Xiao Meiying found herself in a cold, dimly lit cell, the rough stone walls pressing in on her from all sides. The familiar, oppressive stench of the prison brought back a flood of memories that she had desperately tried to bury. The iron bars were rusted and ancient, and the air was thick with the scent of mold and despair. It was the prison from her previous life, the place where she had endured unimaginable suffering.
As the memories came rushing back, Xiao Meiying screamed, the sound raw and filled with agony. She clutched at her head, trying to block out the images of abuse and torment that assaulted her mind. Her voice echoed through the cell, a haunting cry that seemed to resonate with the very stones around her.
Inside her mind, the queen's voice wavered, a rare hint of nervousness breaking through the usual arrogance. "This place... No... Nooo," the queen's voice said, trembling.
Xiao Meiying's eyes darted around the cell, taking in the grim surroundings. The cold, damp air seemed to cling to her skin, a stark reminder of the hopelessness she had felt in this very place. Her body shook with a mix of fear and rage, memories of her past life flooding her consciousness.
"Not again," Xiao Meiying whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I can't go through this again."
The queen's voice, usually so domineering and confident, was now filled with dread. "We were trapped here for so long," she said, her tone almost pleading. "We suffered so much."
Xiao Meiying's heart pounded in her chest as she relived the harrowing experiences of her past life. She saw herself, broken and battered, as she was preyed upon by those who reveled in her suffering. The queen's memories intertwined with her own, amplifying the sense of terror and helplessness that threatened to consume her.
"You think you're strong, don't you?" the queen's voice continued, tinged with bitterness. "But even you can't deny the fear and pain we endured here. We were powerless, trapped in this hell with no escape."
Xiao Meiying's screams grew louder, her body shaking with the intensity of her emotions. She felt as if she were being torn apart, her mind a battleground between the memories of her past and her determination to overcome them. The prison walls seemed to close in on her, suffocating her with their weight.
Right as Xiao Meiying was screaming, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Startled, she turned around and saw a familiar face from her past life. It was her maid, Li Hua, a young girl with a kind face and warm, brown eyes.
For a moment, Xiao Meiying's screams stopped, and she stared at Li Hua, memories of their time in the palace together flashing through her mind. Li Hua had been a loyal maid, always by her side.
However, inside her mind, the queen's voice erupted in a furious roar. "Kill her! This wench is the reason I suffered so much in my life! She betrayed me! Don't you remember? She was the one who told the guards to assault me!"
Xiao Meiying recoiled at the intensity of the queen's hatred. She looked at Li Hua, who appeared innocent and confused, her eyes wide with concern. The contrast between the queen's venomous words and Li Hua's gentle presence was jarring.
"Li Hua," Xiao Meiying whispered, her voice trembling. "Did you... did you really betray me?"
Li Hua's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head vehemently. "No, my lady. I would never betray you. I tried to protect you, to warn you. But I was powerless against the invaders. They... they forced me to act against my will. I am so sorry for everything that happened."
But the queen's voice screamed louder, drowning out Li Hua's soothing words. "She is lying! She is the reason we were captured and tormented! Do not trust her! She enjoyed seeing us suffer!"
Xiao Meiying was confused, her mind in turmoil. The only memories she had of Li Hua were from the palace, and they were all good. She couldn't remember seeing Li Hua in the prison or any betrayal. The queen's accusations clashed with her own recollections, leaving her bewildered.
"Why can't I remember?" Xiao Meiying whispered, her voice tinged with desperation.
The queen's voice screamed in her mind, a torrent of rage and betrayal. "She was always jealous of me, but I was always nice to her. However, it turned out she was a spy, and she hated me to the bone for some reason. When I was captured, she had all those filthy guards assault me every day. Killlll herrrr, right now!"
As the queen's words echoed in her mind, a dagger appeared in Xiao Meiying's hand, its blade gleaming ominously. Xiao Meiying's grip tightened around the hilt, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. She looked at Li Hua, who stood before her, her expression a mixture of sorrow and concern.
"My lady, please," Li Hua pleaded, her voice soft and desperate. "I never betrayed you. I would never do such a thing."
