As they pressed deeper into the surreal forest, the spirits began to grow quieter, their earlier playfulness ebbing away like a tide. The lush greenery of Xuan Jing's favorite flowers faded into something more muted and strange—trees that seemed to shimmer with shadows, their bark etched with faint, glowing sigils. The vibrant petals scattered on the ground turned darker, some disintegrating into black ash as they stepped past them.
The shift in atmosphere wasn't lost on Wei Lin, who immediately placed a hand on the hilt of his weapon, his garnet eyes narrowing. The spirits, who had previously swarmed around Xuan Jing like excitable children, now lingered at a distance, their glowing eyes darting nervously to the trees.
"Xuán Gē," one of them finally whispered, its voice tinged with unease. "We… we shouldn't go any further."
Xuan Jing didn't stop. His small frame may have looked comical in the oversized robes, but his presence was anything but childish. The Soul Lantern in his hands flickered with an eerie light, casting long, wavering shadows on the path ahead.
"You can leave if you're afraid," Xuan Jing said calmly, his tone carrying an edge of finality.
The spirits hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances before one of them spoke up. "It's not fear, Xuán Gē… it's respect. Beyond this point lies a place even we cannot touch."
Wei Lin's eyes flicked to Xuan Jing. "They might be annoying, but they're not stupid," he muttered. "If they're warning you, maybe we should—"
"No." Xuan Jing's voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and unyielding. He didn't look at Wei Lin, his silver eyes fixed ahead. "There's something here. Something calling to me. I'm not turning back."
Wei Lin clenched his jaw, his instincts screaming at him to grab Xuan Jing and drag him out of there if he had to. But he knew better than to argue when Xuan Jing got like this.
The path grew darker as they moved forward, the trees closing in around them like silent sentinels. The only light came from the flickering flame of the Soul Lantern, which pulsed faintly, as if alive. The whispers that had surrounded them earlier were gone, replaced by an oppressive silence that pressed against their ears.
Finally, the path opened into a clearing, but the sight that greeted them was far from welcoming.
In the center of the clearing stood a massive stone altar, its surface carved with intricate, twisting runes that seemed to shift and writhe under the light of the lantern. Surrounding the altar were towering black obelisks, their surfaces polished to a mirror-like sheen that reflected the dim glow of the lantern's flame.
But it wasn't the altar or the obelisks that made Wei Lin's blood run cold. It was the figure standing atop the altar.
Tall and cloaked in shadows, the figure seemed to absorb the faint light around it, its form a void of darkness save for two glowing silver eyes—eyes that mirrored Xuan Jing's exactly.
"Welcome, child of shadows," the figure said, its voice deep and resonant, carrying a strange, otherworldly echo.
Wei Lin immediately stepped in front of Xuan Jing, his weapon drawn and his garnet eyes blazing. "Stay back," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
The figure tilted its head, a faint smile forming on its otherwise featureless face. "Ah, the protector. Fierce and loyal, as expected."
"Who are you?" Xuan Jing asked, stepping out from behind Wei Lin despite the older boy's protests. His small frame seemed insignificant in the presence of the towering figure, but his gaze was steady, unflinching.
"I am what you seek," the figure replied, its silver eyes fixed on Xuan Jing. "And what you fear. I am the essence of what you carry, the truth of your Eclipsed Essence."
The Soul Lantern flickered violently in Xuan Jing's hands, the flame growing larger and more erratic. The runes on the altar began to glow, casting the clearing in an eerie light.
Wei Lin's grip on his weapon tightened, his instincts screaming at him to act. But before he could move, the figure raised a hand, and the air around them shifted, growing heavy and cold.
"You've come far, child," the figure continued, ignoring Wei Lin entirely. "But you are not yet ready to wield the power you hold. Not without understanding the cost."
Xuan Jing's eyes narrowed. "What cost?"
The figure's smile widened. "The cost of holding dominion over both light and shadow. Of balancing what was never meant to coexist. You may think you control your essence, but it is not yours alone. You'll just run mad."
