Cold. It wasn’t just the absence of warmth—it was a biting, soul-chilling cold that seeped into Xu Wang’s very core. He floated in an endless void, weightless and powerless, darkness pressing in on him from all sides. His limbs were numb, his heartbeat faint, each thump echoing in the emptiness.

  But amidst the cold, there was a presence—a familiar warmth. Xu turned his head, straining his eyes against the darkness, and saw her.

  Li Wang stood before him, her silhouette faint, surrounded by a veil of shadows. Her hair floated around her like a dark halo, her eyes glowing softly with an eerie light. She looked fragile, ethereal, like she might vanish at any moment. Yet her gaze was intense, locked on him with an affection that felt both comforting and terrifying.

  “Li...” His voice was hoarse, cracking under the weight of his emotions. He reached out, his fingers trembling. “I thought... I lost you.”

  Her lips curled into a soft smile, her eyes never leaving his. “You can never lose me, Xu. I won’t let you.” Her voice was gentle, soothing, but there was a possessiveness in her tone that made his chest tighten.

  Shadows coiled around her, twisting like serpents, binding her in pce. Xu’s heart ached at the sight. He took a step forward, his body heavy, but the darkness resisted, pulling him back.

  “Li, what’s happening? Where are we?” His voice trembled, panic rising as he felt the shadows tighten around him.

  Li’s smile remained, serene and unwavering. “We’re where we’re meant to be. Together. Forever.” Her fingers reached out, brushing against his cheek, her touch cold and unyielding. “No one can take you from me now.”

  Xu shivered, a chill running down his spine. Her touch felt wrong—empty, hollow, like ice seeping into his skin. He pulled back, his heart racing. “This... this isn’t you. What did you do, Li?”

  Her eyes flickered, a shadow crossing her face before she whispered, “I protected you. I saved you from them... from the world that wanted to tear us apart.” Her gaze softened, but the darkness around her pulsed, growing thicker, denser.

  Xu’s breath hitched. He remembered the shadows consuming her, the despair in her eyes as she reached for him. The guilt hit him like a tidal wave. “No... Li, I should have protected you. I should have saved you...”

  The shadows whispered, voices hissing in his ears. “You failed her... you abandoned her... she suffered because of you...”

  Xu clutched his head, the whispers growing louder, echoing his worst fears. His knees buckled, his strength wavering as the darkness pressed down on him.

  Li’s fingers wrapped around his wrist, her grip cold and unyielding. “You don’t need to suffer, Xu. Just stay with me. We can be happy... just like before.” Her voice was soft, pleading, her eyes wide and vulnerable.

  Memories flooded Xu’s mind—days spent ughing under the sun, nights spent watching the stars, whispering dreams of adventure. Li’s ughter, her unwavering loyalty, her constant presence by his side. She had always been there... always.

  A painful realization twisted in his chest. “Li... how long have you been watching me? How long have you been... keeping others away?”

  Her expression faltered, a flicker of pain crossing her face before she looked away. “I just... I didn’t want anyone to take you from me. You’re... all I have, Xu.” Her voice wavered, shadows curling tighter around her. “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you... so I made sure... no one could come between us.”

  Xu’s eyes widened, horror dawning as fragmented memories pieced together—faces he barely remembered, friendships that never blossomed, people who seemed to vanish without a trace. He had always thought it was coincidence... bad luck... but now he saw the pattern, the shadow that had always lingered nearby.

  “You... you did this?” His voice broke, pain cing his words. “You isoted me... controlled me...”

  Li flinched, tears brimming in her glowing eyes. “I did it for you... for us... so no one could take you away...” Her voice cracked, desperation bleeding through her words. “I was... afraid. Afraid you’d leave me behind.”

  Xu’s heart shattered, the pain raw and searing. “Li... I would never abandon you. I chose to stay by your side. But... this... this isn’t love. It’s a cage.”

  Her eyes widened, her grip tightening, shadows coiling around them both. “No! You’re wrong! I did this because I love you! I need you!” Her voice rose, panic overtaking her gentle tone. “We promised... we’d always be together... we’d face everything together!”

  The darkness surged, the abyss quaking as shadows erupted, writhing like serpents, closing in on them. Xu’s chest tightened, the cold suffocating him as the shadows wrapped around his body, binding him in pce.

  Li’s face twisted in anguish, her eyes wild and frantic. “You can’t leave me! You belong with me... forever!”

  Xu’s heart raced, pain and sorrow tearing at him as he watched the person he cared for fall deeper into darkness. But even now, he saw her—the real Li, trapped behind the shadows, her spirit crying out for help.

  He closed his eyes, his heart resonating with a familiar warmth. The Anahata Qi Technique—power drawn from the heart, from compassion. It wasn’t just for battle... it was for healing.

  Light burst from his chest, emerald and warm, pushing back the darkness. The shadows hissed, recoiling from the light’s purity, their forms flickering and weakening. Li staggered back, shielding her eyes as the light enveloped her.

  “Xu... what are you...?” Her voice trembled, fear cing her words.

  Xu stepped forward, his heart steady, his resolve unwavering. “I promised to protect you... and I won’t break that promise. Even if it means saving you from yourself.”

  The light grew brighter, reaching out to Li, wrapping around her like a protective cocoon. The shadows screamed, their voices distorted and enraged.

  A cold, mocking voice echoed through the abyss, its tone dripping with malice. “You think you can save her? She’s mine now... and soon, you will be too.”

  The darkness erupted, a monstrous figure emerging from the shadows, its eyes bzing with hatred. It lunged at Xu, its cws reaching out, its mouth wide with a predatory grin.

  Xu’s eyes widened, his body moving on instinct, his Qi fring as he raised his hand to defend himself. But the shadow was faster, its form warping, slipping past his defenses.

  Cold cws wrapped around his heart, squeezing tightly, freezing his blood. Xu gasped, pain shooting through his body, his light flickering as the monster’s ughter echoed in his ears.

  Li’s voice cut through the darkness, a scream of anguish and desperation. “Xu! No!”

  The st thing he saw was her tear-streaked face, her eyes wide with horror, before the shadows engulfed him, dragging him into the depths of the abyss.

  Darkness swallowed him whole.

  To be continued...