As Su Huan stepped onto the tenth stone, the void around him trembled violently. A deep, guttural roar echoed through the emptiness, sending shivers down his spine. He gripped the copper lamp tighter, the flickering flame now casting long, wavering shadows on the stairs ahead.
"What now?" he muttered under his breath, scanning the darkness for the source of the sound.
The void seemed to ripple, and from its depths emerged a colossal figure. Its form was indistinct, like smoke trapped in a half-shape, but its eyes—two burning orbs of violet fire—fixed on Su Huan with an intensity that made him freeze.
"Turn back," the creature rumbled, its voice shaking the very stones beneath Su Huan's feet. "This is not your path."
Su Huan's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "If I could turn back, I wouldn't be standing here."
The creature growled, its smoky tendrils spreading across the void like creeping vines. "To move forward, you must prove your worth. The light of the lamp will guide you—but only if you let it. Fail, and your life ends here."
Without warning, the creature lunged. Its massive form hurtled toward Su Huan, its tendrils reaching for him like the grasping hands of death.
The Test of Flame
Instinct took over. Su Huan raised the copper lamp high, its flame flaring brighter than ever before. The light struck the creature, halting it mid-charge. It recoiled, hissing like a wounded beast.
"Not so tough, are you?" Su Huan taunted, though his trembling hands betrayed his fear.
But the creature wasn't done. The void around him shifted again, and suddenly, the stone stairs under Su Huan's feet began to crack and crumble. He stumbled, nearly dropping the lamp, as the stones dissolved into nothingness behind him.
"The flame burns only for the steadfast," the creature hissed. "Do you truly believe you can hold its light?"
Su Huan didn't answer. He couldn't. His focus was on the flickering flame, which now seemed to falter, as though it, too, doubted him.
A Leap of Faith
The path ahead narrowed to a single stone, suspended precariously over the infinite void. The creature loomed closer, its tendrils encircling the last step. Su Huan's breath quickened.
"Forward," he whispered to himself. "Only forward."
Summoning every ounce of courage, he leapt. For a moment, he was weightless, the lamp's flame blazing brighter than ever, illuminating the void in all directions.
He landed hard on the next stone—but he wasn't alone.
The creature was waiting. This time, it didn't attack. Instead, it stared at him, its burning eyes unreadable.
"You hold the flame, but do you know its cost?" the creature asked, its voice quieter now, almost…curious.
Su Huan tightened his grip on the lamp. "If the cost is my life, then so be it. It's mine to gamble, isn't it?"
The creature paused, then slowly began to dissipate, its smoky form unraveling into the void. "Perhaps you are worthy after all. But the flame takes more than life. It takes everything."
As the last of the creature vanished, the stone stairs ahead of Su Huan glowed faintly, revealing a path forward. The copper lamp's flame steadied, its light stronger and more certain.
Su Huan exhaled shakily, his heart pounding in his chest. He had passed the first test, but the creature's words lingered in his mind.
"The flame takes everything…"
What did that mean? And was he truly prepared to find out?
To be continued…
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