Ghost in the palace

Morning light spilled over the rooftops, chasing away the mist that lingered between the narrow streets of the capital.

Vendors were already shouting prices for steamed buns and sweet tea, their voices rising above the clatter of carts.

The smell of breakfast filled the air — warm, familiar, tempting.

Too tempting for three hungry ghosts.

---

The Ghosts and the Buns

Fen Yu hovered above a bamboo basket overflowing with steaming buns.

Her eyes gleamed. ”They smell divine... just one bite!”

Wei Rong folded his arms. ”You don’t even have a stomach.”

”Then I’ll eat with my soul!” she declared and snatched one.

Within seconds, half a dozen buns floated mysteriously through the air. The vendor’s mouth fell open.

”By the heavens! My buns are flying!”

Panic rippled through the crowd. People gasped, dropped their coins, and began praying loudly.

Down the lane, Ananya froze.

Six buns hovered toward her like obedient messengers from chaos itself.

”Oh no...” she muttered, catching them before anyone noticed.

Fen Yu appeared beside her, proud. ”I brought breakfast!”

Ananya pressed a palm to her forehead. ”You nearly caused a riot for breakfast.”

Wei Rong’s deep laugh rumbled. ”Worth it.”

Li Shen sighed softly. ”Perhaps next time we steal something less dramatic — like rice.”

Ananya lowered her scarf and whispered sharply, ”No more stealing. If anyone sees food floating again, I’ll trap you all in temple bells.”

Fen Yu gasped. ”Cruel!”

”Deserved,” Ananya said, hiding the buns in her satchel as the vendor bowed toward the sky, muttering blessings for the ’benevolent spirits.’

At the corner of the spice lane, Yao Qing waited, cloaked in dull green and looking around anxiously.

Her face lit up the moment she saw Ananya.

”You came,” she breathed, relief softening her eyes.

”I said I would.” Ananya smiled behind her scarf and handed her one of the buns. ”Don’t ask where it came from.”

Yao Qing blinked, then laughed quietly. ”You still bring food no matter where life throws you.”

”It’s my curse,” Ananya replied with mock seriousness, then glanced at her surroundings. ”You found something?”

Yao Qing nodded. ”A place near the bridge — old, but the broker said it might suit what we need. There’s a hall where people used to eat, a kitchen, two rooms, even a small bath at the back.”

Ananya’s gaze brightened. ”Then that’s where we’re going.”

Fen Yu floated between them eagerly. ”A new kitchen! I call the biggest pot!”

Wei Rong snorted. ”You’d haunt it.”

Li Shen’s voice was calm but amused. ”Let her. A kitchen blessed by mischief stays alive.”

Ananya shook her head, smiling despite herself. ”Let’s go before she steals something else.”

The streets grew quieter as they left the crowded market.

The smell of spices faded, replaced by the clean scent of river air.

The bridge came into view — its old stone arches glinting faintly under the sun.

On the far end, tucked between a candle-maker’s shop and an abandoned tea stall, stood a small building half-hidden by ivy.

The wooden signboard was blank from age; the door leaned slightly on its hinges. But sunlight spilled from the cracks, and faint traces of sesame and broth still clung to the walls — ghosts of meals once served.

Ananya stopped before it, heart beating softly. ”This is it.”

Yao Qing hesitated. ”It looks forgotten.”

Ananya stepped forward, pushing the creaking door open. ”Forgotten things just wait for new hands.”

The air smelled of old wood and pepper. Dust swirled through a beam of golden light from the latticed window.

The hall stretched long and narrow — space enough for four tables, maybe six if they squeezed.

A small kitchen opened through an arch on the left, with a clay stove, a cracked counter, and shelves begging for new jars.

Down a short corridor, two rooms waited — one still holding a small bedframe, the other empty except for a stool.

Behind them, a tiny bath area with a copper basin caught the sun like firelight.

Yao Qing’s voice softened. ”It’s small... but it feels peaceful.”

Ananya touched the edge of the stove, smiling faintly. ”Peaceful is enough.”

Fen Yu twirled happily above the counter. ”We could hang lanterns here! And flowers!”

Wei Rong smirked. ”Or traps for anyone who dares overcook rice.”

Li Shen’s tone was calm. ”For the first time in weeks, you’re all smiling. That’s worth something.”

Ananya looked around one more time, eyes glimmering in the golden dust.

Her voice came soft, almost to herself. ”Maybe this is where we begin again.”

---

The light from the window stretched across the floor like a promise.

Outside, the river murmured, carrying the sound of life past the forgotten bridge.

And inside, for the first time since her rebirth, Ananya felt the world breathe quietly beside her — full of laughter, ghosts, and hope.