Chapter 27: The Hollow Between Worlds
They walked in silence for hours, following the glowing trail only Ying Yue could see. It shimmered like stardust on the wind, curling between trees and over rivers, guiding them deeper into the forgotten mountains. The forest grew quieter with every step, as if nature însăși ținea respirația.
By dusk, they reached a ravine wrapped in mist. A bridge of petrified vines hung over the void, leading to a stone path carved into the mountain's side.
"This is it," Ying Yue murmured. "The Hollow of Time."
Bai Jiu peered into the depths. "There's no turning back now."
As they crossed, the world seemed to shift. The wind changed. The trees no longer rustled, and the stars above flickered like dying embers. At the end of the path, a stone gate pulsed with ancient runes—some familiar, some lost to even Ying Yue's memory.
"It's… older than us," she whispered.
She reached for the gate, but Bai Jiu caught her wrist gently. "Wait."
"What is it?"
He hesitated. "If we go through that door… it may change everything. You might remember more than you want. And me… you might no longer need me."
She turned to face him, her eyes soft. "I don't need you because I've forgotten. I need you because I remember."
His guard dropped for the first time in days. Slowly, he touched her face, thumb grazing her cheek. "Even if the heavens fall, I'll stand with you."
Her hand covered his. "Then let them fall."
The gate creaked open with a groan that echoed across eternity.
Inside, the Hollow was not a cave—but a temple suspended in time. Starlight hung still in the air, and fractured memories walked like ghosts along the walls. One by one, Ying Yue saw echoes—of herself laughing, crying, fighting. Of Xie Changye bleeding on marble steps. Of Qiuhan… watching in silence.
As they moved forward, a shimmering pool appeared in the center of the chamber.
"This is the Mirror of Lives," Ying Yue said. "It reflects all that was… and could have been."
Bai Jiu looked into it—and froze. He saw himself holding her as she died. Then alone, centuries lost, walking through wars and ruin. And finally… the moment he saw her again in this life, unaware, alive.
"I waited so long," he said hoarsely.
She stepped beside him. "And I came back."
Suddenly, the chamber trembled. The reflections blurred. From the darkness behind them, a voice echoed:
"You were always meant to fall."
Qiuhan stepped into the light, no longer hiding behind masks. His body shimmered with stolen power, half-divine, half-twisted shadow.
"I protected you once," he said to Ying Yue. "But you chose him. Again."
Bai Jiu stepped forward. "She never belonged to you."
"But I belong to her," Qiuhan snarled, eyes glowing. "And if I must burn the heavens to make her remember… I will."
The temple walls cracked, stars bleeding light.
Ying Yue's eyes glowed silver. "Then come, Qiuhan. And remember why you lost me the first time."
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