Phoenix

Chapter 7

Red smoke.

Whisps of crimson red smoke danced and weaved its way through the thick air. The air so thick that it somehow made breathing so helplessly difficult. I could not move; I could not speak; I could only stare at red whisps of smoke floating after one another up higher and higher. They intertwined around each other as they grew, thinning out the higher they got. I watched as they reached the ceiling, perishing at the slightest contact. The crimson color almost wholly dissolved. Only some residual smoke still hung in the air, like ghostly figures, reminding me of the predicament I had in front of me.

It couldn't be... I couldn't be-

My heart was racing, beating erratically. I could hear each thump, pounding in my chest like my heart could jump out at any moment; it was too loud. Soon, it was the only thing I could hear. I covered my heart with my hands, pressing as hard I could on my chest, attempting to muffle the sound. It didn't work. The thumping of my heartbeats rang in my ears, over and over again. And soon, the smell of smoke clouded my senses.

I peered at the room around me. It was utterly silent. No one spoke. But the shock was written on each girl's face. Wide-eyed, they looked around each other frantically, wondering who it could be, trying to put a face to the name. My name.

At this moment, I felt small. No one knew who I was, but yet, it felt like everyone was staring at me. I kept my head down, flustered and confused. I glance up at my roommates, only to find more faces of bewilderment. Zhirou has a hand over her mouth, and wide eyes that look at me in confusion. Biyu also stares at me with the same expression; only, her mouth isn't covered but openly gaping at me. Only Ciufan's back is facing me. She is still watching the terracotta pot, even though the fire has long burned out.

I notice Imperial Noble Consort Li rise, and suddenly my attention focuses on her. She has a calm and collected expression plastered on her face, and a soft smile on her lips, however, the orbs of her eyes pour out panic and bewilderment. "... Zhao Xiulan, arise and come forth to the front," she spoke to the hall, with the same honeyed voice as before. Her eyes dart from girl to girl, wondering who it could be herself.

My eyes dart back to my hands, successfully lowering my head. I feel Ciufan's eyes on me, which, for some reason, made me quite uneasy. I cautiously glance up at her, and I find her scowling, gazing far off into the distance behind me. Somehow, my eyes find their way back to the front of the hall, and I make eye contact with the Empress Dowager's blood red ones. She is staring directly at me, with eyes of oblivion that pierce through me, suffocating me in their hold, refusing to let me go.

To my astonishment, she slowly rises, and without warning, she begins to walk off the platform... towards me.

I instantly look back down at my hands, attempting to keep my head down as low as possible.

'Please, not me, not me. Please turn another direction,' I thought over and over again.

I hear the sound of her shoes clicking with each step, becoming louder and louder, combining with the sound of my beating heart still ringing in my ears. I watch as she approaches me, only being able to see the bottom of her dress and her shoes. She stops right next to me, and I watch as her feet turn towards me.

"Zhao Xiulan," she states my name in a silvery voice.

I dared not to look up. I couldn't. I couldn't look up at her. I couldn't stare into her bloody eyes again. It was too frightening.

Raising my arms in front of me, I shakily place one hand on top of the other, flat, with my elbows pointing out. I gradually turn towards her, still keeping my eyes trained on the ground. Already kneeling, I slowly bow down to her.