A cold, deathly hand clenched around Xuan Xingli's wrist—thin, rigid fingers like steel, carrying the presence of something that no longer belonged to the mortal realm. A chill ran down her spine, as if an icy current had seeped beneath her skin.
The surrounding space fell into an eerie silence. The rustling leaves ceased, the wind stilled, and it felt as though the forest itself had never housed a single living being. Xuan Xingli could hear her own heartbeat pounding harder, as if something unseen was constricting her veins.
Luo Chenxi remained unfazed. Her violet eyes narrowed slightly, reflecting the ghostly light flickering in the darkness around them.
Without hesitation, she lifted her hand, her slender fingers tracing a sharp arc through the air. A streak of Xuan Yuan flared to life—sharp as a blade—slicing directly at the shadow gripping Xuan Xingli.
"Crack!"
A piercing shriek echoed as the entity recoiled, withdrawing into the darkness. In the blink of an eye, it had vanished, as though it had never existed. But the unsettling sensation still lingered in the air.
Xuan Xingli took a slow breath, her gaze dropping to her wrist. Where the shadow had grasped her, a faint black mark had been etched onto her pale skin, as if something had seeped into her flesh.
The lingering chill had not yet faded.
"What did you see?"Luo Chenxi's voice cut through the silence—calm as always, yet carrying a glint of sharpness in her gaze.
Xuan Xingli closed her eyes briefly, trying to reconstruct the image from before. A pale face, hollow eyes, long disheveled hair cascading over a distorted expression.
It was not merely a specter—but a memory sealed within this forest.
"A child…" she murmured. "It called for its mother."
The wind howled from deep within the woods. The air grew heavier.
Luo Chenxi let out a quiet chuckle. "A child? Nothing here is harmless."
She reached out, her fingertips brushing against the blackened mark on Xuan Xingli's wrist. A pulse of Xuan Yuan radiated out, pure and refined. Slowly, the dark stain faded until it was gone.
"If it comes back, kill it."
Her words were light, as if the creatures in this forest were not even worth concern.
Xuan Xingli remained silent. She was unsure if that thing could be slain so easily, but she did not argue.
The two pressed forward, venturing deeper into the narrow path. The blackened treetops swallowed the sky, casting everything in a suffocating twilight. The leaves quivered faintly—though there was no wind.
The air around them was turning stranger.
Xuan Xingli's steps slowed as she noticed something—
There was no sound.
Not just silence, but an absolute void of noise. Their footsteps did not echo. Even their breaths were swallowed by the void.
An uneasy feeling settled in her chest.
"Do you know why this forest is called the 'Forest of Forgotten Echoes'?"Luo Chenxi's voice suddenly cut through the strange silence.
Xuan Xingli shook her head slightly.
"They say that anyone who enters must face their own memories. The things you have forgotten, the truths you have buried—all will appear before you."
She paused, a knowing smile curving her lips. "But the most terrifying thing is not the past. It is the truth you never knew."
At that moment, a voice echoed from ahead.
"Have you forgotten me?"
Both of them halted.
A lone figure stood in the middle of the path.
A woman in a black dress, her long hair tangled and unkempt, her hollow eyes deep as an abyss. Her face was pale—too pale—like a phantom stepping out of a long-forgotten dream.
Xuan Xingli froze.
Not because of the woman's ghastly appearance—but because of something else.
She knew this person.
But in her mind—there was nothing but emptiness.