Kai-Se refused to look at himself in the square mirror propped on his desk. He probably looked like the earth swallowed him up and spat him back up, but that's the least of his concerns now. Because glowering from the corner of his room, standing with her arms crossed over her chest, was Chi-Sae.

"You simply refuse to learn your lesson, don't you?" she said. Her concern was misplaced, though. It's not like she was in any position to tell Kai-Se off. And how thankful he was for that.

He sighed, pausing to tie off the fenhai tighter around his waist. Without risking having the other court ladies he wouldn't be able to trust inside the room, he had resorted to dressing himself. Besides, it was something he could do on his own since he could remember and it's one less job off the servants' list.

"There's no lesson to be learned, Chi-Sae," he replied, stalking to the short closet where his stash of clothes were folded. He snatched the first lump of the Imperial robe he had to wear as the Crown Prince. It had golden embellishments, swirling in a crest-like print on the sleeves, the chest, and at the back. "This wouldn't take more than an hour. It's with the Minister of Finance and we all know how little he talked."

Chi-Sae opened her mouth to speak but Kai-Se wasn't done. "I still don't appreciate you going to my father and telling him," he said. "And, please, learn your place. We are still in the Imperial Palace."

The court lady dropped her head in a bow, tucking her hands into her sleeves. "Of course, Your Highness," she said. "I'm always in awe of your patience and grace. I will not step out of the line again."

Kai-Se blew a breath. Let him hope Chi-Sae truly meant that. He couldn't handle any more people knowing. The more he had to keep track of, the less he could ensure it was staying under wraps. All secrets get revealed, and if Kai-Se wasn't careful, it could be revealed a whole lot sooner. He had to play it smarter. He had to finish this quicker. If only the sickness wasn't getting in the way every time he thought he had made progress.

How much had Nao-Zai inferred about this whole thing just from their talk last night? As much as Kai-Se wanted to give the soldier the benefit of the doubt, the way his eyes studied Kai-Se as they talked told him enough. The soldier knew something was up. Kai-Se was sure of it. It would only be a matter of time before he becomes another person Kai-Se had to stress about.

That's what made all this harder than necessary. Not only did he have a clock to beat, he had to do it under everyone's noses. And it has been taking a toll on him. Tying the last cinch of the yellow robe around his waist, he finally glared at himself at the mirror. His hair was in disarray, having gotten longer and more uncontrollable. He brushed it off his face and attempted to tie it as his shaky hands could manage.

When he failed, fabric rustled behind him as soft thuds made by socks brushing past the woven mats covering the floor of his room got closer. Soft and expert hands tangled with his hair as Chi-Sae tucked the limp, straight strands into an orderly tail before securing it with a plain, metal stick. Then, the customary headdress adorned with the insignia of the Butterfly Palace covered his head, going as far as his forehead.

Now, he looked like someone who might have some worth in this Empire and not just a random dying man. Then again, the dark circles under his eyes or the fact that he seemed paler than the moon reminded him all too well of what lay under the surface, of what he was doing all he could to keep at bay.

"Is there really nothing I can do to make you take the day off and rest?" Chi-Sae asked as she stepped back with her gaze to the floor.

Kai-Se pursed his lips. He knew what the court lady was worried about. Of course, he had thought about that eventuality ages ago. Still, he had no choice. The Butterfly Palace has been delaying this talk for so long it would start being questionable should the Minister of Finance open his mouth and demand a better conduct.

With a heavy head and a tight chest, he turned to the stacks of paper strewn over his other desk. That's the amount of work he had piled up and had been laboring to catch up on. Perhaps, he'd get to some of it later.

Now, he has a meeting to attend.

"Take care of the fort for me while I'm out, Chi-Sae," he said to the court lady as he hauled his body towards the door. His muscles seemed to have forgotten how to move fluidly, but he'd manage.

Of course, that was only true until two hours later. He let the door to the minister's office shut behind him. The rest of their conversation flitted around his head, never making any sense while making the most sense. Something about auditing? Taxes? Budget? Whatever it was, it was sure to be important and something to include in his quarterly report to the Jade Palace. Wait, had he done that the previous quarter? No? He couldn't remember.

In fact, most of his memories from the last month alone had disappeared under a curtain of familiar pain, exhaustion, and the urge to keep staying in bed for a little while longer. But he always had something better to do, something that might help move his Empire a few steps forward every single day.

Before he knew it, the palace's walls pressed against his side. When had he edged closer to it? Moreover, why were his legs shaking? Ah, of course. He has a secret.

His body jolted forward as a startled gasp filtered from his lips. Secret. That's what he's trying to keep to himself and to the smallest number of people possible. Remember. He remembered.

He stepped forward, but the shifting of his weight caused a spear of pain to stab into his temples. His world spun, his vision blurring and focusing at an alarming rate. Not now. Spirits, not now. Forward. He had to move forward if he was to make it to his room. So, he tried again, gritting his teeth against the pain crawling from his forehead down to his jaw, his neck, and his shoulders. Soon, the ice would claim his skin and the fire would burn his insides. Then, it'd be over. He'd be under his own sickness' mercy at least until it decided to wane in the wee hours of the morning.

