The passage swallowed them whole.
The moment the stone door slid shut behind them, sound changed. Footsteps echoed too loudly, breath seemed to vanish too quickly, and the faint light from the Starborn man's palm barely pushed back the darkness.
Liuxue clutched the wall as they moved downward. The stone was cold and damp, slick beneath her fingers. Her seal throbbed steadily now, not sharp enough to incapacitate her, but constant. Like a heartbeat that did not belong to her.
Yining walked behind her, blade drawn, muttering curses under her breath with every step.
"How does your body feel?" the Starborn man asked quietly.
"Tight," Liuxue answered honestly. "Like something is pressing against my skin from the inside."
He nodded grimly. "The echo is trying to align itself with you."
Yining hissed, "That sounds horrifying."
"It is," he said. "But also useful."
Liuxue glanced at him. "Useful how?"
"If you survive it," he replied.
That did not help.
The tunnel twisted sharply, sloping downward into deeper darkness. Old ward markings lined the walls, worn thin with age. Liuxue recognized some of the symbols, not from study, but from instinct.
Her steps slowed.
"You know these," the Starborn man said softly.
"Yes," she whispered. "I should not, but I do."
"They are pre Collapse sigils," he said. "No one alive should recognize them."
A shiver ran down her spine.
"Then maybe I am not alive," she muttered.
Yining snapped, "Do not joke about that."
The air shifted.
Liuxue stopped walking.
Something was wrong.
She could feel it now, like pressure against her spine. The presence from above had not faded. It had followed them into the earth.
The whisper returned.
Closer.
"You always preferred the dark paths."
Her breath hitched.
The Starborn man raised his hand sharply. "Stop."
They froze.
From behind them came a sound.
Not footsteps.
Not breathing.
Stone scraping against stone.
Yining turned, eyes wide. "That passage sealed itself."
Liuxue swallowed. "We are trapped."
"No," the Starborn man said calmly. "We are pursued."
The darkness behind them thickened, shadows stretching unnaturally long.
Liuxue felt the seal react violently, heat spreading across her chest. She doubled over, gasping.
"Liuxue," Yining cried, grabbing her.
"I am fine," Liuxue forced out. "It is… trying to speak through me."
The Starborn man moved to her side instantly, placing his hand over her seal. His touch grounded her, the heat stabilizing.
"Do not let it use your voice," he said firmly.
She nodded shakily.
The darkness ahead of them shifted, parting like a curtain.
A figure stepped forward.
Not golden.
Not armored.
It wore her face.
Liuxue stared, heart slamming painfully against her ribs.
The other Liuxue smiled.
Not kindly.
"You chose a fragile vessel," the echo said, voice perfectly matching her own. "I am disappointed."
Yining screamed.
The Starborn man flared with starfire, silver light exploding outward as he placed himself between the echo and Liuxue.
"You will not take her," he snarled.
The echo tilted its head, studying him with cold familiarity.
"You still cling to her," it said. "After everything."
Liuxue's breath shook. "What happened between you?"
The echo laughed softly. "Ask him why he bound you. Ask him why you were sealed instead of saved."
Liuxue's eyes snapped to the Starborn man.
"What does it mean?" she demanded.
His jaw tightened. "Now is not the time."
"That is what you said before," she shot back.
The echo took a step closer.
"He chose the world over you," it said smoothly. "And now he wants you small enough to forgive him."
The seal burned painfully.
Liuxue cried out, clutching her chest.
"Enough," the Starborn man roared, releasing a wave of starfire that slammed into the echo.
The tunnel shook violently.
The echo staggered back, form flickering.
But it did not disappear.
It smiled wider.
"You cannot destroy me," it said. "I am what she refuses to be."
Liuxue's vision swam.
"You are not me," she whispered.
The echo's eyes softened, just for a moment.
"I am everything you abandoned."
The tunnel began to collapse.
Stone cracked overhead, dust raining down.
"Run," the Starborn man shouted, grabbing Liuxue's hand. "Now."
They sprinted down the passage as the echo's laughter followed them, echoing endlessly through the stone.
"You can run," the voice called. "But you will have to face me eventually."
The passage burst open into blinding light.
They stumbled out into open air, collapsing onto grass and stone as the tunnel behind them caved in completely.
Silence fell.
Liuxue lay there gasping, staring up at a pale sky streaked with unfamiliar constellations.
Yining laughed weakly, half hysterical. "I hate underground paths."
The Starborn man knelt beside Liuxue, face pale. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head slowly.
"No," she said.
Then she swallowed.
"But now I know."
He stiffened. "Know what?"
She turned her head, meeting his eyes.
"You sealed me," she said quietly.
"And one day," she continued, "you are going to have to explain why."
The wind shifted.
Somewhere far away, something ancient took notice.