A young woman walked slowly toward the gate of the special chamber in the center of the palace. Her arrival radiated hope—a hope that was now beginning to wear thin. In the past, many people had praised and prayed for her as a symbol of hope.
Her current profession caused many people and guards to inadvertently lower their heads when facing her. That bowing of the head was no longer merely a sign of respect, but rather a lingering plea for help. It was as if everyone who knew her instantly prostrated themselves, begging for the manifestation of hope. A manifestation she was still striving for, still in the process of fighting for, yet one that felt increasingly impossible for her to fulfill.
To make matters worse, the people who knew her because of that profession acted as though they cared not and were reluctant to understand her, ultimately breeding feelings of disappointment toward her.
Sometimes, the young woman would busy herself without any clear reason. At times, she would hide behind her own shadow, even covering her face out of shame.
Yet now, she no longer paid attention to those dark days. She was exhausted, but the closer she came to failure, the harder she tried to rise again.
Her serene face blended with a soft jawline, while her pair of black eyes radiated calmness—though that calmness was actually feigned. Her eyes, which always looked heavy, kept struggling to stay open, as if harboring thousands of props beneath their lids.
Her jet-black hair was neatly bunched at the nape of her neck, with a few thin strands dangling beside her face, swaying gently whenever a breeze from the edge of the white palace greeted them.
A fine-embroidered white kebaya framed her slender figure. Her firm and upright chest was adorned with an Alliance pin ornament, framed by a golden lotus flower in the center.
Her footsteps were covered by a white Alliance-style jarik cloth with golden and silver patterns that shimmered softly under the light.
Over her right shoulder was a guard made of white silver with gold carvings, supporting a wide white sash that draped gracefully down to the back. There was no excessive jewelry on her body; her entire appearance radiated a dignified simplicity. Yet somehow, it felt as though every strand of cloth she wore was meant to symbolize a mandate rather than splendor.
Her fluid body movements trembled slightly from a lack of energy, but she tried her absolute best to remain resolute while carrying scrolls and a small bag cradled against her side.
Before she entered the special chamber in the middle of Wulansana palace, the two guards slowly opened the large white gate adorned with intricate and elegant carvings.
"Thank you..."
Her shoes touched the brilliantly glossy white floor, making almost no sound as she stepped into the chamber. She immediately headed toward a section of the wall whose location she had memorized by heart. Before her, a tall white wall stood, sculpted with carvings resembling piled-up lotus petals as if emerging from the Mirror of the Destiny-Bringing Dream.
Her soft fingers touched the circular carving resembling the alignment of the sun and earth. Slowly, she pressed it inward until it sank into the wall.
She knew the lock pattern by heart. The circle was rotated and then slid slowly to form a crescent moon pattern according to the predetermined passcode. Even the slightest mistake, and the door would never open.
When the passcode was correct, the roaring sound of water echoed from behind the wall, as though the lake surrounding Wulansana City was turning into a high tide.
Her body moved again, now facing a cylinder made of brilliantly clear stone. A moment later, the cylinder opened, revealing a special round boat resembling the blooming of a white lotus flower floating gracefully on the water's surface.
She waited briefly, occasionally wiping her temples. When the water filled to the brim, she stepped across a small bridge formed by the overflowing water from inside the tub. Once the floral boat was aligned with the floor, her feet slowly stepped inside and stood right upon the lotus boat.
As the water began to spill into the reservoir surrounding the cylinder—
Ssrreethhhhh!
The stone tub door closed tightly, leaving a momentary silence inside the cylindrical room. A soft echo rolled from the foundation of the Graha, followed by a gush of clear water filling the space beneath the lotus boat. The water pressure from the depths of the lake slowly lifted the white boat, before gliding smoothly through the towering stone cylinder that split each floor until reaching the summit of the palace. Bluish light danced faintly behind the translucent white stone walls, while the roar of water echoed softly, like the breath of the lake escorting its guest toward Sanajayan's Relief of Destiny.
She lowered her pale face, letting her gaze sweep over the panorama of Wulansana unfolding between the support tower pillars behind the cylinder walls. The vast lake shimmering in the sunlight, the white buildings, and the stone bridges connecting the corners of the city looked graceful, while the palace domes and towers slowly faded far below. The higher the lotus boat soared, the smaller the world below became, until only the sky and Sanajayan's Relief of Destiny awaited at the end of the journey.