By the time they reached Yuyan's chamber, it was already past midnight.
As Leng Yue approached the bed where Mei lay, he suddenly felt his legs grow heavy. A strange weakness washed over him, draining his strength. He fell to one knee, staring at Mei as if she were the most fragile thing in the world. Seeing her blackened veins and pale, lifeless face, tears slid down his cheeks.
"Does her father know… about her condition?" The question escaped him in a trembling whisper.
Yuyan and Tian Yu, standing behind him, exchanged a look before whispering softly, "No," as if even the sound of their answer might wound him.
Leng Yue bowed his head, his shoulders shaking. "I'm coming, Mei," he murmured, gently lifting her cold hand into his. "I'll reach you… no matter what it takes."
He closed his eyes, steadying his breath as if entering a deep meditation. The air around him shimmered faintly.
---
Inside the illusion world, Mei turned around in fright and confusion.
All the colors, all the lights and decorations that once surrounded her, they were gone. The music had stopped. The hall that had glowed with life now stood cold and empty.
She turned toward the man she had been dancing with. But his face had changed. The warmth was gone, replaced by something dark and cruel.
"Who are you?" Mei asked, her voice trembling.
The man took a step closer, his eyes glinting strangely. "You belong to me," he said, reaching out as if to grab her hand.
Mei's heart pounded. She stepped back quickly, shaking her head. The man's laughter echoed through the emptiness, dry, mocking and chilling.
Something inside Mei screamed run.
Without a second thought, she turned and ran, her bare feet striking the cold floor as the man's laughter faded behind her. She ran until she reached a place she couldn't describe. It was silent, endless, neither dark nor bright. She stood there, gasping for breath, not knowing what to do or where to go next.
Then, from the mist ahead, she saw someone approaching, a young, handsome man.
Her first instinct was to run again, but her legs refused to obey. Strangely, her heart felt calm, safe even, as the man drew closer. His presence radiated peace.
Before he could reach her, Mei called out nervously, "Who are you?"
The man smiled gently, his voice soft like wind. "I am the Warner," he said.
"Warner…" Mei repeated under her breath, as if trying to memorize it. Then she pointed back toward the direction she had come from. "And that man? Who is he?"
The stranger's eyes darkened slightly. "He is the Deceiver," he said. "He leads souls away from the right path."
Mei hesitated, studying him. "Are you… human?" she asked softly.
The man smiled again, but this time, there was something ancient in his gaze. "No," he answered truthfully.
"I am a demon," the man said quietly, his calm eyes fixed on her.
Mei gasped and took a quick step backward. Her heart raced as she stared at him, unsure whether to run or stay.
But the man only smiled, his voice gentle. "Don't be afraid," he said softly. "I am a believer."
Mei blinked, startled by his words. "A believer?" she repeated, her voice shaking.
He nodded slowly, studying her face. "I came to show you the truth."
Something deep within Mei whispered for her to trust him. She hesitated, then gave a small nod.
"Come," he said, turning to walk down a narrow, misty path. "Take a walk with me."
Mei followed quietly, her white gown brushing against the floor. "You said you are the Warner," she murmured. "If that's true, then why do you let people go down the wrong path?"
The man sighed , a sound that carried centuries of sorrow. "Humans are easily deceived," he said. "They love luxury and pleasure more than truth. The devils use what people love most to trap them."
He paused and looked ahead as they walked. "I warn them. I whisper in their hearts. I even visit them in their sleep. But they ignore the warnings. The devil blinds them with what they desire, and they forget what they were never meant to forget , the day they will die."
Mei listened silently, her heart heavy as they approached a strange place.
Before her stood a row of small rooms, darker than anything she had ever seen. The air around them was thick and smoky.
Mei frowned. "What are these?" she asked.
The man didn't answer. He simply gestured toward one of the rooms. Mei stepped closer and peered inside, and her breath caught.
The room was barely large enough for one person. Inside, the walls were covered with thorns that glowed faintly red, and smoke curled from the floor like breathing mist. A woman sat crouched within, her skin bruised and her wrapper torn so small it barely covered her body.
Mei's hand flew to her mouth, eyes wide with horror. "What happened? Why is she in this condition?" Mei asked, her voice quivering.
The man turned to her, his gaze calm but heavy. "She forgot that she would die," he said. "She let the devil deceive her. In exchange for pleasure and power, she sold her soul. Now, she reaps what she has sown."
Mei's chest ached with pity as she stared at the woman again. "She must be in great pain…"
"Don't pity her," the man said flatly. "This is what she brought upon herself with her own hands."
"How long has she been like this?" Mei asked softly.
"More than a thousand thousand years," he replied. "And each hour in this world is more than five hundred years in the human world."
They walked further through the dim corridor, the air growing thicker with smoke and sorrow. Each step echoed faintly, as though the ground itself was sighing. The man stopped before another small room.
Inside, a young man was bound to a chair made of stone. His hands were chained, his eyes wide with terror. Gold coins poured endlessly from his mouth, melting as they fell, searing his flesh with each drop.
Mei gasped and covered her mouth. "Why is he suffering like this?" she whispered.
"He loved wealth more than truth," the man replied calmly. "He betrayed his friends, stole from his brother, and lied to the poor. The devil offered him gold, and he took it without question. Now gold devours him, just as greed devoured his heart."
Mei stared at the man, trembling. The smell of burnt metal filled her nose. "Can he be saved?" she asked hopefully.
"No," the man said quietly. "Once a soul crosses this path, there is no return. Every whisper of warning was ignored, every chance wasted" The man said and sighed.