Phoenix Of Different Lifetimes

In the predawn hush of a Minister's mansion in Dayu, Linda, a young maid, stifled a yawn, the weariness of her station a familiar ache. The whispers followed her like a shadow—'jinx,' they called her, blaming her for every misfortune, every spilled water bowl.

She had only her mother and younger brother left, their lives bound by poverty and the ghosts of a powerful past. Yet, even amidst the drudgery, a flicker of defiance burned within her. A chance, she believed, to rewrite her fate.

Outside, the world stirred. The Minister's daughters, Cynthia and Emerald, fussed over silks and satins, preparing for the 'Measuring of Immortal Bones'—an event that promised to define their futures. For them, it was a grand affair; for Linda, a distant, impossible dream.