The sound of the front doors opening startled Yuyan. She turned sharply, her cloak still in her hands.
"Tian Yu?" she called softly as she sighted her husband.
He stepped into the room as his golden eyes swept across the room, he pause when he noticed Mei lying weakly on the bed.
"What happened here?" he asked as he approach the bed.
Yuyan moved toward him "Ji Woo's curse," she said in a low voice. "It's bound to her blood. I tried everything I could, but it won't break. Only Leng Yue's blood can counter it."
Tian Yu frowned deeply, his hand brushing over Mei's wrist where the crimson mark glowed faintly. "Leng Yue isn't here?"
"No," Yuyan replied. "He's been gone for days. I don't even know where...."
Tian Yu cut her off gently. "I do."
Yuyan blinked. "Where did he go to?"
He straightened, his voice low and steady as he said "He left with the border troops. They spotted movement near the northern cliffs, strangers who vanished before dawn. He led the soldiers there himself."
Her eyes widened. "The border? But why would he..."
"He said he felt something," Tian Yu interrupted, his tone grim. "A dark presence stirring in the wind. He thought it might be Ji Woo's doing."
Silence filled the room. The candles flickered. Mei stirred weakly on the bed, whispering Leng Yue's name in her sleep.
Yuyan's heart pounded. "Then she's already making her move," she murmured.
Tian Yu's gaze met hers, sharp and unyielding. "If that's true, the border isn't the only place in danger. Whatever Ji Woo is planning, it's already begun."
As Tian Yu and Yuyan spoke in low, worried tones, Mei's breathing grew shallow. Her lashes fluttered, and the faint glow on her hand pulsed once more before her body went completely still.
In an instant, she was no longer in her bed.
She found herself standing at a strange junction , a place where two paths stretched out before her. A cool breeze brushed against her skin, and when she looked down, she saw she was wearing a flowing white gown, soft and radiant, like moonlight woven into silk.
"Where… am I?" she murmured.
Everything around her shimmered faintly, neither day nor night. The air smelled sweet, but unfamiliar. Her heart beat fast as she looked between the two roads before her.
The path on her left was narrow and dim, lined with twisted trees. There was no sound, no scent, only silence. It felt empty, lonely, yet calm in a strange way.
The path on her right, however, was alive with sound and color. Music drifted through the air, light, cheerful, and inviting. The air was filled with fragrance, and faint sparkles of golden light floated around like fireflies. Laughter echoed softly, and many people were walking that way, their faces full of delight.
Mei hesitated. Her instincts told her to think carefully, but the dazzling light and warm laughter pulled at her heart.
"Maybe… this is where I'm meant to go," she whispered to herself.
And so she followed the crowd toward the bright, enticing path.
As she walked, the light grew stronger. The music became clearer, so beautiful that it almost made her forget her worries. The road opened into a grand hall, vast and glittering. Lights of every color shone like stars above her head, casting ripples of beauty across the walls.
Mei gasped softly, turning around in awe. "It's… beautiful," she breathed.
The hall was alive with music and laughter. Young couples moved gracefully across the marble floor, their steps weaving together like flowing silk. Some shared wine that shimmered like liquid stars, others whispered to each other in corners making love, lost in their own worlds. The sweet melody filled the air, blending with light laughter that echoed softly through the hall.
Mei stood by one of the tall pillars, her breath catching at the sight. Everything shimmered with beauty and warmth. The air itself seemed to hum, pulling at her heart. For a while, she simply watched, entranced, until her body began to move with the rhythm without her realizing it.
Her head nodded to the music. Her hands swayed gently. Then, suddenly, someone was beside her.
A tall man, dressed in white silk, his face too beautiful to seem real. His eyes sparkled with an almost golden glow. Without a word, he offered his hand.
Mei hesitated only a moment before placing her fingers in his. The instant she did, a wave of warmth rushed through her. He led her onto the floor, and soon they were dancing, spinning slowly, the world melting around them.
Each step drew her deeper into the rhythm, deeper into the strange, intoxicating world that felt too perfect to question. His voice brushed her ear like a whisper she could barely hear.
"Stay," he murmured. "This world is made for you."
The words echoed softly in her heart. Mei's thoughts grew distant, Yuyan's face, Leng Yue's name, all fading into the brightness of the hall.
She didn't know it yet, but the man's golden eyes were beginning to darken, and the beautiful hall around her shimmered with a hidden shadow, Ji Woo's illusion tightening its grip.
As Mei felt something strange stir inside her, she tried to pull back, but before she could react, the man covered her mouth with his. His lips were warm, intoxicating, and the sweet taste that lingered upon them made her melt even deeper into his embrace. She didn't realize when her strength began to fade, or when her heartbeat started syncing with the rhythm of the strange music around them.
The hall that once shimmered with colorful lights began to change subtly. The laughter of couples turned faint, distorted, like echoes from a faraway place. The lights dimmed, their brightness melting into a misty red hue that pulsed softly, almost like blood flowing through veins.
But Mei didn't notice. She was drowning in that kiss, lost in the pull of the man's touch and the strange warmth that surrounded her. Only when his eyes glowed faintly, silver at first, then crimson, then did a flicker of fear pass through her mind.
Her body stiffened slightly. The once-pleasant fragrance now smelled faintly metallic. "W–who are you…?" she tried to whisper, her voice trembling, but her words dissolved as the world around her began to twist.