The obsidian shard on the temple floor continued to pulse with a faint, poisonous purple light, even after the Night-Reaper had vanished into ash. Zian carefully picked it up using a piece of his leather cloak, his face grim.
"This is a Soul–Tracker, " Zian explained, showing the shard to Dua. "As long as this exists, the General can feel your heartbeat. We have to neutralize it at the Lunar Observation."
Dua stood up, dusting off her robes. The Star-Slayer dagger had stooped glowing, but it felt warm against her skin, almost like a part of her body. "How far is the Forbidden City. Zian? And how do we get there without being seen? "
"It's a tree—day journey through the Whispering Woods, " Zian replied, looks toward the tempu exit. "But we won't be walking. There is an old underground river that runs beneath this valley. It's dangerous, but it's only way to stay off the General's radar."
As they stepped out of the temple, the Valley of Veils looked different. The thick, black fog had cleared, but the silence was even more terrifying. Every shadow under the trees seemo to be watching them.
They reached the entrance of a hidden cavern, where the sound of rushing water echoed from the depths. Zian pulled out a small wooden raft hidden under some dry leaves. It looked old and fragile.
"Are we really going on that? " Dua asked, eyeing the small boat.
"The water knows the path, Dua. Thrust the river, " Zian said, helping her onto the raft.
As they began to float down the dark, underground river, the walls of the cavern started to glow with strange, blue moss. The light reflected off the water, making it look like they were floating through a sea of stars.
Dua sat at the edge, her hand dipping into the ice–cold water. For a moment, she forgot about the monster and the fine. "It's beautiful, " She whispered.
"Don't get too comfort, " Zian warned, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "These waters are home to the 'Sirens of Silence'. They don't attack with claws; they attack with your own memories. If you hear a voice you recognize, do not look into the water."
Suddenly, the water around the raft began to swirl. From the dark depths, a voice drifted up —soft, familiar, and filled with love.
"Dua.... beta, why did you leave the tea shop? Come back home..... "
Dua's heart stopped. It was her father's voice.
Dua's heart hammered against her ribs as her father's voice drifted over the dark water again. "Dua.. don't let them take me.... " Her hand reached out, her fingers inches away from the freezing surface of the river. In the glowing blue reflection, she didn't see herself; she saw her father's face, trapped behind a well of dark ice.
"Dua, No! " Zian's voice cracked like a whip. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back so hard she fell onto the center of the raft.
Suddenly, the water where she was about to touch turned into a swarm of black, needle–like fish with human-looking teeth. They leaped out of the water, snapping at the air where her hand been just a second ago.
"The Sirens don't just use voices, " Zian hissed, rowing faster. "They use your grief. If you touch that water, you become part of the river forever."
Dua sat up, tears stinging her eyes. The voice was gone, replaced by the rhythmic splashing of the oars. "It felt so real, Zian. It felt he was right there.
" The Shadow General feeds on what we miss most, " Zian said, his eyes scanning the dark tunnel ahead. "We are approaching the Gateway of the Sunken City. Once we pass the waterfall, there is no tuning back. The pressure of the water is intense—you must use the Star–Slayer to create a bubble of air around use. "
Dua gripped the crystal dagger. "How do I do that? I've only used it for destruction. "
"Think of the light not as a weapon, but as a shield, " Zian instructed. "Protect the thing you value most."
Dua closed her eyes. She didn't think of the tea shop or the gold. She thought of the flickering hope in her father's eyes. The dagger began to glow, not with a sharp silver light, but with a soft, pulsing blue aura that wrapped around the entire raft.
"Perfect, " Zian whispered as the raft tipped over the edge of a massive underground waterfall, plunging them into the deep, dark blue.
As the raft plunged into the waterfall, the air bubble created by the Star-Slayer glowed a bright neon blue. They weren't drowning; they were sinking slowly, like a feather falling through a dark sky.
"Look, Zian! " Dua whispered, pointing ahead.
Through the clear bubble, a city made of white marble and glowing coral appeared. It was the Sunken City of Xi'an. Giant stone statues pf warriors stood at the gates, their eyes glowing with the same silver light as Dua's ring.
"The first star map is inside the Crystal palace at the center, " Zian said, checking his oxygen. "But be ready. The Shadow General's aquatic scouts—the Drowned Ones—are already patrolling the streets."
Dua gripped her dagger. "Let them come. I have a city to save."
The raft settled gently on the sandy floor the ocean, protected by the shimmering blue dome of Dua's magic. Around them, the Sunken City of Xi'an stretched out like a dream made of white marble and glowing sea–plants.
"The water doesn't enter the bubble, but the cold does, " Dua whispered, rubbing her arms. She looked at the giant stone gates of the city. They were carved with images of dragons and stars.
"We have to move fast, " Zian said, stepping off the raft. "The Star–Slayer's energy won't last forever. If the bubble pops, the pressure of the deep sea will crush us in seconds."
As they walked through the main street, Dua noticed something haunting. There were statues of people everywhere—merchants, children, soldiers—all frozen in time. They weren't made of stone; they were encased in a thick, black substance.
"What happened to them? " Dua asked, her heart sinking.
"The Shadow General's first experiment, " Zian replies grimly. "Centuries ago, he used the Void Ink to freeze this city. He wanted to see if he could stop time itself. These people are still alive inside, trapped in an eternal nightmare."
Suddenly, the sand beneath them began to swirl. From behind the frozen status, thin, pale creature with long claws and glowing yellow eyes crawled out. They didn't have mouths, only stitched–up skin where their lips should be.
"The Drowned Ones, " Zian hissed, drawing his sword. "They can't see us, but they can sense our body heat. Dua, stay in the center of the bubble! "
One of the creatures lunged, its claws scraping against the blue energy dome. The done flickered. Dua felt a sharp pain in her chest—the bubble was tied to her life force.
"Zian, I can't just hide! " Dua shouted. She raised the Star—Slayer. Instead of a blade of light, she imagined the silver flame Turning into a wave of heat.
"Burn! " she cried out.
A pulse of white-hot silver energy exploded from the dagger. It didn't harm the frozen citizens, but the Drowned Ones evaporated instantly into black mist. However, the effort made Dua fall to her kness, her breathing shallow.
"You're using too much energy too fast, " Zian said, rushing to her side. "But look..... the palace doors are opening."
At the end of the street, the massive crystal doors of the Palace of Stars were slowly grinding open, responding to the light of Dua's weapon. But inside the darkness of the palace, two giant red eyes—larter than any they had seen before—slowly blinked open.