The chamber beyond the platform opened into a cavernous hall, its walls lined with jagged ice that reflected the faint blue glow of runes etched deep into the stone. The air was thick with a chilling dampness, and Qin Mo's breath fogged as he stepped forward, the Frostflame Core pulsing steadily in his chest. The FFD System remained silent for once, but the tension in the air was palpable, a weight that pressed against his senses. The team moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing off the frozen walls, until a figure came into view—chained to a frost-covered pillar at the hall's center.
Ren Wei hung limp, his pale face streaked with frost, his eyes hollow but flickering with a faint red glow. The runes on his skin pulsed in time with the bells' chime that still rang from Qin Mo's pouch, a sound that seemed to tighten the air around them. "Wei!" Ren shouted, his voice raw with a mix of hope and anguish as he broke into a run, daggers drawn and glinting in the dim light.
Qin Mo reached out, but Ren was already too fast, closing the distance in a heartbeat. "Ren, wait!" he called, but the warning came too late. Wei's head jerked up, his eyes flaring red as the frost chains rattled, and with a guttural snarl, he lunged. His fists, encased in ice, slammed into Ren's chest, the impact sending him staggering back with a gasp. Frost burned where the blow landed, the cold seeping through Ren's cloak and into his skin.
"Wei, fight it!" Ren pleaded, scrambling to his feet, his daggers trembling in his grip. But Wei's voice came out distorted, a whisper laced with the bells' eerie tone. "The bells… they own me…" He swung again, his movements jerky but powerful, and Ren barely dodged, the ice grazing his arm.
Qin Mo charged in, the Frostflame Surge roaring to life within him. The new skill surged through his blade, a wave of ice and fire that pushed Wei back, the force shattering the frost chains' grip on the pillar. Wei stumbled, his red eyes flickering, but the runes on his skin glowed brighter, the Tax's hold tightening. Yi's threads lashed out, trying to bind him, but they slipped off, the ice resisting her control. "He's too far gone!" she shouted, her voice tight with frustration.
Lian notched an arrow, her hands steady despite the chaos, but she hesitated, her gaze locked on Wei's face. "We can't hurt him," she said, her voice low. Ling Shou stepped forward, his frost-white robes catching the light, his expression grim. "The Tax uses his will as a weapon," he said. "We break the bell's hold, or he's lost."
Ren's face twisted with pain and rage, his daggers flashing as he lunged at Wei again. "I won't let them take you!" he roared, clashing with his brother's icy fists. The fight was brutal, a dance of desperation and defiance, Ren's strikes glancing off Wei's frost-armored skin. Qin Mo joined in, the Frostflame Blade cutting through the air, but each blow seemed to fuel the runes' glow, the binding risk climbing higher.
[Binding risk: 30%.]
The chamber shook, ice cracking as the bells' chime grew deafening, a scream that clawed at their ears. Wei's movements grew wilder, his red eyes locking onto Ren with a mix of sorrow and malice. "You can't save me…" he rasped, his voice breaking. Ren faltered, his dagger dropping as Wei's fist connected, sending him crashing to the ice.
Qin Mo caught Ren before he hit the ground, pulling him back as the shard burned hotter, countering the cold that threatened to overwhelm them. Yi's threads coiled protectively around the team, while Lian's arrow remained notched, her aim unsteady. Ling Shou raised a hand, frost swirling around him, but his face showed doubt. "The bell's power is rooted in him," he said. "We need to sever the link."
Ren struggled in Qin Mo's grip, tears freezing on his cheeks. "Wei, please…" he whispered, his voice breaking the silence that followed the bells' scream. Wei's head drooped, the red fading from his eyes for a moment, but the runes pulsed again, and he snarled, lunging once more. The team braced, the air thick with tension, their unity fracturing under the weight of Ren's reckoning.