Alex Baker *23 years old *Archeology and Historical student *Half-American, Half-filipino *A genius scholar of the modern world

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Liu Ahn Xi *17 years old *illegitimate son of the Liu Marquees *Known for his beauty *Genius Scholar *Frail and Sickly *Aside from being Illegitimate, he was the apple of the eye of his father.

...

. .

Let's begin!

. .

I jolted awake at 3AM

Again

The same time, every single night for the past eight years.

My chest heaved like I'd been running, but I'd been lying in bed the whole time.

My pillow was damp.

I touched my face and my fingers are wet.

I'm crying in my sleep again.

. .

The dream clung to me like silk, refusing to dissolve the way normal dreams did.

I could still see that man kneeling on cold palace stones, his royal robes pooling around him like spilled blood.

His face was always blurred, like my mind was protecting me from seeing it clearly, but his grief was crystal clear.

Devastating...

Heart wrenching...

And the body in his arms, dressed in the plain robes of a eunuch...

. .

I didn't answer.

Tyler had stopped asking details after the first year in college.

What was I supposed to tell him?

Tell him that I'd been dreaming about ancient Chinese emperors and dead eunuchs since I was fourteen?

That I'd literally chosen to study archaeology and Chinese history because of a recurring nightmare?

. .

Sometimes, in quiet moments, I caught myself touching my own throat like checking for a wound that wasn't there?

. . .

TBC

From: Dr. Margaret Chen Subject: RE: Independent Study Proposal

Alex, Against my better judgment, I'm approving your proposal to travel to Beijing for summer research. I've contacted an old colleague, Professor Lin Wei at Tsinghua University. He specializes in private imperial collections and has agreed to meet with you. However, there's something odd. When I mentioned your specific research interests. He became quiet. Then he said something strange "Tell your student to be careful what he's looking for. Some graves shouldn't be opened." Your flight is in three weeks. Try not to get yourself cursed or something. - Dr. Chen

My hands had gone numb as I read the email three times.

. .

I looked at my reflection in the darkened window...

I'm a 23 college student with messy black hair and has a Filipino mother's features...

I looked nothing like the blurred figure from my dreams.

Nothing like an emperor.

So why did Professor Lin's warning feel like it was meant for me specifically?

. . . .

TBC