stop.

To wait.

To do nothing.

She walked toward the small hidden compartment beneath the table and retrieved a sealed communication talisman.

For several moments, she simply stared at it.

Then she made her decision.

She would ask her leader.

She would not proceed until she received an answer.

Shin Gu placed the talisman on the table.

A faint shadow appeared over it.

She spoke quietly.

"Something is wrong."

The talisman trembled.

"I have received unusual signs."

"I believe we should wait."

She paused.

Her voice became even lower.

"I will not proceed until you respond."

The talisman absorbed her message.

A moment later, the shadow disappeared.

Silence returned.

Shin Gu stared at the empty space.

She expected relief.

But none came.

Instead—

That terrible feeling became stronger.

She suddenly turned toward the door.

Nothing.

Just the empty corridor beyond it.

Shin Gu frowned.

For a brief instant, she thought she had seen a shadow pass beneath the door.

She walked over.

Opened it.

The corridor was empty.

She looked left.

Nothing.

Right.

Nothing.

Her expression darkened.

"Am I imagining things?"

She closed the door again.

---

Somewhere Beyond the Palace

A faint wind moved through the trees.

The palace remained unaware of the storm gathering beneath its peaceful surface.

The Emperor was still investigating.

The Empress remained surrounded by those who loved her.

The Duke family was preparing for the next stage of their lives.

And Shin Gu—

Who had once been so certain of herself—

Was now waiting for permission to continue.

For the first time, doubt had entered her heart.

She sat beside the window.

Her eyes remained fixed on the moon.

"Perhaps I should have listened to my instinct earlier."

She whispered.

Then she shook her head.

"No."

She refused to believe that.

She had followed this path too far.

There was no turning back now.

Still—

Something inside her insisted:

Wait.

So she waited.

The night passed slowly.

One hour.

Then another.

No message came.

Shin Gu remained awake until the candle burned nearly to its end.

And as dawn approached—

She realized something that frightened her even more.

She could no longer tell whether the ominous feeling was warning her about the palace...

Or about herself.

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