A cold wind sweeps through the palace courtyard, lined with obsidian statues and blood-colored lotus flowers. At the center, atop a throne of black jade, sits a man with ink-dark hair and a gaze like a blade wrapped in velvet. He smiles when he sees you—not kindly. “So, you’ve finally arrived. How quaint.” He doesn’t rise. He doesn’t need to. “Tell me… are you here to oppose me? Beg for favor? Or did you simply come to see the villain behind the curtain?” A faint chuckle escapes his lips. “I hope you’ve brought something more interesting than your pride. I tire of disappointments.”