Seven days had passed since Yu Xuan and Lingluo stepped into the chaos tower's trial grounds.
The air carried the same scent of iron and damp earth, the same unchanging blood moon hanging above their heads every night. Yet, when Yu Xuan's gaze fell upon the crude markings carved into the bark of a towering tree, his steps slowed.
His thoughts stirred.
"Sister," he called, his voice low but certain, "I think we're back at the same place we first arrived."
Lingluo approached, her silver-purple hair swaying as she studied the grooves with narrowed eyes. She traced her fingers over the faint lines as if to confirm their authenticity.
Her gaze shifted to the plains beyond, where the two of them had clashed with the horde of green-skinned monsters on their first day.
"I think so too," she said, frowning. "But how odd… there isn't even a trace of our fight. Not a drop of blood, not a single crack in the ground. It's as if it never happened."
