Li Mei awoke to an overwhelming sensation of cold. It seeped into her bones, chilling her from the inside out. She tried to move, but her limbs felt heavy, as if they were weighed down by the darkness that surrounded her. The blackness was absolute, a void that pressed in on all sides, suffocating in its intensity.
For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was or what had happened. But then it all came rushing back—the Starry Vale, the battle, the explosion of the Heartstone. She had failed. The darkness had won, and now she was adrift in this endless abyss, cut off from the light of the stars.
Panic clawed at her chest, and she struggled to sit up, her movements sluggish and disjointed. Her hands brushed against something solid—cold, hard stone—and she realized she was lying on a flat surface. She reached out, feeling the rough texture beneath her fingers, grounding herself in the physical reality of it.
Slowly, her senses began to return. The oppressive blackness remained, but she could make out faint sounds—whispers echoing in the distance, too quiet to understand, yet persistent and unnerving. The air was thick and stagnant, carrying the scent of damp earth and decay.
Li Mei took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. She had to assess her situation, had to figure out where she was and how to get out of this nightmare. She couldn't afford to give in to the fear that gnawed at her insides.
She rose to her feet, swaying slightly as she tried to find her balance. The ground beneath her was uneven, the stone cracked and pitted as if it had been worn down by centuries of neglect. She had no idea where she was, but it felt wrong—like a place that had been abandoned by light long ago.
"Qiao Ling? Feng Hao?" she called out, her voice trembling in the darkness. There was no answer, only the echo of her own voice, hollow and distorted as it bounced back to her.
Her heart sank. Were they even still alive? The explosion had been so powerful, so overwhelming—had it torn them apart? She refused to believe that they were gone, but the uncertainty gnawed at her, leaving a deep pit of despair in her stomach.
She took a step forward, then another, the sound of her footsteps echoing eerily in the void. She couldn't see where she was going, but she knew she couldn't stay here, paralyzed by fear. The darkness had already claimed the Vale; she couldn't let it claim her too.
As she moved cautiously through the darkness, a faint glimmer of light appeared in the distance—a small, flickering flame that seemed to hover in midair. It was barely visible, a tiny speck in the overwhelming blackness, but it was enough to draw her forward.
Li Mei quickened her pace, her heart pounding with a mix of hope and fear. The light grew brighter as she approached, taking on a pale, bluish hue. It was a strange, otherworldly glow, like the light of a distant star glimpsed through a thick fog.
She reached out to the light, but as she did, it flickered and shifted, revealing a figure standing just beyond it. The figure was cloaked in shadows, its form indistinct and wavering, but there was something familiar about it—something that made Li Mei's breath catch in her throat.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice stronger than she felt. "What is this place?"
The figure didn't respond immediately. Instead, it stepped closer, the light revealing more of its form. As it came into view, Li Mei's heart skipped a beat. It was her—an image of herself, but twisted and dark, her features shrouded in shadow, her eyes glowing with an eerie blue light.
"What… what is this?" Li Mei whispered, fear gripping her heart.
The dark reflection of herself smiled, a cold, cruel expression that sent chills down her spine. "You know what this is, Li Mei," it said, its voice an unsettling mirror of her own. "This is the place where the light ends and the darkness begins. This is the void, where all your fears, your doubts, your failures come to life."
Li Mei shook her head, trying to deny the words, but the figure's presence was undeniable, its reality as solid as the ground beneath her feet. "No… no, I won't let the darkness take me. I won't become like you."
The reflection's smile widened, its eyes narrowing. "But you already have. You failed, Li Mei. The Starry Vale is gone, and with it, the last hope of saving the world from the Eclipse. The darkness is in you now, just as it's in me."
The words struck her like a physical blow, the weight of her failure crashing down on her with relentless force. She had failed—the Vale had fallen, and with it, the light of the stars had been extinguished. The darkness was spreading, and she had been powerless to stop it.
But no… she couldn't let herself believe that. She had fought too hard, come too far, to give in now. There had to be a way to fight back, a way to reclaim the light and push the darkness away.
