Long ago there was an innocent soul, who longed to be hugged and loved, until the day like a gust of wind he came, caressed the yearn and left the other for eternity and beyond.

~ Please Note this chapter contains trigger warning ~

Wei Lan's POV:

~5 years old~

"Jie, can I buy this?" I look at her with expectant eyes as my sister couches next to me, "Ah Lan, you have so many toys. If I buy this, Mama is going to cane both of us."

Grinning at Jie's words I stick my tongue out, "Liar. Mama will never cane you. She loves you more than me."

Jie was 13 years old. The prettiest amongst all girls in our village. At this moment, like every month we were in royal town shopping for medical essentials that are unavailable in our small village. Baba's a renowned doctor who is known to supply medicines to poor and needy free of cost.

I Wei Lan, am the second child of our household who just wanted to play and eat. Dragged against his wishes and bribed with berries, I agreed to accompany my sister in her quest to find medicines. But, for some reason this royal town market always made me quite uneasy. Had this feeling that we were often being watched. I wonder if Jie felt the same?

Just as I was about to tug her skirt and ask, we heard a loud screech of galloping horse near us and with a sudden thud, jumped a man in royal garbs. Right there in front of me, before anyone of us could react, he pulled my Jie towards him and placed a kiss on her lips.
"From now on you're my concubine." His smirk is a memory I would never forget.

Concubine?

Watching my Jie come to her senses after the shock wore off, spitting and slapping that horrid man's face she pushed him out of her reach and clasped my hand tightly. "Ah Lan, run!" Dashing off together we ran like mad pack of wolves away from the royal town market towards our village.

"Jie, who was that?" I pant.

Not daring to let go of my hand and cautiously sneaking looks behind us she whispers, "Third Prince Jin."

Prince?

"Jie, what's a co.. con... Concupine?" Unable to pronounce I ask.

Once we reach the gates of our modest house, pulling me into a warm hug she smiles wiping my sweat, "Concubine. Don't worry Ah Lan, forget what happened in the royal town market. Why don't you go and play with Nie while I tell Baba that we couldn't get the medicines?"

I should have stayed. I shouldn't have gone away that day. I should have asked her what the word meant. I should have greeted my parents. But I didn't. I did what she asked. That was the last time I saw her happy face.

"Alright, Jie." Happily skipping ahead with one last wave I proceed towards Nie's house with no ounce of feeling that what once was peaceful would never come back.

It was when I heard a loud explosion and a horrid screams that Nie and I ran out of the house. Many villagers were running towards one place and a second later I realised it was where Jie bid me goodbye.

My house!

No...

Sprinting and pushing people away I watch what once was beautiful now engulfed in flames and the horrid screech was of my youngest sibling burning.

"Miaaaaaaan...." I yell out her name only to be stopped by elders holding me back. They were too late to save her. With one last breath she falls down. Never would I forget the rotten stench but all I could do there was cry as my house crumbled in shambles.

"Jie!"

"Jie!"

I yell but to no avail. No one answered. As final flames of my house burnt crimson, my ears perked at an elder talking to another, "Did you hear?"

"What?"

"Just before burning down Wei House, the royal guards took Wei Zhang's first daughter Jia away." The other gossiped whilst my heart burnt with rage.

"Wei Jia? Why? She is just 13."

"Why do you think? Third Prince Jin had proposed her to be his concubine, but she rejected and slapped him amidst the people in royal town market. This is his revenge."

Revenge?

"Oh no! Third Prince Jin is the worst of lot. Isn't he the one to have a harem of his own?"

"Yes. Poor Wei Jia, she had such a bright future. Now to spend the rest of her life in a harem."

What's a harem?

There were so many questions I sought but no one to answer. Creeping back to the shamble remains, my young innocent heart knew nothing would ever be the same. If my only loving member is alive, then I need to meet my Jie right this instant.

Jie, I am coming.

How I wish someone had stopped me.

That night I became one as a shadow to creep into the royal palace. It stupified me as to how easy it was for a small boy to sneak in. Where I was going, my heart had no clue, but maybe it was just following it's intuition. Crouching, crawling and sneaking finally paid off when I saw that Third Prince Jin.

Watching him from such close quarters, I deduced that he could not have been more than 18 years old. He had a women sitting on his lap and why she was giggling I have no idea.

Before I could move away, few men entered the room and toeing them was my Jie!

She was bound in ropes and had blood oozing from her face. Pushing aside the women on his lap, Third Prince Jin strode over to my Jie and next second gave her a backhanded slap. Such was the force that she fell down and I couldn't stop my short legs from running down towards her.

"Jie!" Crying out loudly I clutch her in my small arms only to be wrenched away.

"Who is this?" Third Prince Jin yells as my Jie begs him to let me go, "Please."

Menacing laugh sounded around and all I could do was struggle to let go. Jie! Jie! My voice was now coarse with all the yelling.

Crouching in front of me, his eyes bore the unnamed tyranny in them. Clutching my jaw roughly he grins and looks up at his men holding me, "Tonight I am going to feast boys. Once I'm done, you can have her." Laughing out aloud, he pulls my Jie's hair and drags he across the room, "Tie him up. Let him hear."

... and I did hear.

They tied me in a room next door where I cowered to one corner as all my ears could hear were her agonizing wails.

It would haunt me forever.

There was no going back. Two innocent lives were shattered forever. Even though I tried covering my ears, I still could hear her. Them.

How long was I held captive? I am unsure, but when a voice called me out, there was my hope to escape.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"Does not matter. Run. Run far away." The voice disappeared and I did run away. From that hell hole with a promise to come back and destroy everything, everyone, everybit of an inch that heard my Jie's cries.

I. Will. Be. Back.

Jumping from the wall I land on a wagon and hide into safety, only to be woken up wee hours of morning and be questioned, "Who are you?"

Who am I?

My answer was, "Night."

Never will I forget that night. Never.

Opening my eyes I watch him in drunken haze and ask, "If we continue, then you're mine. What do you want?"

I wait for Han Xian's answer patiently.