Haoran woke up in an unfamiliar bed, much different from the one he remembered spending many nights in with the Prince. He had a terrible headache and his chest throbbed with a dull but incessant pain. It seemed to be evening as the Golden Hour had set in and Blue Hour was approaching. That didn’t matter because he had looked across the room and noticed a mirror.

At first, he barely noticed himself in the reflection and decided to just ignore that. When he stood up, he realized that his robes were much different than anything he had ever worn before. He had on pastel sage green inner robes and a beautiful outer coat that was black with red and green dragon embroidery. It was delicately crafted and his hair was pulled back in a way that made it cascade down his back and around his shoulders in a comely manner. The look was exquisite.

He took a step to look out the window and caught himself with the windowsill. His knees had buckled at the step and a sharp pain shot through his chest. It took a second for the dizziness that followed to dissipate but he was able to regain his sturdy position, looking out the window.

What took Haoran by surprise was not the color of the sun but rather the scenery bathed in the reddish light. It was the old temple that he had wanted to see finished. The compound he was staying in seemed to be outside the worship area but close enough to see the gold bell swinging near the entrance. It was just an idea, not put into writing yet when he had last thought about it. How many years had he slept through? What time was it? Where was this place he had only known of in his dreams?

A minute passed as he thought about his situation. It became too much to think about at the moment so he turned away from the window. The twinkle of a little bell rang from somewhere near his left hip. He looked down and noticed the black tassel hanging gracefully from his robes. It had a little gold sword, a silver bell with gold detailing, and a red dragon that looked like the one he had given the prince but carved out of a red Jade like material. What a detail? How could he have missed it?

Haoran pulled the string up so he could take a better look at the ornaments of the tassel. They were intricately designed and he could tell what two of them meant but the little silver bell confused him. Well, he didn’t exactly know what the other two symbolized but he had an idea or two. His head felt heavy as he stood in that unfamiliar room. The smell of sandalwood incense finally registered in his mind and he felt a pang of sadness at what he had lost. His prince had always loved sandalwood so naturally, he had come to enjoy the scent as well. He looked at his hand and saw the faded scar he had always seen when he looked at his arm.

So he was in his body, but how? He was dead and it’s not like he possessed someone so what was happening? After walking to the mirror, he saw himself and admired his looks. It had been a while since he had seen his own dark eyes, straight ebony hair, and the soft features of his face. But something was off and he could tell. Near his collar bones, in his neck, there was a black vein that caught his attention. That was new so he delicately slid his outer coat off and untied his inner robes, revealing his bare chest to the mirror.

The gasp came out of Haoran involuntarily as he looked at the angry red and black wound near his heart. It was gross and hurt to look at. He quickly re-tied his robes and decided to leave the room. The door was closed so he went to open it. His hand went through the door. Of course, he was a ghost. This was just great. He shook his head and did the only thing he could do at that moment. He walked through the door and shuddered as his body moved into the solid wood.

It was dark in the hallway he found himself in but he saw some light towards the end of it. He ran towards and through the cracked open door. There was a courtyard and a sign that read: Kaiyuan temple. Kaiyuan temple? When did they decide the name?

“Young master! Young master!” Haoran turned to his left, shocked that someone was calling to him. He pointed to himself with a “Me?”. The young woman nodded, laughing as he slowly walked towards her. She was dressed in a simple pink and green hanfu with her hair in a low bun. He had heard of shamans and spiritually gifted people but he never really believed that they could actually see ghosts. Of course, he knew they existed but she could see him when he could barely see himself in the mirror. Although, she didn’t look much like a shaman to him.

When he reached her, she smiled and took his hand, examining it in the daylight that was left. “We’ve been waiting for you, master,” she said in a calm voice, still fondling his hand. “Do you know me?” Haoran asked in a very confused tone. She laughed at him again and started walking away, taking his hand along with her. He had no choice but to follow her.

They walked away from the temple and he asked for her name. “I’m Mei Lan. And I already know who you are.” He looked at her, confused. “Who am I then?” She giggled and said, “Well you’re Song Haoran, the prince born out of wedlock.” She smacked a hand over her mouth after saying the last word.

••

Night had fallen and Haoran sat in his room, processing the information he had received earlier. The things he had known for sure were that he was Song Haoran, he had died to the prince’s sword, and that he had been deemed a traitor after his death. It’s not like he didn’t know that he betrayed the empire but he wasn’t a total sell-out. He shook his head and looked out the window.

It was late but lanterns had been lit and it didn’t look any later than midnight. He lit a candle in his own room and sat by the window, spacing out. Eight years had passed since he died and Mei Lan didn’t have any news from beyond the empire. Some travelers from the south had come through the trading route but no one like the man he longed for. He turned his attention to the incense burner, laughing at his luck. Who would’ve thought this would be the fate of a man who gave up everything for his person?

HIs whole situation was a lot to think about and he felt very overwhelmed. It was time to go to sleep or just rest his head because his thoughts were muddled and the pain in his chest was getting more and more intolerable. Haoran walked to the bed from where he had been sitting by the window. The bedding was white and simple but looked warm. Unlike many of the items, he couldn’t manipulate when he had come out of his room, everything in the room was his and solid. He lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, wishing for sleep to come.

After closing his eyes, he tried to meditate instead, hoping to at least calm his wild thoughts. It was then that he realized that rain had started falling. The slow patter of the rain on the roof tiles and the cool breeze that entered the room from the window. Even though he was suffering, he felt relief wash over him like the rain that cleansed the outside world around him. Not long after the rain came, Haoran fell asleep, miserable but in peace.

••

The next morning, the warm sun greeted the sleeping beauty. Its rays of warmth woke the pale man out of a nightmare.

“SEKARAN!” Haoran sat up, slowly, reaching for something on the table beside his bed. He couldn’t find what he needed so he rested his back against the wall. His adrenaline was pumping and he felt like throwing up because of the headache he had gained overnight. He closed his eyes again, trying to think his way through the pain and figure out why he had woken up so suddenly. Nothing came to mind as he spaced out, only pain. He looked at the ceiling and asked himself what was wrong. In the end, he knew nothing more and gave up.

After a few minutes, he got up to go outside. The rain had stopped a few hours before he woke up but it was still wet and muddy outside. Because he was at a temple, he was sure there would be offerings or other times he could manipulate and use. Though it was late in the morning, not many were out in the courtyard or surrounding areas. He walked on the stone path looking at the pretty ornaments on his tassel, not paying attention to where he was walking. When he looked up again, he found himself observing a lecture. The group looked to be in their early teens and it wasn't that interesting so he just sat against a pillar of the pavilion, dozing off. That was until he heard a familiar voice.

“Thank you for participating in the lecture today, it’s good to see youngsters still involving themselves in their history and beliefs.” Haoran whipped his head around, getting slightly dizzy from the motion. The man his eyes fell on was slim, calm, and looked a lot older than he remembered him looking. He had dark brown hair with emotional brown eyes that were still speckled with gold. His skin was a beautiful chocolate color that complimented his pretty lips and sharp features.

Haoran was sure his eyes were deceiving him. There was no way he was here too. The one who was the hardest to let go of. His a person who he thought he would never see again. He thought he was dreaming so he called out to the beautiful man.

“Sekaran~”