The summit terrace grew quiet after the choice.
The cracked Symbiosis pillar slowly dissolved into faint particles of light, drifting away like ash in the wind. The other pillar, the Path of Authority, dimmed and sank slightly into the white stone floor, as if the mountain itself had rejected it.
Shunya stood still, feeling the aftereffects of the decision ripple through his body.
Inside his chest, the system felt different again.
Not stronger.
Deeper.
Like its roots had grown into something larger than before.
The elders stepped back without another word. Their purpose here was finished.
But Feng Xia remained.
She had not moved since the moment the pillar shattered.
Her golden eyes rested on Shunya with a look that was no longer simple curiosity.
It was… confirmation.
Shunya noticed.
"You look less surprised than the elders," he said.
Feng Xia tilted her head slightly.
"Because I am not surprised."
He crossed his arms.
"That sounds suspicious."
"It should."
