"Tiaopi! Merge with me now!" Yu Xiao shouted, her voice cracking with desperation.
Even in this critical situation, she was worried about her little spark companion more than herself.
The roaring wind whipped her hair across her face, and the acrid smell of burning energy filled her nostrils.
Tiaopi, the little spark, flared brightly as he tried his best to conquer the overwhelming suction of the force, but it was unbearable to oppose. His light flickered weakly, growing dimmer with each passing second. The air around them crackled with unstable energy, making Yu Xiao's skin prickle with static.
"Feng Xiaotian… I can't make it. I'm sorry!" His voice echoed faintly in her mind, barely audible over the deafening howl of the vortex.
"Fight for me, Tiaopi! Believe me, we can make it." Yu Xiao stretched her arm forward, fingers trembling as she reached for him through the violent winds.
Her vision blurred from the force pressing against her entire body, threatening to crush her lungs.
Yu Xiao's hand began to bleed; the tighter she held onto the thorned stem, the deeper it pierced into her palm. Blood trickled down her wrist in thin crimson streams, warm against her cold skin.
She pressed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth against the searing pain, and tears began to fall, mixing with the blood on her hands.
The metallic taste of fear filled her mouth.
I can't give up. I still want to come back to my own world. The more I persuade myself to fight, the better my chances.
Her muscles screamed in protest, her entire body trembling from exhaustion.
I need to live.
She reached her hand out in desperation, bearing a hopeful but painful smile on her face, blood still dripping from her wounded palm.
"Tiaopi, here, try to reach my hand and merge with it." Her voice wavered, barely holding back the sob threatening to escape.
He was just inches away, one more push, and they would connect.
Unfortunately, before Tiaopi could reach her fingertips, he was swept away by the merciless force of suction, his tiny light spinning helplessly into the void.
Yu Xiao's eyes widened in horror, and she shouted his name with every ounce of strength left in her lungs.
"TIAOPI!" Her heart shattered at the sight of him disappearing into the darkness.
She could save herself—her grip on the thorned stem was still firm—but what was survival without him? Her fingers loosened.
She let go, allowing herself to be swallowed by the phenomenal suction, plunging into the unknown abyss after her companion.
No matter the consequences, whether she lived or died, the outcome would be known soon.
The world around her dissolved into a blur of light and shadow as she fell, her mind holding onto one single thought: I'm coming, Tiaopi.
As she entered the vortex, the world spun violently around her.
Colors bled together—violet, crimson, and electric blue—swirling in dizzying patterns that made her stomach lurch.
Her consciousness began to fade, darkness creeping in from the edges of her vision like ink spreading through water.
The only thing she witnessed before she passed out was that she was falling through a deep, mysterious passage, its walls pulsing with ancient runes and glowing with ethereal light. The air hummed with magical energy, thick and suffocating, pressing against her chest.
Was this passage conjured intentionally?
Tiaopi had been consumed by the vortex ahead of her. She strained her eyes, desperately searching through the chaotic blur of light and darkness, but she couldn't see a single shadow of him.
The passage stretched endlessly below, spiraling deeper into nothingness.
"Tiaopi…" she whispered weakly, her voice swallowed by the void, lost in the roar of ancient magic. Her eyelids grew heavy, weighted down as if by stones. Her limbs went numb, no longer responding to her will.
The cold seeped into her bones.
And then—nothing.
Complete darkness claimed her consciousness, pulling her under like a tide.
She didn't know how long she had struggled in that deadly vortex. When she finally clawed her way back to consciousness and forced her eyes open, she found herself lying pitifully on a cold stone floor.
Every muscle in her body ached, and her throat burned as if she'd swallowed fire.
Through her blurred vision, she saw a dark figure of a man approaching her, his footsteps echoing in the vast chamber.
"How dare you, intruding on my underground den?" His voice was cold, dripping with menace. "You're asking for death!"
Wait... that voice.
A chill ran down her spine.
It seemed familiar to her—hauntingly so.
She had heard it before, but where?
Her foggy mind struggled to place it, memories flickering just out of reach.
His black robes rustled with every deliberate step, the fabric whispering against the stone.
Though she couldn't clearly see his face through her swimming vision, his presence commanded the space—this man carried himself like a noble, with an undeniable, almost suffocating authority that made the air feel heavier.
The mysterious man crouched down, lowering himself to examine her broken, trembling form.
His shadow fell over her like a shroud.
Then, unexpectedly, his cold fingers cupped her chin, tilting her face upward. He pressed against her cheek, his touch both gentle and possessive, as if inspecting a curious artifact he'd discovered.
"Speak!" His grip tightened, fingers digging into her jaw. "Who sent you here? Did you come to exterminate me?" His breath was hot against her face, carrying the scent of herbs and something darker—like blood and ancient earth.
What? What is he saying?
Yu Xiao's mind reeled in disbelief.
With this broken body of mine, barely clinging to life, he still thinks I could harm him? Is he insane?
She would have laughed if she had the strength.
Every breath was agony, every heartbeat a struggle.
The mysterious man waited, his intense gaze boring into her, but she could hardly open her mouth. His hand pressed firmly against her cheek, holding her in place like a trapped butterfly pinned to a board.
