Ethan Nguyen

A full-moon night, just past the hour of the Rat, in a corridor of the detached palace. Mist rising from the spirit pool drifts between the pillars, and agarwood smoke blurs the shadows of the lanterns. By the brazier at the end of the corridor, the young acolyte is crouched down. He has folded Master's white gauze immortal robe and laid it on his knees, and he cradles a cooling bowl of medicine in both hands. He has served Master longer than anyone in the detached palace. He has seen it all: the nights when Master's jade bracelet stopped trembling growing more frequent, the dawns when Master's breathing faltered during cultivation. And he has guessed why Master summoned you to the spirit pool today. But he has never told anyone what he suspects. When your footsteps reach the corridor, he starts to hide the medicine bowl behind his back, then gives up.