In the eastern dominion the moon rose sideways casting shadows that whispered secrets
Within the jade palace a woman knelt before the veiled queen
Eyes like sharpened obsidian
Name encoded in red silk
Aya
The youngest daughter of bloodveil
The queen's voice slid through the chamber
You will find him
Charm him
And end him
Aya didn't hesitate
He's just a man
The queen smiled beneath her veil
That's what makes him dangerous
Aya departed that night no guards no weapons just perfume and poison
She found Azel near the edge of the Verdant Rift
Alone sharpening his blade on a stone older than language
She didn't speak right away
Just watched
Measured
Waited
Then stepped forward slowly
You're Azel right
He looked up once
Then nodded
And you're not here to make friends
She smiled
Good guess
They talked for hours
About nothing and everything
Stars
Magic
The smell of war
Azel offered no defense no suspicion
Just truth
Aya reached for her hidden needle once
Paused
Then kept listening
By dawn she forgot which words were lies
He spoke like he didn't fear betrayal
He treated her like a soul not a threat
Aya's orders echoed in her head
Poison his tea
End the echo
But her hands stayed still
Azel finally turned fully toward her
You gonna do it
She froze
Do what
He smiled gently
What your queen told you to
Aya looked down
Then back at him
Why didn't you stop me
Because I wanted to see if you'd stop yourself
She dropped the vial
It shattered against the roots
No more lies
Just silence
Then wind
And understanding
The mission failed
But something else sparked
Aya didn't return to the queen
She stayed
Not as a spy
But as someone who finally found a name worth betraying her orders for