The air was thick with the smell of burning incense, the faint trace of damp stone rising from the cold floor. Zhao Wei stood at the edge of the glass chamber, watching as the shimmering reflections danced against the walls. The chamber silent, untouched for centuries held secrets that the world had long since forgotten. But she hadn’t come for secrets alone. She had come for the truth.

  The glass was not mere decoration; it was a trap. A containment of memories, woven into the very fabric of the room itself. The Creed had built this place, long ago, to hide what they could not control. But now, it was Zhao Wei’s turn to wield its power.

  She reached out, her fingers brushing the surface of the glass. As her touch made contact, the room seemed to hold its breath. A whisper of something ancient flickered within the reflective surface, a movement just beyond the edge of sight. The glass rippled like water disturbed by a stone.

  It’s time, Zhao Wei thought, her heart quickening as the glass shimmered before her. The surface fractured, lines splitting as memories began to surface, one after another flashes of distant events, faces, voices, and emotions she’d never lived. All of them belonged to the Creed.

  And yet, buried among them, was one face she would never forget: his.

  Kael.

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  The image was fleeting so brief that it was almost a trick of the light. But Zhao Wei knew it all too well. The scar across his cheek, the glint in his eyes that spoke of promises broken, of love twisted into betrayal. She had thought him dead. She had believed he was lost to the flames of war. But here he was, staring back at her from the fractured glass, as though nothing had changed. As though he were waiting for her.

  "Kael…" Zhao Wei whispered, her voice barely audible, carried away by the silence of the chamber.

  The glass trembled under her touch, ripples spreading outward like waves upon a still lake. The memories shifted, expanding beyond her vision. It was as if the room had begun to breathe, shifting in response to her presence.

  He’s alive, the thought hit her with a force that took her breath away. But where? And why was he here, tied to this place, this fractured memory of the Creed?

  Suddenly, the chamber seemed to hum, a vibration thrumming beneath her feet, low and insistent. A door that had long since been sealed began to creak open, revealing a hidden staircase leading deep into the bowels of the earth.

  This isn’t just about Kael. This is bigger than him, Zhao Wei realized, feeling the weight of destiny press down upon her. Whatever was hidden here, whatever truths the Creed had locked away, it wasn’t just a matter of her past, or her revenge. It was about the future, their future.

  With resolve hardening in her chest, Zhao Wei stepped toward the door.

  She didn’t need to look back to know that Feng Ren had followed her, his footsteps quiet but ever-present. The Ember would always be there, shadows in the background, waiting for her to lead them.

  As they descended into the darkness, Zhao Wei couldn’t shake the feeling that they were walking into the heart of the storm.