The wind carried an eerie stillness as the rift's light faded, but Li Tian knew it was only the calm before the storm. The remaining energy crackled faintly in the air, a jagged reminder of the chaos they had just endured. Ahead of them, the council operatives reeled from their failed attempts to suppress the anomaly, but their retreat wouldn't last.
"Move," Li Tian said sharply, grabbing Yin Yue's arm. She flinched at the sudden contact, but he didn't have time to explain. Behind them, the operatives were already regrouping, their dampening rods sparking back to life.
"Wait—what about the rift?" Yin Yue demanded, digging her heels in. The shard in her hand pulsed faintly again, as though it too was reluctant to retreat. "We can't just leave it like—"
"We don't have a choice," Li Tian interrupted, his voice low but full of urgency. "They'll catch us if we stay, and the council won't stop until they have that shard—and you—under their control."
Her eyes widened, but the reality of his words sank in quickly. She nodded, her anger giving way to the same wariness he felt. Without another word, she followed as he guided them away from the clearing, weaving through the jagged terrain that marked the Earth Division's border.
Shouts echoed behind them, muffled but persistent. The operatives were on their trail already.
"Great plan," Yin Yue muttered under her breath as they darted into a concealed pathway winding through the earth and stone. "Run until we hit a dead end?"
Li Tian didn't answer immediately, his system chirping faintly in his mind as it displayed potential routes. Most were dead ends—literally—though a few promised temporary cover. He chose the most likely exit, veering sharply left.
"We'll get out of here," he said finally, his tone clipped. "I just need to buy us enough time to regroup."
"Regroup?" She stumbled slightly over the uneven ground but kept pace. "You mean to think of another way to keep me in the dark?"
He glanced at her, his jaw tightening. Later. He would deal with the fallout later. If they survived.
The passage narrowed, the encroaching stone walls forcing them to slow. Li Tian felt the weight of the situation bearing down on him, crackling tension snapping between them as they pushed forward in silence.
Finally, when they emerged into a hollowed-out cavern, far enough from pursuit to risk stopping, Yin Yue spun to face him.
"Talk," she said, her voice cutting through the quiet like sharpened steel.
Li Tian exhaled, leaning on the rough stone wall and folding his arms across his chest. His mind raced for the right words—something to explain everything without handing her the full weight of the truth.
She didn't wait for him.
"What was that thing?" she pressed, stepping closer. The glow of the shard in her hand reflected in her eyes, giving her an almost ethereal edge. "And don't tell me you didn't know this could happen because I don't believe you!"
"I didn't know," he shot back, his control slipping for just a moment. He caught himself, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not exactly. The rift wasn't supposed to—"
"Supposed to what, Li Tian? Open? Unleash some… Whatever that was?"
Her anger hit like blows, each word cutting deeper than he anticipated. Maybe because she wasn't entirely wrong.
"I didn't know what the shard was capable of," he admitted, his tone quieter now. "But I had suspicions—information I couldn't give... to protect you."
She scoffed. "Protect me? Or control me?"
At that, his eyes snapped up to meet hers, something raw flashing in their depths. He took a step closer, his voice lowering.
"You think I'd risk everything just to control you? The Earth Division, the academy—none of it matters if someone tracks that shard's power back to you. The council isn't playing games, Yin Yue. They'll take what they want, no matter the cost."
She opened her mouth to respond but faltered, the blunt truth in his words chipping away at her anger. Still, she wasn't ready to back down completely.
"And what about the rift?" she said after a moment, her voice quieter but no less firm. "That… thing—what if it's still out there? What if it comes back?"
Li Tian pulled in a steadying breath, leaning his head back against the stone. He felt the system stir faintly, its cold logic a stabilizing force amidst his swirling thoughts.
System Notification:
Residual anomaly energy detected. Risk of recurrent instability moderate. Further inspection advised.
The notification blinked faintly in his vision, maps and probabilities cascading alongside it. He ignored most of it. Risk was everywhere now, tracing their steps no matter where they turned.
He finally looked at Yin Yue, the exhaustion evident in his expression. "It's not finished," he admitted. "The rift might have closed, but whatever caused it isn't gone. It left behind energy—dangerous, unstable energy."
She swallowed hard, gripping the shard tighter. "And the shard? What's happening to it?"
Li Tian's gaze flicked briefly to the faintly pulsing fragment in her hands. Just looking at it made his skin crawl—though not out of fear for himself.
"It's reacting again," he said. "Probably connected to whatever that figure was." He hesitated before adding, "But until we know more, you need to be careful with it. We can't afford for the shard to activate again."
"No kidding," she muttered, though a flicker of unease crossed her features as her thumb brushed the shard's surface.
Before either could say more, the ground beneath them shuddered faintly. Not like before—this was smaller, subtler—but enough to send a chill up Li Tian's spine.
The system pinged urgently, data streaming across his perception.
System Alert:
Energy levels rising near the previous anomaly site. Interference from unknown sources detected.
Li Tian turned sharply toward the distant pathway behind them, his mind racing anew. The council wasn't done. The anomaly wasn't done. And they were running out of places to hide.
"We need to keep moving," he said finally, his voice tinged with urgency. "Find somewhere safer."
Yin Yue tilted her head, frustration flickering across her face. "Safer for who? For you to keep more secrets?"
"For us," he said, soft but firm. "You think I'm at war with you, Yin Yue, but the truth is we're both at war with the same thing. I just have more enemies knocking at my door."
She hesitated. Whatever anger remained in her expression was joined now by something else. Understanding? Or maybe doubt.
The shard pulsed faintly again, the soft light casting ripples across the cavern walls. Whatever lay ahead, it was clear the shard wasn't finished with either of them. And nor was the danger surrounding it.
Yin Yue finally nodded, but her words were quieter this time. "Lead the way, then."
And for now, that was enough.