Before dawn, the bronze bell of the sect tolled, deep and solemn, echoing across the mountain valleys.
Disciples gathered before the Hall of Trials. Mist coiled upon the jade steps, heavy with silence. Today marked the opening of the annual Trial of the Phantom Realm.
Ye Lan stood apart, clad in black, her gaze distant, as if none of this concerned her. Yet within her chest, yin and yang stirred restlessly, tugged by some unseen force.
Luo Mingyao appeared at her side, dressed in white like falling snow, silver eyes glimmering in the dim light. Whispers rippled through the disciples, but none dared approach. She halted beside Ye Lan and murmured,"The Phantom Realm is woven from the heart. Resist, and your demons will devour you."
Ye Lan's lips curved in a cold scoff. "I have never relied on anyone."
Luo Mingyao's smile was faint, her reply softer still. "And yet, nothing preys so easily as the parts you most wish to hide."
The bronze gates groaned open, revealing a vortex of light and shadow that swallowed all within. One by one, disciples stepped through and vanished.
Ye Lan did not hesitate. Sword in hand, she stepped into the whirlpool, her black silhouette consumed.Luo Mingyao followed, her white figure dissolving like snow into water.
——
The world shifted.
Ye Lan opened her eyes to endless fog, where broken pillars and shattered mirrors littered a barren plain. Above, the twin moons crossed and circled, casting twisted light that bled across the sky.
Her first step drew whispers—her own voice, yet strange and alien.Accusations. Mockery. Fear.Words she had never spoken aloud.
The mist thickened, shaping itself into another Ye Lan—same face, same eyes, but grinning with madness, drenched in blood. Then more emerged, each bearing her likeness—some weeping, some laughing, some broken beyond repair.
Ye Lan's eyes turned sharp as blades. Her sword flared, cleaving through one illusion after another. But each time they shattered, they reformed from mist, pressing closer.
The more she struck, the more they multiplied. Her chest seared as yin and yang roared out of balance, tearing at her veins.
"Do not rush."Luo Mingyao's voice pierced the fog, cold yet steady. She stepped forth, silver eyes glimmering, raising her hand. Moonlight spread outward, a tide of frost and calm, dissolving the phantoms where it touched.
Ye Lan's heart clenched. Her gaze met Luo Mingyao's in the shifting mist—cold against calm, fire against water.
Her voice was low, edged with strain. "You knew this would happen?"
"I did." Luo Mingyao's tone was gentle, yet unshakably firm. "The Realm reflects the heart. And yours is more dangerous than any."
The fog surged again, shadows gathering for another assault. Ye Lan tightened her grip on her sword, a cold smile flickering at her lips."Dangerous? Then know this—the danger is not mine alone."
Their backs met, black and white standing as one. Swordlight and moonlight mingled, cutting through the sea of phantoms beneath the pale twin moons.