Every night it was the same. The dreams. The unfamiliar faces. The weight of a life that wasn't hers. The first time she had seen herself in those ethereal robes, standing in a world far removed from her own, she thought it was just a nightmare. But now...she dreams almost everyday although it's not the same dream every time.
The times she dreamed,she gave an excuse that it was the college entrance examination maybe the stress is too much, so she dreams of a world where no exam happens? ... in that dream she wears different clothes and the whole world seems different and sometimes she can feel the other's emotions so well she sometimes found it difficult to distinguish reality from dreams...
Her parents are not good in parenting but one thing they are good at is sending her to the psychiatrics, she is starting to believe they are eager to send her to the mental hospital because they are not usually at home all year round but as soon as she started dreaming, and talking elegantly and so on (which is the effects of the dream), the nanny forced her to the hospital, which she thought..oh okay maybe there's really something wrong with her and i should cooperate. Wrong!
Nothing is wrong with her and the doctor is clearly unprofessional openly expressing disbelief in front of patients, not that she is a patient.
She just decided to go home.
She looked at her reflection on the car's window glass ,Jin Yue radiated a bright, cheerful energy that matched her youthful appearance. Her porcelain skin seemed to glow, and her dark, silky hair bounced lightly with every step. Almond-shaped eyes, the color of warm amber, sparkled with curiosity and mischief, as if she were always on the verge of laughter. Her smile was quick and effortless, lighting up her entire face and revealing her playful spirit...
When she arrived home, it was empty as expected, she has a younger brother but they are not that close he is always in his room playing video games or out showing his spoiled and bratty personality with his goofy friends, it's almost dark so she just had dinner and washed up to go to bed, she was so tired as soon as she touched the bed, she dozed off.
____
In the blink of an eye, Jin Yue found herself in a different place altogether.
She stood in the middle of a vast courtyard, surrounded by flowers,it is a garden. The wind carried the scent of flowers and incense, and the distant sound of temple bells echoed in the air.
She knew this place, though she had never been here before. Her body felt different, lighter, like she was no longer herself but someone else.
"Saint Yue," a voice called.
Jin Yue turned, her heart pounding, as a group of robed figures approached her,this robes look expensive..she thought as she watched them bow to her, which didn't surprise her as it was not the first time someone bowed to her in the dream...bowing low as if she were someone important. The man at the front—a handsome figure dressed in ceremonial robe looked at her , though his gaze held uncertainty...and threats??
She tried to speak, but her voice felt foreign. The words that came out weren't hers.
"What is happening?" she whispered to herself, looking down at herself as this wasn't the usual clothes her dream self often wore,it seems...grander.
The people continued to bow, chanting, "Saint Yue, guide us."
But how could she guide them when she didn't even know who she was.
Jin Yue stood in the still, her eyes darting to the tall, robed man standing before her. He had always been calm, composed, with that perfect mask of a loyal servant. The handsome man, Lu Shen, had been by this body's side since she first started dreaming. But today, something about him seemed different, more urgent.
He motioned her with eyes to follow him,which she uncontrollably did.
"Saint Yue," Lu Shen began, his tone as respectful as ever, though there was an underlying tension in his words. "The Emperor has summoned you."
Jin Yue's heart skipped a beat. Summoned by the Emperor? Her entire body tensed, she didn't understand.
"What does he want from me?" Then she heard the body ask, her voice wavering.
Lu Shen glanced around, lowering his voice as he stepped closer. "The Emperor believes that your divine intervention is needed at the upcoming ceremony, the day after tomorrow. He wants you to create a miracle."
Jin Yue froze, her mind racing. A miracle? How could she, of all people, create a miracle?no no no this body wasn't even a true saint. She didn't have any divine powers; this body's soul barely understood the rituals they made her perform.
"But I..." she began to protest, but Lu Shen quickly cut her off.
"It's important that you don't refuse," he said, his voice low but firm. "The Emperor expects you to fulfill your role. The entire court will be watching, and if you fail…"
His words hung in the air like a dark cloud. Jin Yue felt her breath catch in her throat. This body had known for a long time that she was just a puppet in this charade, but now the stakes were higher than ever. If she didn't perform, she would be exposed as the fraud she feared she was.
"What kind of miracle does he expect?" she whispered.
"A sign from the heavens. Rain in the middle of a drought, perhaps, or a divine light." Lu Shen paused, his eyes scanning her face. "You will be prepared. Just do as you're told, and everything will go as planned."
Jinyue watched this happening from a vip perspective. Oh thank God am not her... but i sure will love to see how she will pull it off, tsk tsk tsk...this is better than watching novels, it's like watching 8d film from a front row seat. Jinyue thought as waited to wake up or be woken but this time she did not wake up from what she thought was a lucid dream but continued dreaming and following her dream self .
Later that evening, Jin Yue found herself wandering through the corridors of the palace, the body's soul in a daze, speaking of which, this body is always in a daze, ever since she first started dreaming she found that if she wasn't talking, then she's in a daze even eating is done in a daze, she thought maybe it is because she is dreaming.
Unknowingly, she passed a side hallway, she heard low voices echoing from behind a closed door. Jin Yue slowed her steps, recognizing one of the voices instantly. It was her 'father's voice, speaking in hushed tones.
Curiosity took over, and she leaned closer to the door, listening carefully.
"We cannot keep up this charade much longer," her father's voice was sharp, filled with frustration. "The Emperor's demands are growing, and I'm worried she will be exposed."
Jin Yue's heart pounded in her chest. She pressed herself against the door, straining to hear more.
"It is risky," came Lu Shen's calm voice, though there was an edge of coldness in it. "But as long as she follows the plan, she can maintain the role of the saint. The ceremony will buy us time."
"Time?" her father snapped. "She's unstable,and an idiot Shen. You've seen her struggle to perform even the simplest of "miracles". If she fails in front of the court—"
"We will abandon her before that happens," her father interrupted, his voice lowering. "It's too dangerous to keep her here once the Emperor starts questioning her abilities. If she fails at the ceremony, it's over."
Jin Yue's blood ran cold.
"Abandon her?" Lu Shen asked, though his tone carried no surprise.
Her father's reply was chilling. "We can't let her bring us down with her. If she's exposed, she will have to take the fall alone."
Jin Yue's world spun as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. Her father... no ,the body's father planned to abandon her and let her die because abandoning her would mean exposing her even before she failed, he would be the faithful minister who chose his Emperor before family while this body would just be pitiful child who deceived the Emperor and executed at the age of sixteen, jinyue suddenly felt a wave of sympathy and remorse for the body's soul.