The Dragon Emperor's Pearl

A sharp, stinging slap across my face jolted me awake, followed by a woman's shrill, grating voice. "Xiuying, wake up! I have been looking everywhere for you! How dare you stay behind in the Obsidian Terraces?! Your place is—"

I flinched away, my heart pounding, wiping the sleep from my eyes. A group of well-dressed women, accompanied by a few gaunt, collared men, stood before me. Confusion clouded my mind. Who were these people? And why did they call me Xiuying?

"My lady!" Another woman grabbed the first. "This...this doesn't look like Xiuying."

I quickly scanned my surroundings, a pile of worn blankets near a wall, my home for the past few days. "I-I have no idea who you are, or what you want with me..." I stammered, feigning innocence, desperate to avoid confrontation. The fat woman squinted, her face twisting in annoyance.

Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice, like silk on my skin, cut through the tension from behind me. "What is all this racket?" Instinct screamed danger. The women paled, the guards bowed. My world, already a blank slate, was about to become far more complicated.