The Prisoner of Beauty

The air in the room is thick with the pungent smell of blood. Outside, dark clouds gather, and the wind howls, rattling the window frames.
Four or five young women in palace attire lie dead on the floor, victims of a desperate act by the failing Han Emperor. You watch, unseen and unheard, as the Emperor prepares to end the life of the woman you were in your previous life. The scene is horrifyingly familiar, a recurring nightmare that has plagued you since you awoke in the body of fourteen-year-old Qiao Xiao two years ago.
Now, awake in your own bed, the terror lingers. Your cousin, Qiao Da, gently shakes you awake, her voice filled with worry. She notices your cold sweat and suggests inviting a spirit medium, thinking you've encountered something unclean. But you know the truth is far more terrifying than ghosts.
