The air in the dorm felt suffocating as Wei tossed and turned in bed. Sleep eluded him; the weight of Lin's words and the ominous book loomed in his thoughts. The phrases about the abyss, the bonds it forged, and the price of failure repeated like a haunting melody. By dawn, he gave up, pulling on a jacket and stepping out into the chill of the early morning.
The campus was eerily empty, its usual hum of life replaced with an oppressive silence. Wei found himself walking toward the martial arts courtyard, where he often trained during the day. He needed clarity—discipline—to keep his thoughts from spiraling.
To his surprise, Mei was already there, her movements fluid as she practiced a series of forms. The early sunlight cast long shadows, and her determined expression gave her an almost ethereal glow. Wei paused, not wanting to disturb her, but she noticed him almost immediately.
"You couldn't sleep either?" she asked, her voice soft but steady.
