A Garden Without Exit

The scent of cherry blossoms lingered in the air, their delicate petals drifting lazily in the afternoon breeze. 

Seated at an elegant stone pavilion, Rong Xi exhaled slowly, his golden eyes half-lidded as he took in the tranquility of the place. 

A figure in black robes emerged from the shaded corridor, bowing slightly before speaking.

"Your Highness."

Rong Xi lifted his gaze lazily. "Hm?"

"There has been an incident in the central district," the man reported crisply. "The noble Lady Shang Qing Ye and her two daughters were injured after their carriage overturned."

His fingers tapped the rim of his teacup. "An accident?", as he lifts his gaze, "And you deemed this worth reporting to me?".

The guard hesitated, then replied, "Not exactly an accident."

A pause. "It was caused by magic."

The man continued, "Witnesses reported that a young girl unleashed an uncontrolled burst of power, striking the carriage's wheel. And before the accident, she…"

The guard lowered his voice.

"She called Lady Shang Qing Ye 'Mother.'"

For the first time, Rong Xi fully looked up at him. 

A child?

He had heard whispers of the Shang family's third daughter, a child scarcely seen, tucked away within the estate since birth. Rumors swirled years ago that the girl had supposedly fallen gravely ill, so much so that she was sent away to recover in secrecy.

Could this be the child..

A gravely ill child… with magic?

How interesting.

Rong Xi narrowed his eyes, stretching his senses outward. 

Magic always leaves traces.

However fleeting, even controlled power clung to the air, whispered in the spaces where it had been unleashed. 

He gently closed his eyes, letting his magic extend outward, reaching into the unseen threads of energy left in the air. He wasn't far from the city. 

A lingering pulse—fragile, faint, yet not entirely gone.

His lips curled slightly.

Ah. There she is.

His fingers moved in a smooth, fluid motion, tracing delicate patterns in the air. Threads of soft, glowing light emerged, weaving and bending at his silent command.

He did not open a portal. That would be too abrupt. Instead, he simply… shifted the path. The alleyways stretched a little longer, the turns curved a little differently, the girl and her companion, unknowing, unseeing, simply followed.

Su Mi barely noticed.

One moment, they were running through the maze-like alleys, and the next—they were here.

A garden.

What?

Su Mi was panting beside her, hands on her knees, while Yao Yao blinked around in confusion. The scent of cherry blossoms filled her lungs, the stone pathways laid out in smooth, deliberate patterns.

No marketplace noise.

No city guards.

Just… tranquil silence.

And at the center of it all—a boy, seated at a tea table. 

"You two seem… troubled," his voice smooth and composed.

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.....

.....

Yao Yao lifted her chin, arms crossed in defiance. "Hmph! Well, it's not like we wanted to be here."

Rong Xi, seated with effortless elegance, tilted his head slightly as he slowly chimed, "Then why are you?"

Yao Yao scowled. "How should I know?!"

Rong Xi's gaze flickered.

The girl before him was brimming with energy, her piercing pink eyes alight with defiance, far from what one would expect from a child rumoured to be gravely ill.

Then, he leaned back slightly, resting his elbow on the table. "Who are you?" 

She kept her mouth shut, having no intention of following his lead.

There was a subtle charm about this man, an undeniable ability to steer the conversation at his own pace, effortlessly drawing others into his rhythm.

Hold on—a man?

Yao Yao blinked, her thoughts briefly pausing.

He was just a boy, wasn't he?

And yet, something about him… felt much older.

Su Mi, sensing the tension, immediately spoke. "We should get going—"

Yao Yao caved in almost immediately. "Yeah. Thanks for the, uh… garden. We'll be leaving now."

She turned on her heel, Su Mi following close behind.

Except—

She stopped.

Her pink eyes scanned the area. Something was wrong. 

She looked left, and then right.

Su Mi whispered beside her, "Yao Yao, which way did we come from?"

Yao Yao opened her mouth and paused. She didn't… know. The paths all looked the same earlier. Right here, right now, there was no alley in sight. Nothing but the garden.

A chill crawled up her spine.

Then, behind her, the boy's voice rang out, casual and mockingly.

"What are you looking for?"

Yao Yao's breath hitched. She twisted around, glaring. "The alley, obviously!"

Rong Xi sipped his tea. "Oh?"

Su Mi's face paled. "It was… just there."

But it wasn't.

It was gone.

Yao Yao's fingers twitched.

Now that she thought about it… there had been something off about the alley earlier. Some twists that felt a little too long while some turns that felt slightly too curved.

Had they really stumbled here? Or… had they been led?

Her gaze snapped back to the boy. He was watching her again with patience, then his lips parted, and he asked, "What's your name?".

Yao Yao did not answer.

Rong Xi hummed softly.

She lifted her chin defiantly and answered, "And why should I tell you?"

Silence.

Then—Rong Xi smiled.

Not cruel. Not amused. Just curious.

"You shouldn't." He admitted lightly, a chuckle slipping past his lips.

Yao Yao blinked.

…Huh?

Before she could figure out what to say next, the boy leaned back slightly.

"Well then," he said smoothly, "I suppose it's time you should find your way out."

Then, with an elegant tilt of his hand, he gestured toward the far corner of the garden.

"If you wish to leave," he said, his voice light, "then go ahead."

She turned her head and froze.

Because there, standing where it hadn't been before, was the alleyway.