But for now, room. He had to make it back.

Sets of heavy footsteps thundered from the farthest corner. Kai-Se's throat seized as the urgency momentarily brought him his senses back. They're coming. Closer. Closer. It could be anywhere between ten to a hundred people. He glanced to his right, keeping the wall to his left close. Pillars. Lanterns. Traces of more palaces. Roofs. Which one of those was the Butterfly Palace? Could he make it in time? What about the sentries by the entrance? Wouldn't they see him on his way out? Would they...

Kai-Se gritted his teeth. No time to think about that now. The footsteps became louder, more forceful. It's like they're out to get him. Maybe they had already figured out what's going on and have come to apprehend him. Would they bound him up, bring him to the Emperor's feet, and demand to have him executed? After all, damaged heirs have no place in the Imperial Palace. Kai-Se shouldn't have allowed himself to hope there's a future in store for him. As soon as he succumbed to this illness with no name, he had already pronounced his fate.

Then, the annoying part of his brain, the one who still believed there was some fight left in him, surged into action. No. He couldn't be seen here. There's still hope. Maybe he'd find his answers in Shaoryeong or in the vague shamanic book he had in the library. He'd better make it there. He has to.

And to do that, he couldn't be found here. Not now. Not like this.

So, with his jaw clenched, he dragged himself forward. With every step, a painful pike dug itself deeper and deeper into his gut. With every breath, his chest tightened and squeezed until he was heaving. His fingers felt a bulge in what should have been a straight, sturdy wall. A corner. There's a corner here. Let him hope it was hidden enough.

He had never flung himself into it that fast. He fled.

A sigh of relief only flitted out of his lips when the footsteps and the faceless horde of green and blue robes zipped past the narrow opening, disappearing into the light shining between the pillars. Light that streaked past the dim hallway Kai-Se was in, stinging his already blurry vision. Kai-Se leaned his head against the wall and caught whatever breath he could. That's one crisis averted, at least.

His head now felt like it was being cleaved into two halves. Kai-Se tore his headdress off his head and knocked around the knot Chi-Sae had made. It might be too tight. Perhaps, it'd help with his headache if he let his hair loose. The sound of the pin hitting the wooden floorboards was muted now that a stringent ringing had begun roaring in Kai-Se's ears.

A hand flew to the side of his head, attempting to claw the discomfort from his skin. It did nothing of the sort. Kai-Se ground his teeth together. Home. He had to make it back to his room. Without being seen. Without passing out.

He stepped forward, then froze in place. The walls. There had been a wall there earlier, right? And the pillars? Where had they gone? Slowly, he blinked. Once, there was sunlight streaming into the corridor. Now, he was only greeted with a dim stretch of wood and green paint. Someone screamed, making Kai-Se flinch and back into a person standing behind him. He was about to apologize when he had a realization. It's a person. Person. Someone had seen him.

Run

But where?

Home.

Then...where was home?

Kai-Se scrambled away from the person. Laughter echoed in the empty halls of his mind, jeering. Taunting. Urging him to fall into a cliff at the end of this hallway. Wait, cliff. That's his escape. Maybe he could get home through that. That's a plan.

So, with a newfound hope, he lurched forward towards the wide gorge creeping closer and closer to him. He looked back to see the dim corridor being devoured by ice, creeping through the gaps in the floorboards, splintering the wood with a sickening crack. It's coming for him. It's going to end him.

Run.

And so, he did.

He reached the cliff and stared down. There was only the void in there. But when he looked back, the cold screamed for his blood. The voices rose to a collective haul, drowning the cracks spreading at his feet. The agony ripped through him like a hungry lion. Run. The only way was down, towards the darkness.

He lunged towards it.

Only to have his progress halted by a strong claw gripping his arm. His throat constricted. When had they reached him? Weren't they a few miles behind?

"Let me go," Kai-Se hissed but, to his ears, it came off as a desperate plea. "Let me go."

He reached up to remove the grip himself. As he looked down on his arm, he realized it wasn't a claw but a normal human hand. Hand. A person. Had they...found him? Already? Kai-Se shook his head. Not now. Not like this.

"Kai-Se, stay still so I can help you," someone said into his ear. It might have belonged to the owner of the hand. It was someone he knew. Someone...

Ever so slowly, Kai-Se turned to face the source of the voice. Through his hazy vision, only one face stood out. Nao-Zai. And the soldier was saving him again, even through whatever dream this was. A weak laugh burst from Kai-Se. The cliff would be gone soon. He has to let the darkness get him before anyone else could.

So, he pried Nao-Zai's hand off his arm and before the soldier could stop him, he threw himself over to the edge. Someone called his name. Once. Twice. Multiple times. Those faded in his ears, along with the overlapping voices, the sound of the Imperial Palace breaking, and the agony slowly squeezing the life out of him.

The darkness provided a solace away from all that. To Kai-Se, it was a better freedom. Even if it meant Nao-Zai wouldn't be able to save him from it.