Wei glanced over at Mei, studying her face as if searching for any lingering trace of the Abyss. The relief he'd felt seeing her remember him had dulled, leaving a gnawing uncertainty. He turned to Mr. Shen, who had been watching them with a mixture of interest and caution.
"Is it gone?" Wei asked, his voice steady but insistent. "Is the Abyss's hold on her finally broken?"
Mr. Shen examined Mei carefully, his gaze sharp. Mei stood quietly, seemingly herself, yet something still felt unsettled in the air around her. She looked back at Wei, confusion flickering in her eyes as though she, too, sensed it.
"The Heartstone severed the immediate connection," Mr. Shen replied, folding his hands. "But the Abyss isn't an ordinary force—it doesn't let go entirely. It has a way of leaving marks, scars in the soul. Whether it's truly gone or merely dormant is something only time will reveal."
