The hem of his dark, almost-black imperial robe trailed along the floor, sweeping over the polished wooden boards with a faint, rustling sound.
After taking a few steps, he abruptly stopped. His back remained straight, and he did not turn around.
"Brother."
"About that machine,"
His voice was barely audible, like a wisp of smoke that vanished in an instant, drifting into Xu Tianran's ears so faintly it was almost impossible to make out.
"I won't pursue it. But this is the only time. Don't let it happen again."
As his words fell, the study's wooden door swung open.
The morning light suddenly flooded the room, making Xu Tianran, who had been sitting in the dark for so long, instinctively squint.
By the time his eyes had slowly adjusted and his vision cleared, the doorway was already empty. Only a faint halo of chaotic light remained, slowly dissipating in the air.
Xu Tianran sat alone behind his desk, motionless. For a long time, he did not move.
After who knew how long, he lowered his head and looked at his hands.
His palms and fingertips were still trembling faintly. They had not stopped since he left the secret chamber.
It was not fear. It was not panic.
He had suddenly understood, completely and utterly.
No matter how hard he chased or struggled in this life, he would never catch up to his younger brother again.
It had begun many years ago, from the moment he sat in his cold wheelchair and watched six-year-old Xu Yanli being sent to the Crown Prince's Mansion.
He had already lost. Utterly.
The border between Star Luo and Sun Moon, once sharply defined and held in a standoff for years, had long since grown indistinct, existing in name only.
No one could say when