The air is thick with tension as Jian joins Li Wei by the campfire. The night has grown colder, and the moon casts an eerie light across the mountainside. Li Wei can't shake the feeling that they're being watched—not by the curse, but by something far more tangible, far more dangerous.
Jian sits across from them, sharpening a knife with careful precision. There's something deliberate about the way they move, something that unsettles Li Wei even more than the whispers of the curse. The flickering firelight casts shadows across Jian's face, making their features look sharp and unyielding, their eyes gleaming with an unspoken knowledge.
Li Wei finally speaks, their voice low and cautious. "You didn't answer me earlier. Why are you really following me? The spirits—what do they have to do with you?"
Jian pauses mid-motion, the sound of the blade on stone echoing in the silence between them. For a long moment, they don't respond, and Li Wei begins to think they won't. But then, Jian finally looks up, meeting their gaze with an unreadable expression.
"There's more to the Celestial Well than you know," Jian says, his voice steady but tinged with a hint of warning. "The Well isn't just a place of purification. It holds secrets—secrets that go beyond what the spirits want you to understand. If you're going there, be prepared for things that may change everything."
Li Wei's heart races. "What do you mean? What secrets?"
Jian doesn't immediately answer, instead standing up and walking to the edge of the ravine. He stands there for a long moment, staring into the dark abyss, the wind tugging at his cloak. Finally, he speaks again, his voice softer now, as though he's revealing something he hadn't intended to.
"Your bloodline, Li Wei. The curse you carry—it's tied to something much older than the spirits you freed. The Well, the curse, the spirits—they're all part of a much larger story. A story that involves your ancestors… and mine."
Li Wei stands, their pulse quickening. "Your ancestors? What are you talking about?"
Jian turns to face them, his expression serious. "My family has been guarding the secrets of the Celestial Well for generations. We were meant to protect its power, to ensure that no one misuses it. But your bloodline…" He trails off, his eyes narrowing. "Your bloodline has been a part of this for far longer than you know."
Li Wei stares at him, the weight of his words sinking in. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner? What do you want from me?"
Jian steps forward, his gaze intense. "I don't want anything from you, Li Wei. I'm telling you this because you need to understand what you're walking into. The Well holds power that could destroy everything if it's misused. And the curse—it's just the beginning. The real danger lies in what happens when you reach it."
Li Wei is silent for a long moment, trying to process everything Jian has just said. Their mind races with questions, but the one that stands out the most is the one they can't voice aloud: **What if they're walking straight into a trap?**
---
The next morning, the two set off again, traveling deeper into the mountains. The air grows thinner, and the terrain becomes more difficult to navigate. Li Wei feels the curse's weight pressing harder against their chest with every step, but they push on, unwilling to turn back. Jian's presence, though unsettling, is the only thing keeping them from being completely consumed by the fear and doubt that gnaws at their thoughts.
---
As they continue on their journey, Jian leads them down a narrow, winding path that doesn't appear on the map. Li Wei raises an eyebrow. "This path isn't on the map. Are you sure this is the way to the Celestial Well?"
Jian gives a small, almost amused smile. "The map isn't complete. There's a hidden path, known only to those who have been trained to find it. The Well isn't meant to be found by just anyone."
Li Wei's suspicions grow. "So you're saying you've been here before?"
Jian's smile fades. "I've been here many times. But I've never ventured as far as you plan to."
The unease in Li Wei's chest grows with every step, the forest around them growing denser, darker. The path becomes treacherous, the ground slick with moss and the trees closing in around them. Li Wei can feel the curse twisting, like a force of nature that can no longer be ignored.
And then, as they round a sharp bend in the path, they find themselves standing before a massive stone gate, covered in intricate symbols and carvings. The gate is old—ancient, even—but it is unmistakably the entrance to the **Celestial Well**.
But something feels off.
The symbols on the gate pulse faintly, their light dim but unmistakable, as if reacting to the presence of the curse within Li Wei. The air around the gate is thick, charged with an energy that makes Li Wei's skin crawl.
Jian steps forward, his expression unreadable. "We've arrived."
Li Wei hesitates. "This is it?"
Jian nods, but there's something in his eyes—something that hints at a deeper truth. "This is the beginning, Li Wei. The Well is more than you think. And it will test you in ways you can't imagine."