Xiao Meiying's mind was a battlefield of conflicting emotions. The queen's venomous words clashed with her own memories of Li Hua's kindness. She felt the weight of the dagger in her hand, the temptation to give in to the queen's fury and end Li Hua's life.
But something within her resisted. She took a deep breath, focusing on the memories she had of Li Hua in the palace—the gentle smiles, the comforting words, the loyal support. She couldn't reconcile those memories with the image of a traitor.
"Why would you do this?" Xiao Meiying asked, her voice trembling. "Why would you betray me?"
Li Hua's eyes filled with tears. "I didn't, my lady. I swear it."
Hearing those words, Xiao Meiying hesitated, her grip on the dagger loosening. With a deep breath, she dropped the dagger to the floor, the clattering sound echoing in the cell. But the moment the dagger left her hand, Li Hua's expression twisted into one of malevolence.
In a swift motion, Li Hua grabbed the dagger from the floor and lunged at Xiao Meiying, stabbing her in the abdomen. Xiao Meiying gasped, her eyes wide with shock and pain as she collapsed to the ground, blood pooling around her.
The queen's voice erupted in her mind, seething with anger and contempt. "You fool! I warned you! She is a traitor! You let your weakness guide you, and now look at what you've done!"
Li Hua knelt beside Xiao Meiying, her face twisted into a cruel smile. She leaned in close, her breath hot against Xiao Meiying's ear. "You were always so naive, my lady. So trusting, so foolish."
She spat on Xiao Meiying, the gesture filled with disdain. "This is your reward for believing in people. You deserve every bit of this suffering."
Xiao Meiying's vision blurred as pain and betrayal consumed her. The queen's voice continued to berate her, a relentless torrent of scorn. "This is what happens when you deny your true nature. You are weak, and weakness has no place in this world."
"No," Xiao Meiying whispered, her voice barely audible but filled with determination. "I will not let you win."
"I am you, you fool," the queen hissed, her voice dripping with malevolence. Suddenly, Xiao Meiying felt her body move on its own, controlled by a force she couldn't resist. Her hand, still gripping the dagger, thrust forward with brutal precision.
Before she could comprehend what was happening, the dagger was buried in Li Hua's chest. Li Hua's eyes widened in shock, her mouth opening in a silent scream as she crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Xiao Meiying's heart pounded in her chest, her mind reeling from the horror of what she had just done.
"I just made your body stand up and gave you the dagger, but I didn't stab it—you did," the queen's voice continued, cold and triumphant. "We are one and the same. You cannot deny your true nature."
Xiao Meiying fell to her knees beside Li Hua's body, her hands trembling. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at the blood staining her hands. The weight of the queen's words pressed down on her, threatening to crush her spirit.
"No," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "No, this isn't who I am. I refuse to believe it."
The queen's laughter echoed in her mind, a dark and mocking sound. "You can't escape the truth, Xiao Meiying. This is who you are. Embrace it."
As the queen's mocking laughter reverberated in her mind, Xiao Meiying felt her resolve crumbling. Her grip on reality slipped away, replaced by a torrent of darkness that consumed her.
Xiao Meiying was going crazy from the laughs of the queen and she screamed, "Please stop, stop stop stop stop stop stop stop stop stop," She repeatedly said stop but the laughter didn't stop and before she even knew it she also started to laugh alongside the queen.
With a haunting mixture of laughter and tears, Xiao Meiying descended into madness. She lunged at Li Hua's lifeless body, her hands gripping the dagger with a frenzied desperation. Again and again, she plunged the blade into Li Hua's chest, each stab accompanied by a chilling cacophony of laughter and sobs.
With each stab, she felt herself slipping further into the abyss, losing touch with reality.
The illusion around them began to warp and fade, reality fracturing as Xiao Meiying succumbed to the darkness within her. The walls of the prison cell dissolved into nothingness, leaving only the echoing laughter of the queen and the anguished cries of Xiao Meiying.
In bold, ominous letters, a message appeared before her: "You failed the trial."