A bargain was struck, a terrible one. I would give half my body, my very essence, to his little sister in exchange for Lin Jian's life. It was a price I was willing to pay.
The shock of his awakening, the confusion in his eyes, mirrored my own turmoil. He knew something had changed, felt the shift in his own being, yet he couldn't understand. I pretended ignorance, burying the secret of my sacrifice deep within, my own body now weak and frail.
He noticed my condition, concerned he asked, "Fair lady, are you okay? You look pale."
I forced a smile at him," Why are you asking me, you're the one who's sick." ignoring the pain of ripping my own body in half.
"You don't need to pretend. You took care of me these days, let me take care of you." he announced.
He cared for me, kind touches , worried frowns , a silent concern that warmed me from within. I found myself stealing glances, admiring the strength he still possessed, the way his eyes held a depth I had never noticed before. It was a secret I couldn't confess, a longing I couldn't voice.
Tonight Lin Jian prepared a dinner for us, as we were eating , the chopsticks clattered to the table, the clatter echoing the sudden stillness that fell over us. Lin Jian's head bowed. His dark hair obscuring his face, now growing a strand of red. My hand instinctively reached for his, but he didn't respond. A cold feeling coiled in my stomach. His head bowed, lifeless.
"Lin Jian?" I whispered, my voice shaking.
He didn't move. He didn't breathe. My fear was a visible, pressing down on me. Then, with suddenness his head snapped up. His eyes, once warm honey, now burned with a feverish, red light.
"You're mine," he rasped, the voice thick with an urgency that sent shivers down my spine. "You belong to me."
Panic choked me. "Lin Jian, what are you talking about? What's wrong?"
He was on his feet before I could react, his face contorted with a ferocity I'd never seen. Each word he spat out was a sharp and cold . "Don't you see? I love you. You are mine. You will be mine."
He lunged, his fingers closing around my wrist with a bone-crushing grip. My instinct was to fight back, to pull away, but his strength was superhuman. He shoved me against the wall, his body pressing against mine.
"No," I gasped, my voice barely a whisper, words were lost in my own desire.
He lowered his head, his lips brushing against my ear, his breath hot against my skin. "You can't escape me," he whispered, his voice low. "You are mine."
I tried to pull away, but his grip was unbreakable. He held me tight, his hands tracing the curves of my waist, his touch sending a shiver of fear and something else, through me.
My heart pounded against my ribs as I struggled against him, my eyes locking onto his. The moonlight shining through the window bathed us in a silvery glow, it was visible..the fierce desperation in his eyes.
He leaned closer, his lips brushing against mine, a gentle, feather-light touch. His teeth nibbling my lower lips, blood imbrued my mouth.
The kiss was a storm, a whirlwind of passion and pain, the taste of blood mingling with the tang of his desire. And against all reason, against my terror, against everything I knew I should do, I kissed him back.
With his lips still pressed against mine, he whispered, "Mine." And in the darkness, in the chaos of our struggle, a part of me, a part I didn't want to acknowledge, whispered back, "Yours."
Our battle continued, a strange dance of passion and violence. This time, Zhang Li stepped forward, together we took Lin Jian stumbling back. As Lin Jian fell unconscious I caught him in my arms. He was convulsing, I channeled my chi to him to calm the storm within him.
"What happened to him? You said he's healed?" I faced Zhang Li.
Zhang Li's hands holding a glowing sword. "A spirit," he declared, his voice filled with urgency, "has corrupted his soul." The revelation hit me like a physical blow. "A spirit," he repeated, his gaze locking onto me. Then, the truth unveiled itself, a cruel twist of fate. "You," he said, his voice low and steady, "are the one who is corrupting his soul."
"Me?" I breathed, my hands in where he lie, now shaking.
He's dying, Yinuo, Zhang Lis voice was flat. The words was heavy and suffocating. Your& energy, its overwhelming him. Too much Yin, its poison to a mortal.
My heart pounded, a frantic drumbeat mirroring the terror that gripped me. Lin Jian, fading away? It couldn't be. "But what can I do?" I choked out, my voice cracking with despair.
He sighed, a weary sound that spoke of years spent battling against the inevitable. "This was bound to happen, Yinuo. Spirits natures...they're incompatible with humans. A year. He has a year left, and there's nothing I can do. The damage is done."
His words were a knifes, but as he spoke, a flicker of hope sparked in his eyes. "There is a way a chance. But its a desperate one." He brought out a worn, leather-bound book, its pages filled with strange symbols and script. "Within these pages, lies the knowledge to craft an artifact. A tool that could& maybe, just maybe save him."
A year. A year to craft this life-saving artifact. The words echoed in my mind, a chilling countdown. I stared at the book, suddenly aware of a cold, sharp truth. This was my fate. I was trapped, just like the immortal in the mirror, condemned to watch my loved one die while I struggled against the impossible. It was cruel. Unfair.
But Lin Jian, his life, his smile, his laughter, it was all I had. Hope, flickering, yet refused to be extinguished. I would do anything, anything at all, to save him.
The book held secrets of rituals and sacrifices. My core, it demanded. My very essence, woven into the artifact. The thought of it was terrifying, the agonizing pain, but Lin Jian's fading breaths fueled my resolve.
He was dying, and I was crafting a lifeline, an artifact hope woven from my very soul. Each day, as the final hours ticked by, I felt myself getting closer, I went through pain and determination, a desperate prayer for a miracle.