Shattering the Shadow

Her grip clamped like iron shackles, fingernails denting Huo Xuan's flesh. The desperation in her eyes could melt glaciers.

Huo Xuan cradled her scarred hands—icy, trembling. She lunged suddenly, arms constricting his neck. "Save me," she sobbed into his collarbone, breath hitching.

Her entire weight suspended from his shoulders as she molded against his chest.

Zhuang Wen tensed for another episode, but the girl's breathing steadied into sleep against Huo Xuan's shoulder.

Numbness spread through Huo Xuan's crossed legs. The pressure of her developing curves against his torso burned, yet he remained statue-still, guarding her fragile peace.

His X-ray vision shifted upward, bypassing adolescent contours to focus on her cranium. Madness, he reasoned, must stem from neural chaos.

A wisp of shadow coiled between her eyebrows. Concentration spiked—his consciousness tore free, plunging into ashen void.

Surreal calm enveloped him. This liminal space demanded analysis, not panic.

Through mist loomed a familiar silhouette—Lele, frozen in profile.

X-ray vision breaches mental barriers too? Huo Xuan theorized. This must be her subconscious labyrinth.

Projecting forward, he found her staring into abyssal fog—pupils dilated with primordial terror.

"Lele!" His mental shout echoed soundlessly.

The girl's astral form shuddered. Recognition flickered as she faced him.

"Are you... salvation?" Her thought-voice trembled with fragile hope.

Though no sound traveled, comprehension flowed—their consciousnesses transcended verbal communication. Before Huo Xuan could respond, black smoke roiled forth. A shockwave sent Lele's astral form reeling, her scream shredding the void.

"Help!" Her psychic cry pulsed with existential despair.

Golden heat surged through Huo Xuan's left eye. The haze parted, revealing a hulking monstrosity lumbering closer with guttural laughter.

The two-meter-tall abomination had a barrel-sized skull with bull-like eyes bleeding crimson light. Mold-green fur matted its body, claws glinting like scimitars. A maw of jagged fangs dripped viscous saliva.

Most obscene was the grotesque appendage swinging between its thighs—thick as a table leg, veins pulsing with malign energy.

Rage crystallized Huo Xuan's understanding—this entity fueled Lele's torment. Without hesitation, he launched himself at the beast.

Lele froze mid-flight as golden light erupted from Huo Xuan's form, incinerating the miasma.

He stepped forward—cosmic might coalescing in his fist. Thunderous resonance shook the astral plane.

The meteoric punch impacted the creature's sternum. A supernova of light consumed its howling form.

Silence reclaimed the void. Lele floated amidst stardust, primordial fear dissolved.

Huo Xuan's triumphant grin captivated her—until celestial gravity wrenched him back to reality.

His physical eyes snapped open. He stood braced in combat stance, left arm cradling Lele, right fist frozen mid-punch toward the window.

Lele blinked drowsily in his arms, confusion softening her features.

Lin Yue and Zhuang Wen gaped silently, their shock palpable.

Huo Xuan rubbed his nose sheepishly. "Did I... do something strange?"

Zhuang Wen recounted the events factually: "Everyone saw you silently observing Lele at first, and no one spoke."

"But soon, both you and Lele stood up. She looked dazed at first, then suddenly screamed and became frenzied—clawing, biting, and crying for help. You looked furious, stepped forward, grabbed her with your left arm, and punched the air with your right fist, as if fighting an invisible enemy."

"After your punch, she miraculously calmed down with a peaceful expression. Then both of you opened your eyes together."

Huo Xuan pondered: My X-ray vision indeed penetrates consciousness. That battle in our shared mental space eradicated the root of her illness.

He exhaled deeply. "Wen Ge, her condition is cured. Go talk to her."

Zhuang Wen froze, then rushed to Lele. "Lele! How do you feel now?" he asked loudly.

Lele's clear eyes narrowed. "Stop shouting! You're hurting my ears!" She noticed the strangers. "Who are they, Ge?"

Seeing her lively demeanor, Zhuang Wen laughed joyfully. "I won't shout again. These are my friends who came to visit you today," he said gently, glancing gratefully at Huo Xuan.

Lele stared at Huo Xuan's face, feeling an inexplicable familiarity and trust.

Huo Xuan met her gaze calmly, unsure if she remembered the astral battle. She tilted her head. "Have we met before?"