Red smoke.

Whisps of crimson red smoke danced and weaved its way through the thick air. The air so thick that it somehow made breathing so helplessly difficult. I could not move; I could not speak; I could only stare at red whisps of smoke floating after one another up higher and higher. They intertwined around each other as they grew, thinning out the higher they got. I watched as they reached the ceiling, perishing at the slightest contact. The crimson color almost wholly dissolved. Only some residual smoke still hung in the air, like ghostly figures, reminding me of the predicament I had in front of me.

It couldn't be... I couldn't be-

My heart was racing, beating erratically. I could hear each thump, pounding in my chest like my heart could jump out at any moment; it was too loud. Soon, it was the only thing I could hear. I covered my heart with my hands, pressing as hard I could on my chest, attempting to muffle the sound. It didn't work. The thumping of my heartbeats rang in my ears, over and over again. And soon, the smell of smoke clouded my senses.

I peered at the room around me. It was utterly silent. No one spoke. But the shock was written on each girl's face. Wide-eyed, they looked around each other frantically, wondering who it could be, trying to put a face to the name. My name.

At this moment, I felt small. No one knew who I was, but yet, it felt like everyone was staring at me. I kept my head down, flustered and confused. I glance up at my roommates, only to find more faces of bewilderment. Zhirou has a hand over her mouth, and wide eyes that look at me in confusion. Biyu also stares at me with the same expression; only, her mouth isn't covered but openly gaping at me. Only Ciufan's back is facing me. She is still watching the terracotta pot, even though the fire has long burned out.

I notice Imperial Noble Consort Li rise, and suddenly my attention focuses on her. She has a calm and collected expression plastered on her face, and a soft smile on her lips, however, the orbs of her eyes pour out panic and bewilderment. "... Zhao Xiulan, arise and come forth to the front," she spoke to the hall, with the same honeyed voice as before. Her eyes dart from girl to girl, wondering who it could be herself.

My eyes dart back to my hands, successfully lowering my head. I feel Ciufan's eyes on me, which, for some reason, made me quite uneasy. I cautiously glance up at her, and I find her scowling, gazing far off into the distance behind me. Somehow, my eyes find their way back to the front of the hall, and I make eye contact with the Empress Dowager's blood red ones. She is staring directly at me, with eyes of oblivion that pierce through me, suffocating me in their hold, refusing to let me go.

To my astonishment, she slowly rises, and without warning, she begins to walk off the platform... towards me.

I instantly look back down at my hands, attempting to keep my head down as low as possible.

'Please, not me, not me. Please turn another direction,' I thought over and over again.

I hear the sound of her shoes clicking with each step, becoming louder and louder, combining with the sound of my beating heart still ringing in my ears. I watch as she approaches me, only being able to see the bottom of her dress and her shoes. She stops right next to me, and I watch as her feet turn towards me.

"Zhao Xiulan," she states my name in a silvery voice.

I dared not to look up. I couldn't. I couldn't look up at her. I couldn't stare into her bloody eyes again. It was too frightening.

Raising my arms in front of me, I shakily place one hand on top of the other, flat, with my elbows pointing out. I gradually turn towards her, still keeping my eyes trained on the ground. Already kneeling, I slowly bow down to her.

"...Zhao Xiulan greets the Empress Dowager," I say softly, struggling to keep my voice from shaking.

I hear gasps from around the room. If it wasn't obvious who I was before from the Empress Dowager's words, it is definitely obvious now.

"Raise your head," she commands.

My heartbeats become louder and louder, quicker as well. I feel as if my eardrums might burst. Staring straight ahead, I do as she says, as I slowly raise my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Imperial Noble Consort Li staring at me like a hawk, fury pouring out of her eyes. But once my eyes meet with the Empress Dowager's bloody ones, I am once again trapped by her intense gaze.

"Do you know the punishment for disobeying Imperial Noble Consort Li's command?" She questions, her slender face giving not a hint of emotion.

