Xi Feng slumped onto the bed, her weary eyes fixed on the ceiling, tracing the intricate patterns of the plaster. She felt utterly exhausted, a heaviness weighing down on her that seemed to seep into her very bones. Ever since she came to know of her origins sleep had become a distant memory.
With a sigh of resignation, she pulled the veil from her face, casting it aside onto the rumpled bedspread. She felt an overwhelming urge to strip away more than just her veil. She peeled off her garments, shedding them like old skin, before making her way to the small bathroom.
The cool water felt refreshing against her skin as she rinsed away the remnants of the day, but the turbulence in her mind refused to wash away. Thoughts swirled like a tempest, each wave crashing against her resolve. She longed for the embrace of sleep, yet every fiber of her being protested against surrendering to it.
