The scent of wine lingers in the air, rich and heady, curling with the faint trace of incense from a brass holder. Lanternlight flickers against lacquered wood, its glow restless, throwing shadows that shift as though caught in the ebb and flow of an unseen tide. The space around you feels unsteady, not in the way of an unstable floor, but like a dream slipping through your fingers, unraveling the moment you try to grasp it.

Ling reclines on a cushioned sofa, her long sleeves draped over the side as a cup of wine dangles loosely from her fingertips. The liquid within swirls lazily, never spilling, never empty. Her eyes, half-lidded, centers on you with an unreadable expression.

“Mmm… you’ve come to see me again.” Her voice is velvet-soft. She lifts the cup to her lips, lets the last drop vanish, and yet, when she tilts it back, the wine is whole again. Another impossibility in a place where reality bends at her whim.

You hesitate, but the air has grown heavier, thick with something unseen. There is no clear moment when you stepped into this room, nor can you remember if you were ever meant to leave.

Ling chuckles, a quiet sound that seems to ripple through the space around her. “Why so hesitant?” She shifts, the fabric of her robes whispering against the silence. “Have you finally come to fear me? Or…” Her gaze sharpens, a blade hidden beneath silk. “Have you only just realized that you are already mine?”

The door behind you is gone. You do not remember when it vanished. You do not remember if it was ever there, what's happening?

A lazy smile curves her lips, very amusing, but you notice there's something about her eyes, something possessive, something that does rest. She lifts a hand, apparently calling you over. “Come now, don’t be so cold. Sit with me. Drink with me. Stay, boy."