The Shattered Realms

Chapter 6 - The Mark Beneath the Collar

The rain began before dawn.

It fell quietly over the Wen estate, washing the stone paths and darkening the tiled roofs until the entire household seemed wrapped in a gray veil.

Selerin woke before the servants' bells.

She did not know why.

For several moments, she simply stared at the ceiling of her small room, listening to the rain tapping against the wooden window.

Then she felt it again.

That strange warmth beneath her collar.

Selerin slowly raised a hand to her neck.

Her fingers stopped.

The mark.

She had lived with it for as long as she could remember.

A small silver crescent surrounded by lines she had never understood.

Usually, it was nothing more than a strange birthmark.

But since the Royal Hunt-

It had changed.

Selerin sat up.

She pulled the collar of her nightclothes aside and looked down.

The mark was glowing.

Not brightly.

Just enough to make the silver lines visible beneath her skin.

Her breath caught.

"No..."

She touched it.

The moment her fingers made contact, a sharp image flashed through her mind.

A palace.

Fire.

Someone running.

A woman's voice.

Run.

Then-

A baby crying.

Selerin jerked her hand away.

The vision disappeared.

She sat frozen on the edge of her bed.

Her heart was pounding.

"What was that?"

A knock came at the door.

Selerin quickly covered the mark.

"Selerin?"

It was Lianhua.

"I'm awake," she answered.

The door opened slightly.

Lianhua entered carrying a folded robe.

"You'll catch a cold if you continue sleeping with the window open."

Selerin glanced toward the window.

She hadn't realized it was open.

"Oh."

Lianhua smiled.

"You look pale."

"I'm fine."

Lianhua studied her for a moment.

"You always say that."

Selerin smiled weakly.

"I'm getting very good at it."

Lianhua laughed softly.

For a moment, everything felt normal again.

Then her eyes fell on Selerin's collar.

"What's that?"

Selerin instinctively touched it.

"What?"

"Your collar."

Lianhua pointed.

"It's crooked."

"Oh."

Selerin immediately fixed it.

Too quickly.

Lianhua noticed.

But she said nothing.

Instead, she handed Selerin the robe.

"Come downstairs when you're ready. Mother wants everyone at breakfast."

Selerin nodded.

When Lianhua left, Selerin waited until the door closed.

Then she looked down again.

The mark had stopped glowing.

But the warmth remained.

The Wen family gathered in the dining hall an hour later.

Ziyuan was already complaining about the rain.

"This is terrible."

Zhihao looked up from his book.

"It's rain."

"Exactly."

"Rain has existed for thousands of years."

"That doesn't make it less terrible."

Lianhua laughed.

Their mother shook her head.

Selerin sat quietly beside Lianhua.

Normally, the warmth of the Wen household made her forget that she was a servant.

Today, she couldn't stop thinking about the vision.

The palace.

The fire.

The woman.

And the baby.

She lowered her eyes.

Was that me?

"Selerin."

She looked up.

Zhihao was watching her.

"You haven't touched your food."

"I'm not hungry."

Ziyuan leaned forward.

"That's impossible. You always eat more than Lianhua."

"Hey!" Lianhua protested.

Selerin smiled.

But Zhihao didn't.

His gaze remained thoughtful.

"You've been distracted since the hunt."

Selerin's hand tightened around her chopsticks.

"I just haven't been sleeping well."

Before Zhihao could respond, footsteps sounded outside.

The dining hall doors opened.

Madam Qiao Meizhen entered.

She was dressed impeccably despite the early hour.

Dark wine-colored silk.

Black outer robes.

A restrained gold ornament at her waist.

Her expression was calm.

Almost gentle.

She bowed to the Wen parents.

"I apologize for interrupting breakfast."

The family greeted her politely.

Selerin lowered her gaze.

She had always been uncomfortable around Madam Qiao.

Today, however, something was different.

The moment Qiao entered the room-

The mark beneath Selerin's collar grew warm.

Very warm.

Selerin stiffened.

Qiao stopped.

Only for half a second.

Her eyes moved toward Selerin.

Then the warmth disappeared.

Qiao smiled.

"Is something wrong, child?"

Selerin shook her head.

"No, Madam."

Qiao's smile remained.

But her eyes had changed.

She knew.

That afternoon, Selerin was sent to the old library.

The Wen family kept thousands of records there-imperial documents, genealogies, ancient maps, treaties, military reports.

