My mind raced with conflicting emotions as I hurried back to the safety of the palace. The streets were teeming with festival-goers, their laughter and merriment a stark contrast to the turmoil churning within me. The blood on my hands and dress seemed to seep into my very being, staining my soul with a darkness that I couldn't easily shake off. As I neared the palace gates, I was thankful that the guards were busy looking at the festivity from afar and didn’t manage to sense my presence as I headed inside. I came to the festival with a desire for knowledge and truth, but I had become entangled in a web of violence and vengeance.
How had I strayed so far from my original quest?
Arriving back inside the palace, I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the temporary respite from the chao
