The cold stone walls of their chamber offered little comfort, the air heavy with exhaustion and tension. Xu Wang sat against the rough wall, his body bruised and aching from the brutal battle. His mind repyed the fight, the way the shadows moved, the malevolent glow of their eyes, and the final strike that shattered them.

  Beside him, Li Wang was silent, her back straight, her expression distant. She had barely spoken since they returned, her eyes fixed on the flickering fme of the small ntern that cast dim light across the room.

  Xu clenched his fists, his fingers trembling. “They were testing us. Not just our strength… but our resolve.”

  Li didn’t look at him, her gaze unchanging. “They wanted to see if we’d break. If we’d give in to fear.” Her voice was steady, but there was an edge to it, something raw and bitter.

  Xu’s chest tightened. He remembered the moment the shadow’s bde cut into him, the cold sting of pain, the terrifying thought of failure. “And if we did… we would’ve disappeared. Just like the others.”

  Li’s body tensed, her shoulders rigid. She closed her eyes, her hands tightening into fists. “Then we can’t afford to fail. Not once.”

  The silence that followed was suffocating. Xu could feel the unspoken weight in her words, the fear she refused to show. He had seen it in her movements during the fight—the desperation in her strikes, the fury in her eyes. She wasn’t just fighting to survive. She was fighting to escape.

  “What did you see?” Xu’s voice was soft, but firm. “Back there… you were different. Faster. Stronger. But it was like you were somewhere else.”

  Li’s eyes widened, her face paling. Her mouth opened, then closed, as if the words were caught in her throat. She looked away, her hair falling over her face like a curtain.

  Xu’s heart ached. He reached out, his hand hovering above her shoulder, hesitating. “Li… talk to me. We’re in this together.”

  Her shoulders trembled, just once, before she pulled away, rising to her feet. She paced to the window, her silhouette framed by the moonlight. Her voice was low, strained. “When I fought… it wasn’t just me. There was… someone else. Someone who moved through me, used my body like a puppet.”

  Xu’s blood ran cold. “What are you saying?”

  Li’s hands tightened on the windowsill, her knuckles turning white. “I wasn’t controlling it. My body moved on its own. I was trapped… watching through my own eyes, helpless.” She shivered, her head bowing. “It was like a nightmare. A nightmare I couldn’t wake from.”

  Xu’s chest tightened. “Did… did the Qi Resonance Crystal do this to you?”

  “I don’t know,” Li whispered, her voice breaking. “Ever since I touched that crystal, things have been… wrong. I see visions, fshes of pces I don’t know, people I’ve never met. And when I fight, I lose myself. I become… someone else.”

  Xu’s mind raced, his thoughts tumbling over each other. The Qi Resonance Crystal had given him knowledge, fragments of techniques and power. But what if it was more than that? What if it was alive, connected to something beyond this realm?

  He stood, his legs unsteady as he moved toward her. “Li… you’re not alone. Whatever’s happening, we’ll figure it out. Together.”

  Li’s shoulders shook, a choked ugh escaping her lips. “Together? How can you stand there and say that? I’m losing myself, Xu. I’m losing control!” She turned, her eyes wet and glistening. “What if I hurt you? What if next time… I don’t come back?”

  Xu felt his heart twist, pain surging through him. He had never seen her like this—so vulnerable, so afraid. She had always been strong, unwavering. But now, she looked lost, standing at the edge of a precipice.

  He stepped closer, his voice gentle. “You won’t lose yourself. I won’t let that happen.”

  Li’s eyes widened, her lip trembling. “You can’t promise that.”

  “I can try.” Xu’s voice was firm, unwavering. “No matter what happens, I’ll be there. Even if you fall into darkness, I’ll find you. I swear it.”

  Li’s breath hitched, her eyes searching his face. Her defenses crumbled, the mask of strength slipping away. “Why… why are you so stubborn?”

  Xu managed a small smile. “You think I’d survive this pce without you?”

  For a moment, silence hung between them, heavy and fragile. Then Li’s shoulders sagged, her eyes closing as she exhaled a shuddering breath. She turned back to the window, her voice soft. “I was scared. Back there… I felt like I was drowning. And the more I fought, the deeper I sank.”

  Xu leaned against the wall beside her, his gaze on the moonlit courtyard below. “Then we’ll learn to swim. Together.”

  Li looked at him, her eyes wide, a spark of hope flickering within the fear. “You really are an idiot.”

  Xu ughed, the sound breaking the tension. “Probably.”

  Li’s lips curled into a faint smile, the shadows in her eyes easing. She leaned against the windowsill, her body rexing for the first time since the trial. “Thank you.”

  Xu’s chest warmed. “Anytime.”

  The silence that followed was different—softer, lighter. The weight of the trial still hung over them, the shadows lurking in the corners. But in this moment, standing side by side, they felt a little less alone.

  Xu’s gaze shifted to the night sky, his mind drifting. The stranger’s warning echoed in his head. The Sun Cn isn’t what it seems… Those who fail the judgment disappear…

  He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, even now. The shadows were always there, lingering, waiting. And the more they fought, the more they learned, the closer they came to the truth.

  Xu’s fists tightened. Whatever secrets the Sun Cn was hiding, whatever fate awaited those who failed the judgment… he wouldn’t let it take them.

  Not Li. Not himself.

  They would survive this crucible. They would uncover the truth.

  And they would fight, side by side, until the very end.

  To be continued.......