No response.

  Jin Yu waited a minute longer. Still nothing.

  Click.

  The door gave a soft sound as he pushed it open.

  Inside was exactly what he expected, yet far more alive than imagined.

  It was a garden. But not just any.

  Glass shelves lined the room in perfect symmetry, each cradling rare species of flowers, organized by nature.

  Fiery blossoms pulsed gently in one section, their petals flickering like embers. Opposite them, delicate ice blooms shimmered in pale blues, releasing tiny clouds of frost. Near the corner, translucent flowers with watery bodies swayed gently, though there was no breeze.

  Beyond the shelves lay the heart of the garden.

  There, vibrant flora grew directly from the soil, each one steeped in dense spiritual essence that hummed faintly in the air, as if the garden itself breathed.

  And at the center of it all… stood a woman.

  She wore red.

  Not soft crimson or graceful scarlet, no. It was a deep, bleeding red, the color of freshly spilled blood.

  Among so much lush green, she looked like a wound in nature’s canvas. Striking and Beautiful.

  She didn’t turn to look at him.

  The woman in red stood still among the flowers, one hand gently brushing the petal of a budding plant, her movements delicate, reverent, even. As if she were tending to something sacred.

  Jin Yu stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him.

  “I need information.” he said, not bothering with greetings.

  The woman’s hand stilled on the flower.

  “I’m not a librarian.” she replied, her voice calm, yet devoid of warmth.

  Jin Yu didn’t flinch. “I’m not here for your hospitality either.”

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  Silence fell again, save for the quiet rustle of leaves and the faint buzz of spiritual essence flowing through the plants.

  He moved closer, stepping over roots that curled like serpents underfoot.

  “The plant demons outside,” he said, stopping a few paces away from her. “How did you nurture them to that level of sentience?”

  She still didn’t face him. “Why does it matter?”

  “Because I have one,” Jin Yu replied flatly. “And she’s changing.”

  That made her pause.

  He pressed on. “I want to know what she’s becoming. Whether I should stop her… or help her.”

  A long moment passed before she finally turned her head slightly, just enough to glance at him over her shoulder. Her eyes were a deep, bleeding red, matching her robes and it glimmered faintly with layered awareness.

  “You’re not like the others,” she murmured. “Most who come here seek entertainment. You bring questions… and no offering.”

  “Isn’t knowledge enough of a price?” Jin Yu countered.

  She let out a soft breath that might’ve been a scoff.

  “There’s a book,” she said eventually, “but it’s not meant for hands like yours.”

  Jin Yu crossed his arms. “Let me be the judge of that.”

  The woman finally turned fully to face him, her expression unreadable. “And what will you give me in return?”

  Jin Yu’s voice was plain. “how much?"

  That earned a ghost of a smile from her lips, one that didn’t reach her eyes.

  "I'm afraid that's useless."

  Jin Yu gave a mocking smile, barely.

  "I'm afraid you'll get nothing, I don't beg."

  The smile dropped from her face. “Then you’ll have to take it.”

  They stood there, the silence between them thick with challenge.

  After a while, the woman lowered her gaze, just half a second, when she looked back up, the coldness in her eyes has vanished, only left with just a casual expression, one that seems too fluid to be real.

  "There's something I need."

  She began, her attention back to the garden. She caressed a Misty two leafed flower gently, as if petting a child. "If you bring it, all my knowledge...about your little demon is yours."

  Jin Yu scoffed and moved two steps closer, a silent killing intent filling his eyes. "I won't run your errands."

  A soft chuckle. "But you gladly accepted the City lord's." The woman turned back to him, a mocking smile on her lips.

  But Jin Yu remained unmoved by the taunt.

  Her smile switched again, with that casual expression. She tilted her head slightly, her Blood Red eyes glinting with something unknown.

  "Don't worry, it's the same place, all I need is just a token from there"

  Jin Yu stared at her red eyes in contemplation, his cold gaze not diminishing a bit.

  "What makes you think I won't just kill you and take it?"

  A pause.

  Then "Haha" a mocking laughter escaped her mouth.

  "Kid, when I said a book, did you for a moment think it's physical?" She didn't wait for his reply, instead,

  "Here" she tapped her temple, her large doe-like eyes fixed on him as if silently asking: How are you this naive?

  Jin Yu wasn't surprised, he merely asked. "what does it look like?"

  She turned her back to him, her demeanor cold and graceful. "There can only be one token, don't die there."

  Jin Yu looked at her for a beat, before giving in.

  Fine, for Rainbow's sake.

  He thought as he walked out, just as quietly as he entered.

  Outside the building, Jin Yu stopped a man. "You"

  The man flinched slightly then gave a small bow. "how can I help you, mister?"

  "Is there an Apothecary here?"

  "Yes, of course, " the man turned nervously to a side and pointed to a distant building.

  "That white Tower there, that's their guild"

  "Thanks" Jin Yu said simply and mounted his horse, galloping away.

  In a matter of minutes, he reached the White Tower. It was modest yet elegant, it stood like a silent sentinel in the heart of the city. Unlike the chaotic bustle elsewhere, this area radiated a calm, almost sacred stillness.

  White-robed figures moved in and out with quiet purpose, their steps measured, presence serene like ripples gliding over still water.

  Jin Yu looked up, at the highest point of the tower, a glass window donned it, glinting softly as it caught the Sunlight.

  Just before he could dismount, a familiar voice called him.

  "Friend"

  Jin Yu paused, then rolled his eyes as he turned his horse backward. It was Seer, on his snow white steed. "What now?, I'm busy"

  Seer gave him a small smile. "Apologies my friend, but the time came faster than expected, we need to leave now."

  He said, already nudging his horse to move.

  Jin Yu followed. "Can't that boy toy wait till night falls?"

  Seer raced his horse forward, the way they had come from. "It can't be helped, the realm is opening faster this moon."

  Jin Yu galloped after, not falling behind. He raised an eyebrow as he asked. "The realm?"

  Seer chuckled, that familiar glint back in his eyes. "I told you didn't I?, Solenthia gets interesting every Twin moon, and it's already began"

  A faint smile tugged at Jin Yu's lips. "Now I'm curious."

  Seer gave him a side glance, the glint never fading from his eyes. "Trust me, you'll love it "

  And so, they raced out of the city without a backward glance.