The air crackled with a tension so thick it felt almost tangible. Situ Lan, her ethereal beauty overshadowed by a mask of raw fear, stared at Yun Lintian, his calm demeanor now tinged with a chilling menace.
The two fallen figures on the periphery of the garden served as a stark reminder of the power at his disposal.
Despite the terror gnawing at her, a flicker of defiance sparked in Situ Lan's twilight eyes. "I choose neither," she spat, her voice barely a whisper.
Yun Lintian's smile thinned. "A bold choice," he remarked, stepping closer, his every stride resonating with a subtle pressure that made Situ Lan feel as if the very air around her was tightening.
"Perhaps," she countered, her voice gaining a hint of its former frostiness, "but a necessary one. You may have some unknown power at your disposal, but revealing my secrets would unleash a force far beyond your comprehension."
