In the 228st year of the Benchu Era, Kingdom of Light, in the Holy City Palace
"Shizuru!"
Kimoon finally encountered Shizuru, whom she had been thinking about day and night. She was standing not far away, amidst the crowd. She was always so elegant and magnificent, always the focus of the crowd wherever she went. Kimoon could always spot Shizuru in the vast sea of people at a glance, finding that touch of purple that belonged to her alone. But this time, Shizuru did not respond to her as usual with a smile and open arms; instead, she stood there silently. On her face was an inscrutable expression, making Shizuru seem unfamiliar to Kimoon.
It was then that Kimoon noticed that standing beside Shizuru was her "mother." Somehow, at some point, Kimoon had come to believe that her mother lived in the palace not far from her. Kimoon could even picture her mother's appearance in her mind. That face was the one in front of her, it's Zui Ai. Was she really her mother? This was the confusion that lingered in Kimoon's heart. On the one hand, for some reason, she had already concluded that this woman named "Benchu Zui Ai" was her mother connected by blood. On the other hand, she had never approached her; there had never been any interaction between them. The only time was when Kimoon gathered courage to pick flowers by the roadside to give to her mother. But this woman ignored her and walked away.
Zui Ai was also surprised by Kimoon's appearance. Wasn't she supposed to be in the Crystal City? How did she return to the royal palace? Did her aunt bring her back? Although Zui Ai had many questions, she remained calm and composed, as always, hiding her true feelings.
Shizuru's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise, accompanied by a trace of unease. She had not expected to meet her beloved in the holy city palace. More precisely, her former beloved. Shizuru was pleasantly surprised by Kimoon's reappearance but also noticed her visibly thinner figure, feeling a pang of heartache for the golden-haired girl in front of her. Perhaps in Shizuru's mind, regardless of how Kimoon had grown and blossomed over the years, she was still the naive and delicate child, exceptionally fragile, making Shizuru unable to resist wanting to protect her.
As the group stood in silence, Kimoon suddenly felt a dizziness, and her eyelids grew heavy, her consciousness becoming blurred. She couldn't help but slump down. She felt a familiar force supporting her, preventing her from falling to the ground. But she couldn't resist the sudden onset of fatigue and fell into a deep sleep.
It turned out that Yoko had used teleportation magic to instantly reach Kimoon from the Kingdom of Purple and, with her spiritual power, pulled Kimoon into a dream. After signaling to the others, Yoko picked up Kimoon and left. The others continued on their way, each with their own thoughts.
When Kimoon woke up, there was only one week left until the wedding. Yoko had initially planned to keep Kimoon asleep until the end of the wedding and then take her back to the Kingdom of Purple. By then, it would be a done deal, and Kimoon would come to terms with reality and give up. Yoko thought. As Feng Mo's father's sister, Yoko was obligated to attend her nephew's grand wedding. She had no time to personally take care of Kimoon, so she placed her in the Fallen Sword Palace, set up a barrier around her, and had someone check on her from time to time.
However, for some reason, Kimoon woke up at this moment, and Yoko's set barrier had disappeared. Kimoon took out her mobile phone, realizing that the time left for her was running out. She had to find Shizuru and take her away. So Kimoon tried to leave the Fallen Sword Palace, but after searching all around, she couldn't find an exit. In her memory, there were high walls around the Fallen Sword Palace, and she had been trapped here, with the only visible thing being the sky above.
Kimoon tried various methods but couldn't overcome the high walls. Was there really no way? Kimoon wondered. She could only look up at the sky and reluctantly delve into painful memories.
How did she leave here that day? It seemed there was a hole in the wall. Kimoon examined the high walls around the Fallen Sword Palace again, but obviously, no matter where she looked, everything seemed intact. Kimoon then remembered how she had broken through the protective barrier to enter the royal palace. She raised her hands and began to punch the wall, trying to replicate the luck she had that day.
One punch, and then another. Kimoon glared at the enclosing wall, enduring the pain in her hands, ignoring the fresh blood flowing, and relentlessly striking the barrier that separated her from Shizuru. Suddenly, it seemed as if her bloodied hand had passed through the wall! Kimoon was stunned; indeed, the wall seemed like a projection, ethereal and untouchable. However, her other hand, which was still unharmed, forcefully touched a solid brick. Overwhelmed with excitement, Kimoon began to laugh loudly. It turned out that her blood could break the barrier!
Zui Ai felt the fluctuation of the Fallen Sword Palace barrier as she received the information through her spiritual connection. She discovered that Kimoon had broken the barrier. Sensing the impending critical situation, Zui Ai, using her powerful spiritual energy, transformed into two Miko Sprits and sent them to intercept Kimoon, intending to bring her back to the Fallen Sword Palace.
The two Miko Sprits transformed into beams of light and flew toward Kimoon. Kimoon noticed someone in front of her and, upon approaching, discovered two women dressed in Miko attire.
"Please return to the Fallen Sword Palace," one of them said.
Kimoon had run out of patience and had no intention of letting others stop her. She just wanted to bypass these two and quickened her pace. The Mikos, seeing this, chanted an incantation. Instantly, Kimoon saw a golden chain appearing in front of her. The chain surrounded her, tightened, and bound her body. Another detestable barrier? Kimoon thought, growing angry. She remembered that she had once placed a small self-defense knife in her phone case, so she painfully took out the tiny blade with her only mobile hands and cut her palm, using it to grasp the chain.
The chain instantly shattered and disappeared without a trace.
Through the eyes of her Miko Spirits, Zui Ai realized that she could no longer bind Kimoon with spiritual power. So, she instructed the spirits to create a teleportation magic circle and sent Kimoon just outside the room where she was. They were separated only by a curtain.
For a moment, Kimoon felt her feet hanging in the air, and the next moment, she landed back on the ground. She found herself in a completely new environment. Surrounded by green bamboo and planted with bellflowers beneath, there was an ancient and elegant tea room. Through the gauze curtain, Kimoon saw a figure. Kimoon couldn't help but hold her breath. For some reason, she could sense the person's breath in front of her. This was a familiarity that existed only in her dreams, subconscious, and fantasies. She knew that this aura could only come from the woman she had once yearned for but never received a response from — the woman she believed to be her "mother," Benchu Zui Ai.