The Crimson Gate

A heavy silence hung in the void. The golden entity that had bound them moments ago was now still, watching intently as the crimson gate stood before Yan Xi and Ling Yue. The air crackled with an ominous energy, and from within the gate, whispers slithered through the darkness.

"The cycle must not break..."

Yan Xi clenched his fists, his flames roaring to life, yet they felt insignificant against the presence of the gate. Ling Yue, still catching her breath from the awakening of her sealed power, reached out, her fingers trembling. The moment her fingertips grazed the surface, the entire void shuddered.

Memories surged into her mind once more—this time clearer than before. She saw herself standing on the battlefield, but it wasn't just a battle. It was their battle. A hundred lifetimes, a thousand deaths, always returning to the same moment, the same war, the same choice.

Her breath caught in her throat. "Yan Xi... This gate—it leads to the truth."

The golden entity spoke at last. "The truth will shatter you."

Yan Xi stepped forward, his eyes burning with defiance. "Then let it break me."

The moment his palm touched the gate, the whispers turned into a deafening roar, and the darkness pulled them in. The last thing Ling Yue saw was Yan Xi's determined gaze before everything was consumed by crimson light.