The words hung in the air like a blade, sharp and unforgiving.
"I am not afraid of the truth," Xuan Jing said, his voice steady.
Little Xuan Jing adjusted the sleeves of his now perfectly fitting teal robes, his expression cool and calm as he continued his approach. The pulsing black trails left behind each of his steps rippled like waves, the ghostly serpent lingering ominously behind him, its translucent form coiling and shifting with an unsettling grace.
The towering figure tilted its head downward, its glowing silver eyes narrowing in what might have been amusement. "Do you mock me, child?" its voice rumbled, resonating through the clearing like distant thunder.
"Mock you?" Xuan Jing echoed, his tone light but laced with an edge. "Not at all. I just find it amusing how dramatic this all is. 'Child of Shadows'? Really?" He glanced over his shoulder at the serpent, which hissed and flicked its tongue in response. "If we're going to do this, at least try harder."
Wei Lin, standing at the edge of the clearing, crossed his arms with a small smirk. That's the Xuán Jǐng I know. His garnet eyes gleamed as he watched, ready to intervene if necessary but content to let the boy handle things for now.
The figure chuckled, the sound low and resonant. "You are bold for someone so small."
Xuan Jing raised a hand, the Soul Lantern flying back to his palm as if summoned by his will. The flame flickered erratically, casting long shadows that seemed to dance around him. He tilted his head, inspecting the figure before him with a critical eye.
"And you're tall for someone so empty," Xuan Jing shot back, his words cutting like glass.
The clearing grew colder, the air thick with tension as the figure's shadow seemed to stretch, encroaching on Xuan Jing's space. But the boy stood his ground, unfazed.
"Empty, am I?" The figure's voice darkened, losing its earlier amusement. "Then let me show you the weight of what you dismiss so easily."
The towering obelisks surrounding the clearing began to glow with an ominous light, their mirrored surfaces reflecting distorted images of Xuan Jing. Each reflection showed him at different points in his life—some as he was now, others older, darker, consumed by his Eclipsed Essence.
"Do you see it?" the figure intoned, gesturing to the reflections. "The paths you could take. The power you could wield. The destruction you could bring. More upon yourself."
Xuan Jing glanced at the reflections, his expression unreadable. "Yeah, I see it," he said after a moment. "And?"
The figure faltered, as if caught off guard by the boy's lack of reaction.
Xuan Jing continued, his tone sharp. "I know what I carry. I know the weight of my essence. You think showing me a bunch of edgy reflections is going to scare me? Please." He stepped closer, the Soul Lantern flaring brighter in his hand. "I don't fear power, and I don't fear what I might become. Because I decide what I'll be. Not you, not anyone else."
The figure's silver eyes blazed, and the shadows around it began to writhe violently. "Arrogant child," it hissed. "You speak as if you hold dominion over your essence, but it is you who are bound by it!"
Xuan Jing smirked, the ghostly serpent behind him rising higher as if in defiance. "Bound by it? Funny. From where I'm standing, it looks like I'm the one calling the shots."
Without warning, the serpent lunged forward, its massive jaws opening wide as it collided with the figure. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the clearing, the obelisks shattering into shards of light and shadow.
Wei Lin moved instinctively, raising a hand to shield himself from the debris. When the dust settled, the figure was still standing, but its form flickered like a dying flame.
"You... dare…" it rasped, its voice now weak and distorted.
Xuan Jing stepped closer, his silver eyes glowing faintly as he raised the Soul Lantern. The flame inside burned fiercely, its light piercing through the figure's shadowy form.
"I dare because I can," Xuan Jing said, his voice steady and cold. "You're nothing but a test. And I'm done playing your game."
With that, he swung the Soul Lantern in a wide arc, the flame within bursting forth like a tidal wave of light. The figure let out a final, echoing cry as it was consumed, its form disintegrating into wisps of darkness that faded into the night.
As the clearing returned to silence, Xuan Jing turned to Wei Lin, his expression calm but his eyes carrying a spark of triumph.
"Hold on," he said simply, as he stood there looking down.