"Beheading," I answer without a quiver in my voice. Her eyes still held me in place but I was no longer shaking.

The edges of her lips curl up slightly. "Correct. The punishment is beheading. Though... we mustn't allow the blood of a Phoenix to spill on our palace floors, can we? After all, it has been two years of endless searching."

I remain silent. It wasn't a question aimed to me, but rather to Imperial Noble Consort Li, indirectly warning her. And she knew it too.

"You are a clever girl Xiulan, virtuous as well." The Empress Dowager studies my face and nods slightly. "Pretty too." Her bloody eyes stare into mine once more, and this time I don't recoil. She smiles and reaches her hand out, palm up, for me to take. Gold nail guards with intricate designs and assorted jewels cover each of her fingers, so sharp that they could puncture and slit one's throat. I wondered if she was going to slit mine. Carefully, I place my hand on top of hers; they turn cold against the metal. She helps me up as I stand. "Welcome to the Emperor's harem," she says, with the slightest smile, before pulling her hand back and walking away.

Shock overwhelms me as my eyes widen. "Empress Dowager, I-"

She stops and slowly veers back around to face me, her expression stern and eyebrows raised. "What? You do not want it?" she questions, daring me to say that I did not.

"I-"

Do I want it? What is meant by it? The gift of a Phoenix? A position in the Emperor's harem as a concubine? As... Empress? Never would I have thought that I was the Phoenix. I still do not understand it. I am not the least bit special, how could I be the Phoenix? I did come to the palace to be selected into the Emperor's harem, so I suppose that I should be glad that I am the Phoenix, only... I never wanted this. I wanted to stay home with my mother and live a simple life in peace. I never wanted to get pulled into a harem of murderers and cruelty. But I have to. I need to. I am in a position where I have the opportunity to provide a better life for my family. And my family is what is most important.

I look up and stare into the Empress Dowager's piercing eyes, this time, they did not frighten me the slightest.

"I have to want it," I admit with a clear, adamant, voice.

She nods, studying me for a moment, before walking away, with Imperial Noble Consort Li and Linghua/Liuyang following far behind. It is completely silent as the three women leave. I dared not to take my eyes off their leaving figures, not wanting to face the fury of the girls around me. But as soon as the grand doors click close, chaos erupts in the dining hall.

Girls around the hall stood up as high as they could, to get a better look at the Phoenix. The destined one. The fable myth. Me.

I felt like an object with all those stares on me, most of them glares. I did not look up at anyone. I did not want to look at the scowls and grimaces aimed towards me. So I simply sat there, looking down at my lap, not knowing what to do. I could hear their whispers, though.

"Her?"

"Yes."

"What is so special about her?"

"Nothing, just look at her."

"How is she the Phoenix?"

A girl tried to talk to me. "Why would you be the Phoenix? You are rather unpleasant to look at. There are plenty of other girls who are much more suited to be Phoenix. Like me!"

I did not answer her. Mostly because the gossip around me was right. Nothing is special about me; I am simple, if anything. I did not have an answer for her because I did not know the answer.

Suddenly, two arms link around both of mine simultaneously and help pull me up until I am standing. I look to my right, finding a smiling Zhirou. And to my left, a beaming Biyu.

" Let's go," Biyu whispers.

Linking arms, the three of us walk through the crowd of girls, with Ciufan clearing the path for us. Girls did try to push me, but Biyu and Zhirou acted like reflective shields, shoving back with their free hand. As we walked, I could still hear their whispers. However, I tried my best to ignore them.

Finally, we managed to get out of the dining hall and find our room without getting lost.

I thank the girls and then go straight to bed. I did not feel like talking very much, and I knew the girls had questions.

That night, thoughts about the Phoenix and the harem invaded my head constantly, keeping my mind awake. When I finally fall asleep around midnight, I dream about an emerald green dragon with gold specks trailing down it's back. Blood red eyes pierce through me as it circles me, seemingly studying me. The more I stare into them, the darker they become, until they become as grim as oblivion.

It is the same dragon from the night before.