As hours passed, the room was now heavy with silence, broken only by the faint sound of Leng Yue's breathing. He lay unmoving on the bed, his skin pale, his lashes still against his cheeks as if death had already claimed him but forgotten to take his body.
Yuyan stood at the foot of the bed, her hands trembling as she slowly raised them.
"Once I begin," she said quietly, her voice tight with fear, "there will be no turning back."
Mei did not hesitate. She stepped forward and knelt beside Leng Yue, taking his cold hand with both of hers. Her tears fell freely now, splashing onto his skin.
"Leng Yue," she whispered brokenly, pressing her forehead to his hand, "don't let go of me again… please."
Yuyan closed her eyes.
Ancient words spilled from her lips, low and trembling at first, then rising in power. The floor beneath them glowed faintly with a pale blue light as a spell circle slowly formed. Symbols of magic surfaced one by one, burning softly like ghostly fire.
Mei suddenly felt her chest tighten.
A sharp pain struck her heart, stealing her breath. Her grip on Leng Yue's hand loosened as her body began to slump forward.
"Mei!" the Empress cried out.
But it was already happening.
A soft, silver light began to pull itself from Mei's chest, her soul, trembling like a fragile flame. Her body went limp in the Emperor's arms as the glowing spirit was gently drawn toward Leng Yue.
Yuyan's voice shook as she fought to control the spell. Blood slowly trickled from the corner of her lips.
"Leng Yue… take her soul… cling to it… or you will both be lost!"
The silver light hovered over his chest for a breathless moment.
Then...
Leng Yue's body jerked violently.
His chest heaved as if he had been dragged back from deep waters. The silver light sank into him at once, vanishing into his heart.
At the same moment, Mei's body collapsed completely, lifeless in the Emperor's arms.
"Mei!" the Empress screamed.
The candles shattered and the spell circle vanished.
Yuyan staggered back, coughing, her legs giving way beneath her. She almost fall but Tain Yu held her.
For what felt like for ever, nothing happened.
Then...
Leng Yue's fingers twitched.
His brows pulled together slightly as if caught between two worlds. A shallow breath escaped his lips.
"He's reacting…" Tian Yu whispered in shock.
But Mei still did not move.
Yuyan lifted her head weakly, her eyes filled with fear and guilt.
"Now," she said hoarsely, "we wait… and pray that love is strong enough to pull both of them back."
------
Leng Yue had been walking for what felt like forever, yet the land around him never changed. Endless grey sky, endless empty ground, like a world that had forgotten how to move. His steps grew heavier with each breath, his strength slowly draining until his legs finally gave in. He sank onto a cold stone, lowering his head, exhaustion wrapping tightly around his chest.
Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a voice.
"Leng Yue…"
His heart lurched. He sprang to his feet at once, turning sharply in every direction.
"Mei?" he called, his voice trembling with sudden hope.
But there was nothing, only emptiness.
A harsh wind rushed past him without warning, cutting through his body like frozen blades. He staggered, nearly falling.
Then the voice came again, clearer this time, closer.
"Leng Yue… I am here with you. Let's go home."
He spun around wildly. "Where are you?" he asked in confusion, fear and longing twisting together inside his chest. "I can't see you!"
"You can do this," Mei's voice urged gently. "You are strong, Leng Yue. Let's go home."
His hands clenched into fists. "I don't know how!" he cried, his voice breaking with frustration. "I've tried everything, I can't leave this place!"
"You are the great seer," her voice said, now trembling with emotion. "If anyone can escape this illusion, it is you. Please… don't let me die here. Take me home."
His body froze. Her words struck him like thunder.
"What did you say?" he whispered, horror creeping into his eyes. "Die…? Mei… where are you?"
A dreadful realization slowly formed in his mind.
"Are you… inside my body?" he asked shakily, his voice barely holding together.
"Yes, Leng Yue," she answered softly. "My soul was cast into you to bring you back. Please… don't let my sacrifice be for nothing."
His breath hitched painfully.
"Why?" he shouted, pain tearing through his chest. "Why would you risk yourself like this?!"
"Because I love you, Leng Yue," she replied without hesitation. "That is how much I love you."
Tears burned in his eyes. His whole body trembled as he slowly lifted his head, staring into the endless false world around him. Rage, fear, and fierce determination collided inside his heart.
"I will not let you die," he vowed through clenched teeth.
He looked around again, with real determination this time. The land, the sky, and the wind___everything felt hollow, empty and forced.
"Everything here is fake," he murmured slowly. "Everything… except you."
His eyes sharpened with new resolve.
"So lead me, Mei," he said firmly. "Direct me out of this illusion. No matter what stands in our way, I will bring us home."
As Mei continued to guide him, the world around Leng Yue began to fade. The grey land cracked like shattered glass, the false sky dissolving into streams of light. Just as he reached for her voice, everything collapsed into darkness.
At that same moment in the real world, Mei suddenly jolted awake with a sharp gasp. Her eyes flew open as she sucked in a trembling breath. The room spun as she struggled to sit up, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. The first thing she did was search for Leng Yue.
He was still lying on the bed. Still.
Cold fear crashed into her all at once.
"Who brought me back?" she cried, her voice shaking with panic and pain. "Why did you bring me back? I need to go back… please, take me back to him!"
Tears streamed down her face as she tried to rise, but the empress pulled her into a tight embrace, sobbing with her. The room soon filled with quiet cries and broken breaths.
"What do we do now?" the empress whispered helplessly, her voice trembling with despair.
Meanwhile, inside the fading illusion, Leng Yue saw her.
Ji Woo.
She stood not far from him, her hands wrapped around a massive, glowing egg that pulsed with strange power. The sight sent a chill through his bones. As he stared at her, he faintly heard voices, familiar voices, crying, calling him from very far away. Their sorrow cut into him like a blade.
Then, suddenly, a blinding light flashed directly into his eyes.
Reality tore through the darkness.
Leng Yue gasped and his eyes snapped open.
The first thing he saw was Mei, crying uncontrollably, clinging to the empress as if her heart was breaking apart.
"Take me back to him," she sobbed again and again, her voice cracking with every word.
"Take you back to where?" a weak voice asked softly.
The room froze.
Mei's breath caught. Slowly, she turned her head.
Leng Yue was awake!.
A faint, exhausted smirk tugged at his lips as he looked at her, his voice still hoarse from sleep.
For a second, no one moved. Then Mei let out a broken cry and threw herself onto him without caring who was watching. Her arms wrapped around him tightly as if she feared he would disappear again if she let go.
At once, the room erupted with cries of joy. The empress covered her mouth as tears flowed freely down her face. As she also reach toward him. The emperor stepped forward in disbelief, his hands trembling. Around them, everyone called Leng Yue's name in relief and overwhelming emotion.