Night fell over the Suiseiryu Shrine, but the mountain did not sleep. The "noise"
Jee-shahn so loathed was reaching a fever pitch. From the balcony of the guest suite,
the distant glow of lanterns could be seen snaking up the mountain paths. The Lords
of the Trench and the Sapphire Coast were arriving in their coral-encrusted carriages,
their retinues filling the air with the clatter of spears and the arrogant chatter of
nobility.
Inside the suite, Jasmine was a nervous wreck. She had spent hours laying out the
"Ceremonial Blue" robes—a set of heavy, sea-silk garments embroidered with silver
thread that shimmered like moving water. She paced the floor, her pigtails swaying
frantically, while she looked at the bed where her "groom" was supposed to be
preparing his mind for the trials of the morrow.
Jee-shahn was, unsurprisingly, fast asleep. He was sprawled facedown across the silk
sheets, still wearing his travel-worn, fur-lined robes, snoring with a rhythmic, lazy
cadence that seemed to mock the tension of the empire.
"Jee-shahn! Wake up!" Jasmine hissed, poking his shoulder with her azure-crystal
staf. "The Dukes are here! My sisters are already spreading rumors that you're a
commoner! If you don't act like a prince tomorrow, they'll have our heads on pikes
before the appetizers are served!"
Jee-shahn didn't move an inch. "Pikes are too much work," he mumbled into the
pillow, his voice mufled and heavy with sleep. "And rumors don't have a flavor. Tell
the Dukes to keep it down... I'm having a dream about a hawk that actually stays still
when I try to eat it."
Jasmine groaned, collapsing into a chair. She looked at the boy who was currently the
only thing standing between her and a forced marriage to a stranger. He was a
monster who could crush the sky, yet he couldn't even be bothered to change his
clothes. She realized then that the "Royal Meeting" wasn't going to be a political
debate—it was going to be a collision between the most arrogant lords of the South
and a bored cosmic observer who just wanted a snack.
High above the shrine, the moon reflected off the white stone, and for a brief moment,
the air turned cold—a chill that didn't come from the sea. Deep in the shadows of the
mountain, seven distinct ripples appeared in the spiritual fabric of the world. The
Seven Sins were watching. The ancient sanctuary was no longer hidden, and the
"noise" they had brought was finally reaching the ears of the Dragon's Rebirth.
Jee-shahn's eyes snapped open in the dark. For a split second, the lazy indiference
was gone, replaced by a cold, azure light that mirrored the depths of the abyss.
"Too much noise," he whispered to the empty room, his voice a low, vibrating growl.
Then, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.