Chapter 50: The Cracks in Reality

The darkness was fading, but the remnants of the temple lingered like a ghostly imprint. The once-sacred carvings had crumbled to dust, and the inscription that once read "Genting's debt must be paid" was now nothing more than a fractured scar on the stone.

Lin Han's pulse was still hammering in his ears. His fingers tingled with residual heat from the knife that had pierced the altar. Something had changed inside him—something had been taken. He clenched his fist, willing the sensation away.

Then he looked at Noya.

Her wrist no longer bled, the serpent mark had vanished completely—but her face was pale, beads of sweat clinging to her forehead.

Ah Rong let out a shaky breath, eyes darting around the ruined chamber before blurting out:

"Walau eh… you two are completely crazy."

The air around them was still thick with the scent of charred stone and something else—something unnatural, like an old wound forcibly stitched shut. But Lin Han knew better.

This wasn't over.

They had destroyed the ritual, but the ones truly responsible were still out there.

"We need to move." His voice was steady, but the weight behind it was heavier than ever.

Noya's legs wobbled slightly, and Lin Han instinctively reached out to steady her.

Ah Rong, seeing this, rolled his eyes. "Oi, don't turn this into a drama. I'm exhausted, okay?"

Noya shot him a glare before inhaling deeply and straightening her posture. "I'm fine."

They turned toward the exit, stepping cautiously toward the passage that had led them in.

And that's when Lin Han felt it.

Something was wrong.

The passage… had changed.

The entire layout was different from when they had entered. The cracks that had once marred the walls were gone, replaced by fresh, newly-etched serpent carvings. The ground, once covered in dust and debris, was now eerily clean—too clean.

Ah Rong halted in his tracks, his breathing uneven.

"Uh… guys? Does this place look different to you?"

Noya ran her fingers lightly along the walls, brows furrowing. "It's not just different."

Her voice was tight.

"It's restoring itself."

A sudden gust of cold air rushed from deep within the passageway, carrying the scent of damp earth and decay. It was not the kind of air that came from an empty temple.

They hadn't just destroyed the ritual. They had awakened something deeper.

"We may not have fully escaped." Lin Han's voice was quiet, but firm.

Noya's mind was still reeling from the last thing she had felt—the moment the Sleeper had shattered, she had sensed something else breaking through.

Ah Rong wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. "Tell me we're safe."

No one answered.

Lin Han's gaze was drawn to the passage ahead—half-open wooden doors marked the exit. Embedded in the ancient frame was a tarnished bronze plaque, the lettering worn but still legible.

"G...T...G…"

His breath caught.

It was the abbreviation for Genting Group.

His fingers curled at his sides.

They had believed the temple's ritual was just one of the corporation's hidden secrets, but this?

This was proof that Genting wasn't just involved. They had built this.

They weren't observers. They were the architects.

And they were far older than anyone realized.

Noya's fingers trembled slightly as they brushed over the metal plaque. Her mind was racing, piecing together fragments of what they had learned.

She took a slow breath before speaking. "What if they don't just control business and casinos? What if they control something… bigger?"

Lin Han's jaw tightened. He had been thinking the same thing.

"What if they control fate?"

Ah Rong shivered. "Oi! Don't say that kind of creepy nonsense, okay?"

But Noya's expression didn't waver.

"We've been thinking about this all wrong." Her voice was sharp, resolute. "We assumed we were disrupting a ritual. But what if it was never just a 'ritual'? What if this is just how the world works?"

Lin Han exhaled sharply.

His stomach churned as the realization sank in.

They hadn't just destroyed an ancient rite.

They had torn open something much, much bigger.

He reached out, pressing his fingers against the wooden door.

And as he pushed it open—

What they saw on the other side changed everything.