The echo of the locking door reverberated in the tense silence of the room, and Tianwu's blood ran cold. His pulse quickened, and he instinctively moved closer to Yuren, whose gaze had hardened, alert to every sound in the darkened corridor. The atmosphere in the room shifted from uneasy to suffocating.Tianwu turned back to the door, but there was no way out—no easy escape. The stranger had vanished, leaving behind only a heavy, suffocating air and a room now bathed in an eerie quiet. Weiyang stepped forward, his eyes narrow with intent. He was clearly not used to being caught off guard."Yuren," Tianwu whispered, glancing over his shoulder. "What do we do now?"Yuren's grip tightened on Tianwu's arm, pulling him slightly behind him as he scanned the room. His expression was unreadable, but there was an unmistakable tension in his posture."We wait," Yuren said, his voice low and steady. "We can't act hastily. Someone knows we're here—whoever locked the door knows exactly where we are." He glanced toward Weiyang, his eyes sharp with suspicion. "This could be a trap."Weiyang's lips curled into a thin, tight smile, but there was no warmth in it. "I don't like this any more than you do. But we can't stay here. We have to get out of this estate."Tianwu's mind raced. It was clear that something larger was at play. His encounter with the mysterious stranger had only scratched the surface of what was unfolding. And now the door was locked, as though someone was waiting for them to make a mistake.The dim lighting from the few candles scattered around the room flickered, casting long shadows on the walls. It was impossible to ignore the growing feeling that they were not alone. Tianwu could feel eyes on him, watching him from the darkness, though every corner of the room remained empty."Yuren…" Tianwu started, his voice tight. "That person—"Before he could finish, a sound interrupted him—a faint creaking from the far corner of the room. Tianwu turned sharply toward the source, his body tensing. There was movement near the large wooden mirror. It was subtle, but unmistakable.Weiyang stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "What now?" he muttered under his breath."Stay back," Yuren warned, his tone firm. "Let me handle this."Tianwu watched as Yuren moved toward the mirror, his hand slowly reaching out. The air in the room seemed to thicken with each step. Whatever was behind that mirror, Yuren seemed to sense it, and it made Tianwu's skin crawl.Yuren's fingers brushed the edge of the ornate frame, and with a faint tug, the mirror began to shift."What is this?" Tianwu asked, his voice barely above a whisper.The mirror wasn't just a reflection—it was a portal. The surface rippled like water, distorting the room before their eyes, as though revealing a hidden dimension. Tianwu could feel the pull of it, an overwhelming sensation of being drawn toward it."Get back," Yuren ordered, pulling Tianwu away just as the mirror began to hum, the sound vibrating in the very air.The glass shimmered and twisted, revealing a scene beyond the mirror's surface—an endless expanse of darkness, stretching far into the unknown. A figure stood within that void, their silhouette barely visible."I knew it," Weiyang muttered. "This was always part of the plan.""Part of what plan?" Tianwu asked, confusion clouding his thoughts. He was no longer sure who to trust—Yuren, Weiyang, or even the mysterious stranger who had disappeared without a trace.Before anyone could speak further, a voice echoed from the other side of the mirror, soft and sinister."Tianming."The voice was familiar. Too familiar. Tianwu's heart skipped a beat as he heard it again. The same voice he had heard in the garden, the same voice that had haunted him since the Moonlight Festival.He turned to Yuren. "It's them. The one from the festival."Yuren's face hardened, his eyes flicking toward the mirror. "This is bad. We're not just trapped in the estate, Tianming. We're caught in something much darker."The figure on the other side of the mirror stepped forward, their features slowly becoming clearer. It was the same young man from the garden, but now his face was filled with an unsettling intensity. His jade flute gleamed in the low light, its surface reflecting the distorted image of the room."You've found it," the stranger said softly, almost sorrowfully. "And now you can't leave."Tianwu felt a rush of panic, his heart pounding in his chest. "What do you mean? What is this?"The stranger's smile was bitter. "You're already entangled in it. The past, the present—it all leads here. The threads of fate are tangled, and there's no escaping what comes next."Before Tianwu could respond, the mirror's surface rippled violently, the figure vanishing from view, replaced by a deep, swirling darkness that seemed to pull at the edges of the room itself. Tianwu stumbled back, his body instinctively seeking shelter against Yuren."What the hell is happening?" Weiyang's voice was sharp with frustration.The hum of the mirror grew louder, vibrating through the very foundation of the room. Tianwu could feel the pressure, as though the walls were closing in on him, the space growing smaller and smaller."Stay calm," Yuren said, his voice low but steady. "We need to get out of here. Whatever is happening, we're not safe here anymore."But as he turned toward the door, it suddenly swung open with a deafening crash. The room was flooded with light as figures poured into the chamber—armed men, their eyes cold and unreadable."Tianming," one of them said, his voice familiar, "you've been a problem long enough. It's time to come with us."Tianwu's heart stopped. The voice belonged to one of his family's own servants—someone he had known for years."No," Tianwu whispered. "No, this can't be happening."But it was. The walls were closing in on him from all sides, and the feeling of being trapped, of being forced into a future he couldn't control, was becoming unbearable.Weiyang stepped forward, his hand on his sword. "You're making a mistake," he said, his voice cold and commanding. "Tianming belongs to no one but himself. If you think you can take him, you're gravely mistaken."Yuren stepped up beside Tianwu, his eyes sharp and calculating. "This isn't about taking him. It's about what comes next. The question is, will you survive the answer?"As the servants closed in, the air became thick with tension. Tianwu knew that something monumental was about to happen. But he didn't know if he would make it through.---Just as the servants advanced, a shadow moved in the corner of Tianwu's vision. The same mysterious figure—dressed in dark robes, their face hidden by a veil—stepped from the shadows and into the light. They were holding a small vial, its contents glowing faintly."Stop," the figure commanded, their voice carrying a weight that silenced the room.The servant holding the lead stopped in his tracks, his expression unreadable.Tianwu's eyes widened. "Who are you?"The figure remained silent, but when they spoke again, their words were clear and chilling:"Your past isn't finished yet, Tianming. And neither is your future."