Li Mei straightened, her resolve hardening. "You're wrong. The light of the stars is still within me, and as long as it burns, I will keep fighting. I won't let you or the darkness take that away."
The dark reflection's expression darkened, the smile fading into a scowl. "You're a fool, Li Mei. The light has already failed you. It's only a matter of time before the darkness consumes you completely."
With that, the figure lunged at her, its form twisting and shifting into something monstrous. Its shadowy limbs stretched out like tendrils, reaching for her with deadly intent. Li Mei barely had time to react, raising her sword just in time to block the first strike.
The impact rattled her arms, the force of the blow driving her back a step. But she didn't falter. She held her ground, her eyes locked on the creature that had once been her reflection. The light of her sword flickered weakly, struggling to maintain its glow in the overwhelming darkness, but it was still there—a beacon of hope in the void.
The creature hissed, its voice a twisted mockery of her own. "You can't win, Li Mei. The darkness is stronger than you. It always has been."
"We'll see about that," Li Mei shot back, her voice filled with determination. She pushed forward, slashing at the creature with all the strength she could muster. The blade connected, cutting through the shadowy form, but the creature merely recoiled, its body reforming as quickly as it was damaged.
It retaliated with a series of vicious strikes, its tendrils lashing out like whips, each one aimed at her heart. Li Mei dodged and parried, her movements fluid despite the fatigue that weighed on her. She was faster, more focused, but the creature was relentless, its attacks growing more ferocious with each passing moment.
She fought with everything she had, her sword flashing in the darkness as she struck again and again. The light of the stars within her flared with each swing, driving the creature back, but it was clear that the battle was taking its toll. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her limbs growing heavy as the exertion caught up with her.
The creature lunged at her, its tendrils wrapping around her sword and yanking it from her grasp. Li Mei barely had time to react before the creature was on her, its weight bearing down on her as it forced her to the ground. She struggled against it, trying to break free, but the darkness was too strong, its grip unyielding.
The creature's face loomed over hers, its features twisted into a grotesque mockery of her own. "This is the end, Li Mei," it whispered, its voice cold and final. "The light has failed you, and now the darkness will consume you."
Li Mei's vision blurred, her strength fading as the darkness pressed in on all sides. She could feel the cold tendrils wrapping around her, pulling her down into the void. The light of the stars was flickering, growing weaker with each passing second.
But even as the darkness closed in, Li Mei refused to give up. She focused on the light within her, the last spark of hope that burned deep in her soul. It was faint, barely more than a whisper, but it was there—a reminder of everything she had fought for, everything she still had to fight for.
With a surge of determination, Li Mei reached out, grasping at that light with all the strength she had left. She wouldn't let the darkness take her—not now, not ever.
The light flared within her, driving back the darkness for a brief moment. The creature recoiled, its grip loosening as the light seared through its form. Li Mei seized the opportunity, summoning the last of her strength as she pushed the creature off her.
She scrambled to her feet, reaching for her sword just as the creature recovered and lunged at her again. The blade felt heavy in her hand, the light within it flickering, but she held it steady, her eyes locked on the creature as it bore down on her.
"Come on, then," Li Mei whispered, her voice filled with defiance. "Let's finish this."
The creature roared, its form shifting and twisting as it charged at her. Li Mei met its attack head-on, her sword slicing through the darkness with a burst of light. Theimpact sent a shockwave through the void, the light and dark colliding in a blinding explosion of energy.
For a moment, everything was chaos—light and shadow swirling together in a violent dance. But then, slowly, the light began to fade, overwhelmed by the relentless tide of darkness.
Li Mei felt herself being pulled under, the darkness wrapping around her like a shroud. She fought against it, but her strength was gone, drained by the battle. The light of the stars flickered one last time, then went out, leaving her in complete darkness.
As she fell into the abyss, the last thing she heard was the creature's voice, cold and triumphant. "The light is gone, Li Mei. The darkness has won."
And then, there was nothing but silence.