The last rune beast split apart under Haiyun's blade, dissolving into sparks that drifted upward like embers from a pyre. The battlefield behind them was still roaring with chaos—screams, clashing qi, shattering talismans—but here, at the heart of the gate, it was suddenly quiet.
They stepped through a ripple of unstable light, and the storm vanished.
What lay beyond was not more chaos but a vast stone hall, dimly lit by floating runes that burned like pale lanterns. The air was thick, almost solid, humming with restrained power. Along the walls, ten enormous doors stood in a perfect circle, each carved from different material—jade, obsidian, bronze, and stranger things that seemed alive, pulsing faintly as though breathing. Upon each door glowed a sigil.
Haiyun exhaled, leaning his sword against his shoulder as he slumped against a wall. His face was flushed with effort, but his grin remained sharp. "Tch… looks like we made it. But this is where the road splits."