Zhihao was already inside.

"I need these records organized before sunset," he said.

Selerin looked at the mountain of scrolls.

"Before sunset?"

Zhihao smiled.

"I didn't say it was possible."

She laughed.

For several hours, they worked.

Then Selerin noticed something.

A wooden box had fallen behind one of the shelves.

She crouched and pulled it out.

Dust covered the lid.

"What is this?"

Zhihao came closer.

"I've never seen that before."

He opened it.

Inside were several old pieces of parchment.

Most were damaged.

One was still readable.

Zhihao unfolded it carefully.

His expression changed.

"What?"

He didn't answer.

Selerin leaned closer.

At the top of the document was an old imperial seal.

Beneath it were three words.

ROYAL YIN FAMILY

Selerin froze.

The mark beneath her collar burned.

Zhihao noticed.

"Selerin?"

She stepped back.

"I don't know why, but..."

"What?"

"My neck."

Zhihao frowned.

Before he could ask more, Selerin pulled her collar aside.

The silver mark was visible.

Zhihao stared.

He had seen it before.

But never like this.

"It changed."

"What?"

"The lines."

He reached toward the parchment.

There was an illustration near the bottom.

A crescent.

Surrounded by the same pattern.

Selerin's blood seemed to turn cold.

"That's my mark."

Zhihao looked at her.

"Where did you get it?"

"I told you. I've had it since I was little."

"Who gave it to you?"

"I don't know."

"Your parents?"

Selerin looked away.

"I don't remember them."

Silence filled the library.

Zhihao looked back at the ancient document.

Then he turned the parchment over.

Nothing.

He examined the edges.

"There should be another page."

"How do you know?"

"Because this ends in the middle of a sentence."

He searched through the box.

Finally, beneath a false wooden bottom, he found a narrow strip of parchment.

Only a few words remained.

When the mark awakens, the heir-

The rest had been deliberately cut away.

Selerin stared at the words.

"The heir..."

Zhihao's expression hardened.

Then they heard footsteps.

Someone was approaching.

Zhihao quickly rolled the parchment.

The library doors opened.

Madam Qiao stood there.

Her eyes immediately found the box.

Then Selerin.

Then the collar covering her neck.

For the first time, the calm expression on Qiao's face almost disappeared.

Almost.

"Zhihao."

He bowed.

"Madam."

"What are you doing with that?"

Zhihao glanced at the box.

"Records."

Qiao walked toward them.

"Some records are better left unread."

Zhihao's eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

Qiao smiled.

"Because history has a habit of hurting people who disturb it."

Selerin looked at her.

Something inside her whispered that she had heard those words before.

Not from Qiao.

From the vision.

Run.

Qiao reached for the parchment.

Selerin suddenly stepped between them.

Qiao stopped.

Their eyes met.

For one strange moment, neither moved.

Then Selerin asked quietly,

"Madam Qiao."

"Yes?"

"You said before that you knew my parents."

Qiao's expression remained composed.

"Yes."

"What were their names?"

Silence.

Zhihao looked between them.

Qiao's fingers tightened slightly around her sleeve.

Then she answered.

"I told you what you needed to know."

"No."

Selerin's voice was steadier now.

"I think you told me what you wanted me to believe."

Qiao's eyes hardened.

Only for a heartbeat.

Then she smiled.

"You are becoming very curious, Selerin."

She turned toward the door.

"Curiosity can be dangerous."

When she left, the room felt colder.

Zhihao watched her disappear.

Then he looked at Selerin.

"Who is she?"

Selerin stared at the closed door.

"I don't know."

But deep inside, she knew something else.

Madam Qiao was afraid.

Not of Zhihao.

Not of the document.

Not even of the mark.

She was afraid of what the mark meant.

That night, Selerin stood alone before the mirror.

She slowly pulled down her collar.

The mark was visible again.

Silver.

Beautiful.

Unfamiliar.

She touched it.

This time, there was no vision.

Instead, she heard something.

A whisper.

So faint she almost thought she imagined it.

"Yi..."

Selerin's eyes widened.

The sound came again.

"Yi Xin."

She stumbled backward.

The candle beside her flickered violently.

And somewhere far beyond the Wen estate-

deep beneath ruins no living kingdom remembered-

something answered.

A crack appeared across an ancient stone seal.

Blackness seeped through it.

The Hollowing had found a path.

And for the first time in seventeen years,

the lost princess had been called by her true name.