The cold wind carried a whisper of dread as it swirled through the deserted streets. Shadows danced faintly beneath dim streetlights, their flickering glow unable to pierce the growing mist. Wang Yifan and Li Yin moved side by side, their steps cautious yet deliberate as they ventured deeper into the unknown.
"The city feels… different," Yifan said, glancing up at the sky. The moon was nowhere to be seen, and heavy clouds smothered the stars, leaving the world below in an oppressive gloom.
"Because it is different," Li Yin replied, her voice low and even. "When you opened the rift to the spirit realm, even temporarily, it altered the balance here. The energy it left behind is seeping into this world, warping reality."
"Warping reality?" Yifan repeated, his gaze shifting uneasily to the buildings around them. The streets he once knew now seemed foreign, the edges of structures blurred, as though they were caught between two dimensions.
Li Yin stopped abruptly, her eyes scanning the mist with sharp focus. Her expression hardened. "We need to move faster. The fog is thickening. They're coming."
Yifan tensed, his voice rising slightly. "You keep saying 'they.' Who exactly are 'they'?"
"Not who," she corrected, her voice colder now, "what. Restless spirits and malevolent entities. The remnants of the rift have drawn them here. And you—" she glanced at him, her gaze heavy with meaning, "you're like a beacon to them."
"A beacon?" Yifan's tone was incredulous, a mix of frustration and fear. "You're saying I'm attracting them?"
"Not intentionally," Li Yin said, softening slightly. "Your connection to the spirit realm is like a signal. But it's not just attraction—they fear you."
"Fear me?" Yifan echoed, dumbfounded. "Why would spirits fear me? I'm just an ordinary guy."
"You're far from ordinary," she said, her eyes holding his with a gravity that made him shiver. "Especially after tonight. When you used the spirit mirror, it awakened something inside you. Something they can sense."
Yifan opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself. He realized arguing wouldn't change the situation. For now, he had no choice but to trust her and hope she was right.
The mist thickened as they pressed forward, curling like living tendrils around their feet and legs. It seemed to breathe, pulsating with an unseen rhythm. Soon, visibility shrank to mere meters, the world beyond shrouded in an impenetrable haze.
"This fog… it's unnatural," Li Yin said, stopping suddenly. Her voice dropped to a near-whisper. "Something is hiding in it."
Yifan froze, his heart pounding as he strained to see through the veil of mist. The silence was oppressive, broken only by faint whispers that seemed to emanate from all directions. The voices were indistinct, like a chorus of long-dead spirits murmuring secrets meant for no living ears.
"Who's there?" Yifan called, his voice shaky but defiant.
"It's not 'who,'" Li Yin corrected again, her gaze piercing the fog. She raised her hand, and a faint blue glow emanated from her palm, pushing the mist back just enough to reveal a figure lurking in the distance.
It was cloaked in tattered black robes that floated as though suspended in water. Its head hung low, its face obscured by shadows, but two burning, coal-like eyes pierced the darkness.
"That's no ordinary spirit," Li Yin murmured, her voice tight with tension. "It's a Fallen—a twisted soul consumed by its own darkness. It's stronger than anything we've faced so far."
"What do we do?" Yifan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Li Yin's expression hardened. "We can't run. It would chase us down. We have to fight."
The Fallen wasted no time. It raised one skeletal hand, and the mist around it coalesced into razor-sharp blades, which hurtled toward them with lethal intent.
Li Yin reacted instantly, summoning a shimmering shield of spiritual energy that intercepted the attack. The blades shattered upon impact, but the force of the collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air. The strain was evident on her face as cracks began to spiderweb across the barrier.
"The shield won't hold for long!" she hissed, her voice strained.
"What about the spirit mirror?" Yifan asked, fumbling to retrieve the artifact from his bag.
"Use it!" Li Yin shouted, her focus unwavering as she held back another wave of attacks. "It will guide you."
"How?" he demanded, panic rising in his chest. "I don't even know how it works!"
"Trust it," she said sharply, "and trust yourself!"
Swallowing his fear, Yifan clutched the mirror tightly and closed his eyes. Almost immediately, he felt a strange warmth coursing through him, as though the mirror were alive and resonating with his very being.
"Come on," he muttered, willing the artifact to respond. "If I'm supposed to be this so-called 'key,' then show me how to use you!"
The mirror pulsed with a blinding light, cutting through the fog like a blade. The Fallen recoiled, its shroud of darkness shrinking under the radiance.
Li Yin took the opportunity to strike, sending a surge of her own energy into the weakened creature. But the Fallen wasn't finished. It let out a bone-chilling wail as its form expanded, tendrils of shadow erupting from its core and lashing out in all directions.
"Yifan!" Li Yin shouted, urgency thick in her voice. "It's going to unleash everything it has!"
Yifan's grip on the mirror tightened. He could feel its power surging, begging to be released. He raised the artifact high, focusing all his intent into a single thought: End this.
A beam of pure, radiant energy erupted from the mirror, striking the Fallen at its heart. The creature's scream rose to a deafening pitch as its form began to unravel, consumed by the light.
When the brilliance faded, the mist was gone, and the street was silent once more.
Yifan collapsed to his knees, panting heavily. His hands trembled as he stared at the mirror, now dim and quiet once again.
"You did it," Li Yin said, walking over to him. Her voice held a rare note of warmth.
"What… what was that thing?" Yifan asked between gulps of air.
"A test," she replied, helping him to his feet. "The Fallen was drawn to the mirror's power—and yours. But it wasn't the end. It was just the beginning."
Yifan let out a bitter laugh. "Great. Just what I needed to hear."
Li Yin's expression grew serious. "The mirror chose you for a reason. Whatever lies ahead, you'll need to master its power—and your own. The real enemy is still waiting, and it will be far more dangerous than anything we've faced so far."
Yifan looked at her, searching her face for any sign of reassurance. But there was none. Only the cold, hard truth reflected in her eyes.
"Then I guess we keep moving," he said, forcing himself to his feet.
Li Yin nodded, and together, they walked into the darkness once more, the faint glow of the spirit mirror their only light against the encroaching shadows.