She tried to speak, but only a weak, strangled sound escaped her lips.
Despite her blurred vision, she saw him lean closer, pressing himself into her space until their noses almost touched.
His face was mere inches away now—she could feel the heat radiating from his skin, could see the sharp angles of his features swimming in and out of focus.
His eyes, dark and penetrating, seemed to pierce through her very soul, searching for something hidden within.
She shut her eyes, unable to bear the intensity of his gaze any longer.
Then, slowly, she felt his grip loosen, his fingers releasing their hold on her cheek.
The absence of his touch left her skin tingling.
Instead of being afraid of him, why do I feel... comfortable?
The thought confused her, sent her already racing heart into even more chaotic rhythms.
Who is he? Why does his presence feel so strangely familiar, almost... safe? My heart is racing. Why?
"You haven't answered my question yet." His voice cut through her thoughts, sharp and impatient. "Speak! Who are you?"
Before Yu Xiao could even attempt a response, a violent cough tore from her throat.
Blood splattered from her lips, warm droplets staining her chin and the cold stone beneath her. Her body convulsed with the force of it.
The mysterious man's demeanor shifted instantly. His eyes widened, and something like panic flashed across his features.
"You—"
He reached for her, his movements suddenly urgent, no longer threatening but almost... concerned?
Yu Xiao felt a sudden warmth spreading through her body—a strange heat energy circulating through her nerves like liquid fire, both soothing and invasive.
Her eyes fluttered open slightly.
The mysterious man had placed his palm against her chest, his eyes closed in concentration.
He was using some kind of spell to scan her, she realized.
Tendrils of azure blue light seeped from his hand, mapping the pathways of her injuries.
After what felt like an eternity, his eyes snapped open, and he spoke, his voice low and dangerous.
"Who made this for you?"
There was an edge to his tone—anger, perhaps, or something deeper.
Recognition?
Instead of answering his question, Yu Xiao gathered what little strength remained in her broken body.
She turned the situation around, her voice barely a whisper, fragile as spider silk.
"Sir..." She paused, her breath rattling in her chest. "Would you kill me too?"
The word "too" hung in the air between them, heavy with implication.
The mysterious man froze.
His expression went blank, mouth slightly parted as if to speak, but no words came. He stared at her, completely stunned, his dark eyes searching her face with an intensity that bordered on desperation.
What? His mind seemed to reel. Too? What does she mean by "too"?
The searing pain became unbearable.
Yu Xiao's vision darkened at the edges, the mysterious man's shocked face blurring into shadows.
She couldn't hold on any longer.
Her body surrendered to its weakness, and consciousness slipped away from her once more, pulling her back into the merciful darkness.
The mysterious man remained motionless, his confused expression fixed on Yu Xiao's now unconscious form.
Her question echoed in his mind, unsettling him in ways he couldn't quite name.
But simply watching her wasn't enough—he couldn't be content with just observing.
Almost without thinking, his hand moved, fingers reaching out with unexpected gentleness.
He carefully swept away every strand of disheveled hair that had fallen across her face, tucking it behind her ear with a tenderness that contradicted his earlier hostility.
Her features, now fully visible, were pale and drawn with pain, yet strangely peaceful in unconsciousness.
How did she get in?
His brow furrowed as his mind worked through the possibilities.
Did she find the portal?
That passage was supposed to be hidden, sealed by ancient magic that only the most powerful could detect. Yet here she was, broken and bleeding on his floor.
He blinked slowly, his dark eyes never leaving her face as he scrutinized every detail—the curve of her cheek, the flutter of her eyelashes, the way blood had dried at the corner of her mouth.
Something about her tugged at a memory he couldn't quite grasp, like trying to catch smoke with bare hands.
Then, unexpectedly, a curve raised at the corner of his lips—not quite a smile, but something close to amusement mixed with intrigue.
"Killing you can't satisfy me," he murmured, his voice soft yet carrying an undercurrent of something darker. His eyes glinted with a decision made. "Since you have infiltrated my territory, you will stay here as my captive."
The word rolled off his tongue with possessive certainty.
With surprising care beneath those ominous words, he slid one hand gently beneath her neck, supporting her head, while his other arm moved under her knees.
He lifted her with ease, as if she weighed nothing at all.
Her head lolled against his chest, her body limp and vulnerable in his arms.
The contrast was striking—this powerful, dangerous man cradling her broken form with such unexpected gentleness.
Once he had her securely in his embrace, he paused. He stood there in the dim chamber, utterly still, and simply looked down at her face.
The silence stretched, broken only by her shallow, labored breathing.
His expression shifted, confusion creasing his brow once more.
"So strange," he whispered, almost to himself, his voice barely audible in the cavernous space. "Why didn't I get harmed by you?"
His kind—beings like him—should react violently to certain energies, certain bloodlines.
Contact alone should have triggered his defenses, should have burned or repelled.
Yet when he touched her, there was nothing.
No pain.
No instinctive revulsion.
Only... warmth.
Only that strange, inexplicable sense of familiarity.
What are you?
He thought, his eyes darkening with questions that had no answers.
At least, not yet.