" Remember my dearest Xun, you are not allowed to fail," whispered the woman in Situ Xun's ear, her voice filled with an arrogance that Situ Xun was used to hearing since the two of them had known each other for a very long time.
The hands that were on the side of his head vanished as he heard the woman say, " Then I will be leaving but do not think for a minute that you are alone, my dearest. I will be here, right next to you, keeping my eyes on you lest you think you are free of the blood that holds you down."
Situ Xun waited for the woman's voice to vanish before he turned around and this time, he knew the woman was gone. His hands were tightly clenched on his sides slowly unclenched as he breathed heavily and then released the long breath that he just drew in his lungs.
