The earthquakes were relentless, shaking the city with a force that felt almost alive.
Buildings groaned under the pressure, and the floor beneath Ye Tian and Li Na trembled as if threatening to give way at any moment.
It was eerily reminiscent of the catastrophic event from three years ago, and for a brief moment, it felt as if history was repeating itself.
But then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the trembling stopped.
The eerie silence that followed was deafening, amplifying the creaks of damaged structures and the distant wails of emergency sirens.
The hospital seemed intact, save for a few cracks in the walls and scattered debris.
Yet the air carried an unnatural weight, a stillness that felt... wrong.
Li Na leaned against the wall, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to catch her breath.
Her hands trembled, clutching her phone tightly, her knuckles white.
Her face was pale, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she stared at the floor.
She barely managed a whisper.
"It... it felt just like back then..."
Ye Tian stepped closer, his voice calm but steady.
"Hey..." he said softly.
"It's over. You're safe now."
Her tear-filled gaze met his, and she nodded weakly. But her body still trembled, as if the memories of that fateful day were threatening to overwhelm her.
Ye Tian, always perceptive, noticed her discomfort. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her.
"Probably just a random earthquake..." he said, attempting to soothe her.
"Nothing more."
But even as the words left his lips, his instincts told him otherwise. He turned toward the window, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the city below.
From his vantage point, the damage seemed minimal.
A few shattered windows, some cracks in the pavement... nothing catastrophic.
People were cautiously stepping out onto the streets, their faces marked with confusion and concern.
It was too calm. Too normal.
'Something's off...' Ye Tian thought, his eyes darting across the skyline.
"I'm sure it's nothing..." he said aloud, though his voice lacked conviction.
"Just a coincidence."
Li Na, still shaken, sighed heavily.
"I hope you're right..." she murmured.
The tense quiet was broken by the sharp ring of Li Na's phone. She startled, fumbling to answer the call.
"Hello?" she said quickly, her voice laced with urgency.
Her expression shifted almost immediately, her brows furrowing as her eyes widened in alarm.
"What!? Are you serious!?" she exclaimed, her voice rising.
"Wait—hello? Your voice is breaking up! What... what are you saying!?"
The call cut off abruptly, the screen of her phone going dark.
She stared at it, her hands trembling.
"What happened? Who was it?" Ye Tian asked, his tone firm.
"The National Awakened Association..." she replied, her voice shaky.
"And?"
"They... they said the earthquakes weren't natural..." she began, struggling to keep her composure.
"They said... certain areas around the world are gathering mana. Specific areas, like focal points."
"Gathering mana?" Ye Tian repeated, his eyes narrowing.
"What does that mean?"
Before she could respond, a chill ran down Ye Tian's spine. His instincts flared violently, a primal warning that screamed danger.
His back was to the window, and his shadow stretched across the floor. But then... the light changed.
The pale blue glow of the moonlight turned crimson, casting an ominous red hue over everything.
The room, the streets, the very sky... all bathed in the sinister color of blood.
Li Na gasped, stepping back instinctively.
"What... what's happening?"
"I think we're about to find out..." Ye Tian muttered grimly.
He turned toward the window, his sharp gaze locking onto the sky above.
High above the city, the air itself seemed to warp and twist as an enormous amount of mana began to gather.
It swirled violently, forming a massive vortex that pulsed with raw energy.
The mana storm grew denser with each passing second, its presence suffocating.
The oppressive pressure was enough to make even the strongest hunters falter.
Li Na, too, felt it. Her hands clenched into fists, but this time, her expression wasn't one of fear. It was annoyance.
Her brows furrowed as a spark of frustration flashed in her eyes.
Ye Tian noticed her reaction, but his focus remained fixed on the vortex.
'This isn't natural...' he thought, his mind racing.
'Someone... or something... is behind this. To create such a precise tear in the fabric of time and space... who could it be?'
Suddenly, a voice rang out. It was clear and melodic, yet it carried an air of disdain that made the hairs on the back of Ye Tian's neck stand on end.
"Hoh? What a wretched little world..." the voice said, reverberating through the air.
His eyes darted back to the swirling vortex as a figure began to emerge.
Descending gracefully from the vortex was a being that seemed to defy mortal comprehension.
She wore a flowing white gown that radiated divinity, each thread shimmering with an otherworldly light.
Her two massive wings, pure and pristine, stretched out behind her, exuding an aura of superiority.
Above her head hovered a glowing halo, a symbol that proclaimed her identity to all who gazed upon her.
'An angel...' Ye Tian thought, his eyes narrowing.
Her cerulean eyes swept across the city with disdain, her expression cold and unfeeling.
"How disgusting..." she said, her voice laced with contempt.
"To think the Great Lord's trials would choose such a filthy place."
She raised her hand, her slender fingers glowing with a radiant light.
In an instant, her aura exploded outward, obliterating everything within a hundred-meter radius.
Buildings crumbled into dust, and the ground itself cracked and shattered under the sheer force of her power.
"What the actual fuck..." Ye Tian muttered, his eyes widening.
He wasn't the only one staring.
All across the city, countless eyes were fixed on the angelic figure.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, but her presence radiated a cruelty that made her seem more devil than angel.
The angel spread her arms, her voice ringing out across the city.
"Congratulations, mortals..." she declared, her tone dripping with mockery.
"For you have been chosen for the Great Lord's Trials."
Her aura flared again, though this time it was more controlled.
She snapped her fingers, and high above, the sky seemed to shimmer and ripple.
A massive screen materialized in the air, its golden edges glowing faintly.
Words appeared on its surface, written in an ancient, unreadable script that quickly shifted into something legible...
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[Connecting to the Mortal Realm, Planet 044... Earth.]
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