The once-familiar village felt different now. The air was heavy, and an eerie silence blanketed the usually lively town. Lin Xi walked alone through the empty streets, each step echoing in the stillness. She glanced at the villagers' faces as she passed, noticing their weariness, the way their shoulders drooped under unseen burdens. Whispers followed her; villagers who once looked to her with hope now exchanged glances filled with doubt.
The curse was beginning to permeate every corner of the valley, unseen yet deeply felt. But it wasn't just the land—Lin Xi could feel something growing within herself, an unease that twisted her thoughts in ways she couldn't explain. She had always been confident in her purpose as a Guardian, yet now, the path ahead seemed clouded with shadows.
That night, she found herself standing on the outskirts of the village, gazing at the mist-shrouded forest where so much of the land's power lay hidden. It was here that her dreams began to haunt her with growing intensity. Images of her past life flooded her mind—fragmented, painful memories that felt both foreign and deeply personal. In these visions, she relived moments of heartache, betrayal, and fear, each more vivid than the last.
In one vision, she saw herself standing alone in a darkened field, her heart shattered, her soul filled with unbearable loneliness. The memory was so vivid she could feel the dampness of the grass under her feet, smell the bitter scent of smoke lingering in the air. And somewhere, just out of reach, she sensed Su Qinghe's presence—his sorrow, his despair at losing her.
The memories blurred with her reality, leaving her feeling isolated and uncertain. Was her connection to Su Qinghe genuine, or was it just another part of the curse—a tragic, inescapable fate, binding them in an endless cycle of suffering? She felt herself slipping, caught between love and a deepening darkness she could not shake.
As Lin Xi's doubts grew, so did Hēilóng Dì's influence. In his dark stronghold, he sensed the turmoil within her and reveled in it. The sorceress he'd summoned had proven her worth; her illusions were sowing seeds of distrust and despair in Lin Xi's heart. He watched through his crystal as the Guardians' bond was tested, waiting patiently for the moment it would finally break.
But Hēilóng Dì wasn't content to stop there. To ensure Lin Xi's fall, he had ordered his spies to infiltrate the village. Disguised as refugees, they slipped in, sowing rumors among the villagers—whispers of the Guardians' waning power, doubts about Lin Xi and Su Qinghe's ability to protect them from the coming darkness. Each rumor, each whispered word of distrust, fueled the villagers' unease, heightening Lin Xi's own feelings of doubt.
The emperor's plan was a masterstroke of manipulation. By isolating Lin Xi emotionally and socially, he intended to break her spirit, to make her doubt not only her love for Su Qinghe but also her own worth as a Guardian.
One evening, Su Qinghe found her at the river, her gaze distant and unfocused as she stared at the water. Concern etched into his face, he approached her slowly, knowing that something was amiss.
"Lin Xi," he called gently, kneeling beside her. She turned to look at him, but her eyes seemed haunted, distant, as if she were lost in a place he couldn't reach. "What's happening to you?"
She shook her head, forcing a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I don't know, Su Qinghe," she murmured, voice trembling. "It's as if… there's something inside me, something that doesn't belong. I feel like I'm losing myself, like I'm not the same person I once was."
He reached out, placing a comforting hand on hers. "You're still the same Lin Xi—the Guardian I've fought beside, the one I trust above all others. Whatever you're facing, we'll face it together."
She wanted to believe him, to feel the certainty that radiated from his touch. But the visions and whispers clouded her mind, filling her with doubts she could not ignore. The illusions cast by Hēilóng Dì's sorceress fed on her insecurities, making her question everything she thought she knew about her past life, her purpose, and her connection to Su Qinghe.
She looked at him, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if… what if I'm not meant to be here? What if my love for you is only part of the curse, something that was forced upon us, a cruel fate that keeps us bound in suffering?"
Su Qinghe's eyes softened with understanding, though his heart ached at the pain she carried. He knew she was being tormented by something far beyond her control, a force intent on unraveling everything they had built together. "Lin Xi, even if our pasts are intertwined with tragedy, we are not bound to repeat it. You and I—we have a choice, here and now."
She looked away, unable to meet his gaze. The illusions still whispered at the edge of her mind, casting shadows over her thoughts. "I don't know if I can believe that, Su Qinghe."
As she spoke, the sorceress's magic reached deeper into her mind, twisting her memories, distorting the love she felt. Lin Xi could almost see herself standing in that field again, watching Su Qinghe disappear into the darkness. She was plagued by the feeling that everything she had worked for, every sacrifice she had made, was nothing more than an illusion—a trap laid by the curse to bind her to an endless cycle of sorrow.
Yet despite her despair, a flicker of warmth remained in her heart, a faint glimmer of hope that Su Qinghe's love for her was real. She held onto it, fragile as it was, even as the darkness threatened to consume her.
Back at his stronghold, Hēilóng Dì observed through the crystal, pleased with the turmoil his sorceress had wrought. But he knew the Guardians' bond was resilient, and to ensure their downfall, he needed to tighten his hold on Lin Xi's mind.
Summoning his most trusted general, he ordered him to lead a small force into the valley, their purpose clear—to escalate the tension in the village, to create fear and mistrust that would seep into every corner of Lin Xi's life.
As his agents prepared for their mission, Hēilóng Dì grinned, reveling in his triumph. His enemy was faltering, and soon, Lin Xi would be at her breaking point.