The crackle of dark qi filled the air as Lan Yue and Elder Han faced off in the dim light of the White Lotus Clan archives. The oppressive silence of the room was shattered by the hum of energy radiating from Han's outstretched hand, the shadows swirling around him like a cloak. His eyes gleamed with malice, the power of the Shadowborn crackling at his fingertips.
Lan Yue's heart raced, her breath coming in short bursts as she tightened her grip on her sword. The Lotus Flame flickered to life along the blade, casting a faint glow against the darkness that surrounded them. She had known this moment would come—had felt the confrontation building ever since she and Li Feng uncovered the truth about Han's betrayal. But now, standing face-to-face with him, the full weight of the danger pressed down on her.
"You should have stayed in the shadows," Han said, his voice cold and mocking. "You had a chance to walk away, but now you've sealed your fate."
Lan Yue's jaw tightened, her eyes locked on Han's as she steadied her breathing. The dark qi that swirled around him was powerful—far more powerful than anything she had felt before. He had been hiding this strength, biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike. And now, he was using it to tear the clan apart from the inside.
"You're the one who betrayed the White Lotus Clan," Lan Yue shot back, her voice firm despite the fear gnawing at her insides. "You've twisted everything we stand for."
Han's lips curled into a smirk. "Betrayed? No, Lan Yue. I've given the clan a chance to survive. The council clings to old traditions, blind to the true power that could secure our future. The Shadowborn have shown me the way. You and Li Feng... you're relics of a dying age."
Before Lan Yue could respond, Han lunged forward, his hand surging with dark energy as he unleashed a blast of qi in her direction. The shadows around him twisted and warped, filling the room with a thick, suffocating darkness.
Lan Yue reacted instinctively, raising her sword and summoning the full power of the Lotus Flame. The blade glowed brightly, cutting through the dark qi as she deflected the attack. But the force of the blow sent her stumbling back, the energy crackling in the air around her.
Han advanced, his movements swift and deliberate, the dark qi swirling around him like a storm. His power was immense—far greater than she had anticipated—and it took all of her strength just to hold him off.
"You're outmatched," Han growled, his voice filled with confidence as he launched another attack. "The Lotus Flame is nothing compared to the power of the shadows."
Lan Yue gritted her teeth, her mind racing as she blocked the next strike, her muscles burning with the effort. She couldn't afford to let him overwhelm her, not here, not now. She had to hold her ground, had to find a way to turn the tide of the battle.
"You're wrong," Lan Yue said, her voice steady as she parried another blow. "The Lotus Flame is more than just power. It's about protecting those who can't protect themselves. It's about honor and justice. Something you've long forgotten."
Han's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening as he lashed out again, his hand crackling with dark energy. "Honor won't save you."
The force of the attack sent a shockwave through the room, the air thick with tension as the two clashed again. Lan Yue's movements were precise, her blade cutting through the shadows as she deflected each strike. But Han was relentless, his attacks growing more brutal with each passing moment.
Lan Yue's muscles ached, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she struggled to keep up. The dark qi that surrounded Han seemed endless, an overwhelming force that threatened to consume her. But even as the darkness pressed in around her, she refused to give in. She had come too far—fought too hard—to let him win.
With a burst of determination, Lan Yue pushed forward, her sword blazing with the full power of the Lotus Flame as she struck back. Her blade sliced through the air, cutting a path through the swirling shadows as she closed the distance between them.
Han's eyes widened in surprise as her sword met his dark energy, the force of the Lotus Flame disrupting his control over the shadows. For a moment, the room was filled with a blinding light, the darkness around them flickering and fading.
But Han recovered quickly, his expression twisting with rage as he summoned a massive surge of dark qi. The shadows in the room gathered around him, forming a swirling vortex of energy that crackled with power. His voice was filled with venom as he spoke, his hand raised to unleash another devastating attack.
"You will die here, Lan Yue."
Lan Yue's heart raced as she braced herself, her mind racing through her options. She couldn't defeat him head-on—his power was too great. But there was another way, a way to turn his own strength against him. She just had to wait for the right moment.
As Han unleashed the full force of his dark qi, Lan Yue moved quickly, her body a blur of motion as she dodged the attack. The energy slammed into the wall behind her, sending a shower of debris crashing to the floor. But Lan Yue didn't stop—she couldn't afford to. She had to keep moving, keep him off balance.
"Running won't save you," Han sneered, his voice filled with contempt as he sent another blast of energy toward her.
Lan Yue narrowly avoided the strike, her heart pounding in her chest as she darted around the room, her mind working furiously. Han was powerful, but he was also arrogant—too confident in his abilities. And that arrogance would be his downfall.
She needed to lure him in, needed to make him overextend himself.
"Is this all the great Elder Han has?" Lan Yue taunted, her voice steady as she kept her distance. "You talk about power, but you're nothing more than a coward hiding in the shadows."
Han's expression twisted with fury, his eyes blazing with dark energy. "You dare mock me?"
With a roar, Han surged forward, his hand crackling with dark qi as he launched himself at her. The shadows around him twisted and writhed, forming a wave of energy that threatened to swallow her whole.
But Lan Yue was ready.
In an instant, she pivoted, using the momentum of his attack against him. Her sword blazed with the full power of the Lotus Flame as she struck, her blade cutting through the vortex of shadows and piercing the dark qi that surrounded him.
Han's eyes widened in shock as the Lotus Flame surged through him, the light of her sword overwhelming the darkness that had fueled his power. The shadows flickered and faded, the dark qi unraveling as the energy that had sustained him collapsed.
For a moment, the room was still, the air filled with the faint crackle of dissipating energy. Han staggered back, his face pale with disbelief as he clutched his chest, his strength fading.
"You... you've ruined everything," Han gasped, his voice barely a whisper.
Lan Yue's chest heaved with exhaustion, her sword still glowing faintly with the remnants of the Lotus Flame's power. She stepped forward, her gaze locked on Han as he crumpled to the floor, his once-imposing presence reduced to a shadow of its former self.
"You did that yourself," Lan Yue said, her voice steady but filled with quiet resolve. "You betrayed the White Lotus Clan, and now you'll pay for it."
Han's lips curled into a weak, bitter smile. "You... think you've won? The Shadowborn... are coming. You can't stop them."
With those final, ominous words, Han's body went limp, the last traces of dark qi fading into the air.
Lan Yue stood over him, her breath coming in ragged gasps as the reality of what had just happened sank in. Elder Han was dead, his betrayal exposed. But even as she stared down at his lifeless form, the weight of his final words pressed down on her like a leaden shroud.
The Shadowborn were coming.
And this was only the beginning.