Time-Travel

Clara Sullivan time-travels into the palace and discovers that The Emperor, obsessed with the late Empress who also time-traveled, is gathering maidens from her hometown, only to throw them into a deadly palace battle royale. The maidens' examinations include questions on modern knowledge, and those who excel mysteriously die one after another. Clara Sullivan feigns ignorance to protect herself but is still drawn into the conflict. In the Phoenix Loft Palace, she finds a secret code left by the late Empress about going home and learns that a time gate must be opened with blood, which she mistakenly believes is The Emperor's. During an assassination attempt at a palace banquet, Clara Sullivan unexpectedly obtains The Emperor's blood-stained handkerchief. But as she tries to open the time gate, she is cornered by The Emperor. Eunuch Gower sacrifices himself to protect her, opening the gate with his own blood to send her back to the modern era. After waking up, Clara Sullivan realizes this time-travel was no accident. Other girls from the same incident have also awakened—some driven mad, some faking it—and a mysterious force is secretly investigating them. She meets other survivors a…