Chapter 22: Echoes of the Fallen

Li Wei stood at the edge of the shattered battlefield, his breath heavy as he wiped the blood from his brow. The Crystallization Curse had advanced again—his left forearm now gleamed with an unnatural sheen, veins of shimmering silver crawling up toward his elbow. He clenched his fist, feeling the growing rigidity in his movements. If this continued, how long before he lost control completely?

Kara approached from behind, her cloak billowing in the wind. "You're pushing yourself too hard. The curse—it's spreading."

"I don't have a choice," Li Wei muttered, flexing his fingers. "We're running out of time. The Eleventh Core is already showing signs of fracture. If we don't reach the Sanctum of Remnants soon, there won't be anything left to save."

Kara's expression darkened. "That's if the Jailers don't reach it first."

Veyra emerged from the ruins, her bow still humming with residual energy. "They're already moving. I intercepted a scout an hour ago. They know our destination."

Li Wei exhaled sharply. "Then we leave now."

The journey to the Sanctum was treacherous. The land itself had grown unstable, fractured by the surging energy of the breaking Core. Mountains had crumbled, rivers had changed course, and the sky churned with unnatural storms. Every step forward felt like walking through a world that no longer followed the rules of reality.

"This place wasn't like this before," Kara murmured, glancing around warily. "The Core's corruption is accelerating. If it collapses—"

"We won't let it," Li Wei said firmly.

Ahead, the Sanctum finally came into view—an enormous structure carved into the side of a mountain, its entrance framed by two colossal statues of unknown warriors. Strange, glowing runes pulsed along the stone, reacting to their presence.

Veyra stopped suddenly, raising a hand. "We're not alone."

A ripple in the air. A distortion. Then, without warning, figures emerged from the shadows—Jailers. Their armor gleamed in the dim light, weapons already drawn. At their center stood a figure Li Wei recognized instantly: Commander Xian.

"You never know when to quit, do you?" Xian's voice was calm, almost amused. "I respect that. But you know how this ends."

Li Wei tightened his grip on his spear. "We're going inside, Xian. Move aside."

Xian smirked. "I can't do that. You know the Eleventh Core must remain sealed. You don't understand what you're playing with."

Kara stepped forward. "And you do? You Jailers act like guardians of the world, but you hide the truth. What are you really afraid of?"

Xian's expression darkened. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Then show us."

For a moment, it seemed Xian might hesitate. Then, he raised his hand—and the air around him tore open.

A vision unfolded in the rift—a glimpse of what lay beyond the Eleventh Core. A battlefield unlike any other. Reality itself fractured. And in the center, a being of pure crystalline energy, its presence distorting everything around it. Li Wei's breath caught as recognition slammed into him.

It was him. Or at least, something that used to be him.

Xian lowered his hand, the rift sealing shut. "That's what happens if you continue down this path."

Silence fell. Even Kara and Veyra seemed shaken. But Li Wei's grip on his spear only tightened.

"Then I'll find another way."

Xian sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."

Then the Jailers attacked.