Alina sat beneath the gnarled branches of an ancient willow tree, its golden leaves swaying gently in the evening breeze. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of jasmine and burning incense from the palace beyond the city walls. Above her, the sky was painted in strokes of deep indigo, scattered with stars that felt both familiar and foreign.
She clutched her pendant tightly, its weight against her palm grounding her in the moment. The events of the past few days had unravelled everything she thought she knew—her reality, her identity, even time itself. She had crossed into a world not her own, into an empire on the cusp of something she did not yet understand. And now, she faced a decision that would shape everything to come.
Should I try to return home?
Her mind raced through the possibilities. If the rift had opened once, could it open again? Was there a way to reverse what had happened, to find a way back to the life she had always known? She thought of her apartment, the glow of neon lights reflecting in her window, the hum of the city beneath her feet. She thought of Mei, her best friend, who must have realized she was missing by now. And her grandmother's stories—had the old woman known something all along? Had she tried to warn her?
And yet—
Her fingers brushed over the coarse linen of her borrowed servant's clothes. Here, in this ancient world, she was no longer just an observer. She was part of something larger, something she could feel pressing against her very soul. The palace, the prophecy, the pendant's symbol carved into stone—all pointed to something waiting for her. Something only, she could uncover.
The thought unsettled her as much as it intrigued her.
She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. If she sought to return home, she would need to ask questions, to search for knowledge that might not exist. But in doing so, she would undoubtedly draw attention to herself, attention that could be dangerous in a court filled with secrets.
If she stayed…
Alina exhaled slowly. If she stayed, she could seek answers. About the pendant. About the dynasty. About the prince whose presence had left an unshakable mark on her mind.
But staying meant more than just looking for the truth. It meant accepting that she may never go back. That the life she had known might already be out of reach.
Her grip on the pendant tightened.
"I don't belong here," she whispered to the night, as if saying it aloud would make it true.
The wind shifted, rustling the willow leaves above her. The city beyond was alive with the distant murmur of life—court musicians playing for the nobility, merchants calling their final bargains, the occasional clatter of a passing carriage. It was not her world. And yet…
Something deep inside her told her she had never truly belonged in the life she had left behind, either.
She stood, her decision forming like iron in her bones.
She would stay.
A slow breath left her lips as she embraced the truth. Returning home was no longer her priority. Finding the truth—about why she was here, about what had called her to this world—was more important.
The moment she made that choice, something shifted within her. A weight lifted, as if fate itself had been waiting for her to decide.
The unknown lay ahead, vast, and uncertain.
And Alina was ready to face it.