The familiar scent of sandalwood with other calming scents, drifted through the air as Xu Feng lay in the quiet of his room in his courtyard. The paper lanterns outside flickered faintly somewhere in the distance. They cast dancing shadows on the walls that should have been glaring, but they were the least of his worries.
The soft rustle of leaves from the nearby bushes whispered through the partially opened window. The warmth of the earlier gathering still lingered in the walls, but now, within the intimacy of his space, that warmth settled into something deeper—a pulsing awareness.
The room was just as he remembered, yet it felt different now. The soft cushions on the bed, the delicate drapes framing the windows—all carefully chosen comforts he took comfort in—now seemed to close in around him.