"You are not meant to be in this place, you don't belong here"
Yan Zhaoxuan's words kept echoing inside me refusing to fade away
I stared at him, my heart pounding.The chilly night air around us felt heavy and warm, it was thick with something unspoken. The sect leader's silver hair was gleaming under the moonlight and his gaze wasn't funny, it was dark and piercing, something I could not decipher.
A warning? A challenge? Or something else entirely?
"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.
Yan Zhaoxuan didn't answer immediately. His robes, embroidered with silver cloud patterns, shifted slightly as the wind blew across the temple grounds. Finally, he spoke.
"You will understand soon."
And just like that, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the mist.
I clenched my fists,frustration began to burn inside of me, what did he mean by that? Why would he say something so mean and just leave? My fate.. Wasn't it here in the Jinghua sect? I fought my way here to prove myself, I survived the bridge of purity and defeated my opponent, a noble swordsman. What else is left for me to do?
The answer came the next morning.
The third and final trial awaited.
A vast stone courtyard stretched before us,its surface was polished smooth like a mirror, at the center was a tall ancient bronze mirror, its frame was carved with ancient symbols which glittered faintly with white light.
The mirror of Truth.
Elder Jian Rong addressed us, his deep voice filled the entire courtyard.
"This is the final test. The Mirror of Truth reveals one's fate. If the sect deems you worthy, you may enter. If not… the mirror will decide your punishment."
Punishment.
The word lingered in the air, making some candidates shift nervously.
"One by one," the elder commanded.
The first to step forward was Lian Xue, the girl I had met before the trials began. She approached the mirror cautiously, her hands trembling.
As soon as she stood before it, the surface rippled. A vision appeared.. Lian Xue standing within the sect's walls, wearing the robes of an apprentice. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. The mirror had accepted her.
"Pass." Elder Jian Rong nodded.
One by one, the other candidates stepped forward. Some were welcomed by the mirror's glow. Others… were not so lucky.
A boy in blue robes stepped forward. His reflection appeared, then twisted.
His own shadow rose from the mirror, and attacked him with an invisible force. He screamed as he was thrown backward, falling heavily onto the stone floor. His body twitched before going still.
Rejected.
I swallowed. The sect wasn't just choosing disciples. It was judging souls.
"Next!" he shouted
It was my turn.
I stepped forward.
The mirror glitter before me, its surface unnaturally smooth. I exhaled sharply, forcing my hands to stay steady.
Then I looked into it.
The surface rippled…
And I saw.. Not myself.Not the sect.
But a dark world, burning in blue flame.
I was filled with immense fear as shadow curled around my image in the mirror, it swallowed me whole. Chains were wrapped around my body, tightening until I couldn't breathe. And then, in the heart of the flames, I saw a figure with golden eyes, staring back at me.
It was me. But it wasn't.
The figure smiled at me, a dangerous one, her eyes were filled with something inhuman, power filled her body, it was radiating from her powerful enough to choke the air.
A demon.
"No…" I whispered. This wasn't me. This couldn't be me.
But the mirror didn't lie.
A strange force hit me, so powerful that it threw me backwards, my whole body was in shock, pains penetrated into my bones as I hit the stone ground hard.
Gasps filled the air.
The mirror's surface was still shaking violently, glowing with an eerie red light.
Elder Jian Rong's expression darkened. The other disciples whispered among themselves.
"She is cursed."
"The mirror rejected her!"
"What does it mean?!"
I forced myself to stand while gritting my teeth, my knees felt very weak but I refused to kneel, I shouldn't let them see the fear in me.
Elder Jian Rong turned to Yang Zhaoxuan. "Sect Leader… the mirror has spoken. What is your verdict?"
Silence.
Yan Zhaoxuan stood there, his gaze locked onto mine.
The weight of his stare pressed against my soul, as if he was looking through me.
Then, he did something no one expected.
"She will stay"
Murmurs erupted across the courtyard.
"Sect Leader, the mirror.. " Elder Jian Rong started, but Yan Zhaoxuan cut him off with a single glance.
"The mirror shows fate, but fate is not absolute." His voice was calm but final.
I stood frozen.
He had chosen to spare me.
But why?
That night, I sat outside my new quarters, staring up at the moon. I was alive. I passed.
But at what cost?
The mirror showed something inside me. Something is wrong. I had seen my own eyes glowing gold, my reflection was filled with power I didn't understand.
"Who am I really?" I whispered.
I didn't know someone was standing behind me, I didn't hear any footsteps
"You shouldn't be thinking too much about things you don't understand."
I turned sharply. Yan Zhaoxuan stood behind me, his robes flowing like mist in the moonlight.
I clenched my fists.
"You knew, didn't you?" I was accused.
He didn't deny it.
"The moment I saw you." His gaze was unreadable. " I knew you were different."
"Different how?" I asked
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then..
"A storm follows you, whether you want it or not."
My breath caught.
A storm.
A warning.
Before I could question him further, he was already walking away, leaving me alone with the night.
The sect had accepted me.
But deep inside, I knew…
This was only the beginning.
And Yan Zhaoxuan knew something I didn't.