**"What the—?" Jin backed up—heart in his throat.
Those creatures didn't just look like monsters now; they were *transformed*—eyes blazing with unearthly crimson, fangs dripping with saliva.
Ming Ji stared at them—eyes wide, heart pounding. "What's happening…?"
Wei Lin's face paled. "They're different. Something's controlling them now, twisting them into something *worse."*
Zixu was backing up now, face hard. "We need to get Han Xing and get out of here. *Now."*
̶But Ming Ji didn't move.
He *stared* at the red-eyed creature—its breath ragged, its body twitching like a puppet on broken strings.
And then… he *felt* it.
A pulse. Not from the Void.
Something darker.
**"Blood,"** he whispered, eyes narrowing. "It's not just shadow anymore… it's *alive.* Like something parasitic is feeding through them."
Jin grabbed his arm. "We have to go—now! They're not listening to you anymore!"
