Darkness engulfed the room, with only faint specks of light seeping through the narrow cracks of the door, casting fleeting shadows across Xuan Xingli's face. She stood there, fists clenched, her mind tangled in a whirlwind of thoughts. Faint images surfaced in her consciousness like fragments of a broken dream—without a clear beginning or an end.
Luo Chenxi remained still, her violet eyes fixed unwaveringly on Xingli. She had realized something—something that made her more cautious than ever before.
"Xuan Xingli." Luo Chenxi spoke, her voice calm yet piercing. "What are you hiding?"
Xingli took a deep breath, trying to push away the icy sensation creeping through her body. Something within her had just awakened—a fragment of a distant memory, a power she could not fully comprehend.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But I feel like… it has always been there."
Luo Chenxi said nothing, merely raising her hand. A faint violet glow of Xuan Yuan energy radiated from her fingertips, forming gentle waves that reached toward Xuan Xingli.
This time, she did not resist.
The moment Xuan Yuan touched her skin, a violent tremor erupted within her body. The darkness was no longer a mere vague presence—it surged forth like a torrential flood, swirling around her.
Images flashed through her mind—shifting shadows, faceless eyes, a door bound by silver chains.
And a whispering voice.
"Open it."
Xingli gasped and staggered back, severing the link with Luo Chenxi'sXuan Yuan. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
"What did you see?" Luo Chenxi asked, her sharp gaze unwavering.
"I…" Xingli swallowed hard. "A door."
Luo Chenxi fell silent. She understood the implications of such seals. If Xuan Xingli truly carried something dangerous enough to be sealed away, awakening it recklessly would not be wise.
"Do you want to open it?" Luo Chenxi's voice was slow, yet carried an invisible pressure.
Xingli did not answer immediately.
She could feel something within her stirring—an overwhelming urge to move forward, to shatter the barrier between herself and the darkness.
But she also knew that once opened, there would be no turning back.
The space around them grew heavy, as if the entire world was holding its breath, waiting for her decision. The cold air slithered through every crevice, causing the curtains to sway gently. Even the whispering wind beyond the window seemed to call to her, urging her deeper into the abyss.
Xingli closed her eyes, feeling the pulse within her chest. It no longer beat with a mere rhythm—it carried a tune of its own, intertwining with the Xuan Yuan coursing through her veins. A part of her longed to control it, yet another part feared what it might bring.
"Are you afraid?" Luo Chenxi's voice shattered the silence.
Xingli opened her eyes, locking gazes with Luo Chenxi. There was hesitation within them, but not submission.
"No," she answered. "But I don't know if I should trust it."
"You don't have to trust it." Luo Chenxi tilted her head slightly, the corner of her lips curling into a faint smirk. "You only need to accept it."
Xingli clenched her fists. Accept it? What did that truly mean? To let the darkness consume her, or to find a way to coexist with it?
Outside, the night sky was no longer tranquil. The wind howled, carrying whispers that merged into a chorus of a thousand voices. The moon was shrouded by dark clouds, leaving only faint slivers of light to spill into the room.
The sealed door within her mind still lingered, waiting.
Luo Chenxi remained standing, waiting for an answer.
And finally, Xuan Xingli made her decision.