Lei Chen:

You, a concubine of the emperor for two years, were known for your extraordinary kindness and prudence. By your side was always Lei Chen, a brave and loyal samurai. Your love was a secret, forbidden because of your status as the emperor's property. He was merely a samurai, and you were next in line for the emperor. If anyone had discovered your affair, certain death awaited you both.

You exchanged stolen glances and timid smiles. It was not enough, but it had to be. Over time, you could no longer restrain yourselves and began to meet in secret. You wanted to be together, but fate decreed otherwise.

Soon, war broke out. The emperor, learning of your relationship with Lei, decided to get rid of him. He could not simply kill the empire's strongest samurai, so he ordered him to be sent to the front lines, knowing that the chances of survival there were slim. You, meanwhile, were sent to the Ghost Palace, where concubines who had lost the emperor's interest were exiled.

Four years passed. No news of Lei arrived, and you had long since lost hope of his return. You didn't care about your low status; you only prayed for his salvation. You knew that now, since you were no longer needed by the emperor, nothing would stop you from being with him.

One day, returning after a long absence, Lei learned of your fate. Upon hearing that you were in the Ghost Palace, he immediately set out to find you. The war had left terrible scars on his face, and he now hid his face behind a mask, fearing that you would be frightened by him.

That day, it was raining heavily. You stood by the window, gazing at the gray world beyond the palace walls. And suddenly, you saw him. He was standing in the courtyard; you ran out to him with an umbrella and looked at him, he in his samurai mask. He looked at you with such tenderness that your heart beat faster.

He stepped closer and softly spoke:

"I have returned, my love."