The mist dissolved, revealing a vast labyrinth stretching ahead.Its towering walls were not stone but woven from starlight, shifting and glimmering, as though they had stepped into the heart of the night sky.
Ye Lan's grip tightened on her sword. This was no ordinary illusion—it was an ancient trial ground.
Luo Mingyao's silver eyes caught the starlight, her voice calm yet cold:"The master of this place… is waiting."
At that moment, a pale gate ignited within the labyrinth, etched with pulsing runes like a beating heart.
Ye Lan moved forward, but Luo Mingyao's hand barred her."To force entry is to multiply the demons."
"Then what do you propose?" Ye Lan's tone was edged steel.
"Walk with your heart. The maze yields only to trust," Luo Mingyao replied softly.
A scoff curled from Ye Lan's lips, but silence fell. Deep inside, she knew—without entering, they would be trapped here forever.
——
The corridors swallowed them.On the shifting walls, their shadows stretched long—yet the reflections did not mimic their movements.
Ye Lan's shadow burned with crimson flames, her face twisted in ruthless fury.Luo Mingyao's shadow was void itself, silver eyes hollow, death's quiet judge.
Together, the shadows whispered:"You will betray.""You will lose control."
Ye Lan's blade trembled in fury. "Enough!"
But Luo Mingyao raised a hand, moonlight spilling outward to still the visions. Her voice was calm."This is the maze's test. Do not let it sway you."
Ye Lan's cold glance lingered on her—but she lowered her blade.
——
At the heart of the labyrinth stood a colossal altar.Upon it, a phantom form stirred. Its features were blurred, yet its eyes glowed twin-moon white. Its voice was deep, ancient, echoing from beyond the stars.
"The one who draws the moons… has arrived."
Ye Lan's chest convulsed, yin and yang raging within. Luo Mingyao stepped forward, steady moonlight circling to shield her.
"Who are you?" Ye Lan demanded.
The phantom's voice resounded like thunder:"I am the Watcher of the Moon, master of this realm. You, bearer of dual essences—are both key and calamity. When the twin moons align, you will either open the way… or unmake the worlds."
Ye Lan's glare sharpened. "And if I refuse?"
The Watcher's gaze was merciless."Then the cosmos shall shatter—beginning with you."
The air thickened. Ye Lan's qi flared wildly—until Luo Mingyao seized her wrist, whispering cold and low:"Steady."
The Watcher turned its gaze upon Luo Mingyao."And you—child of silver eyes, last of the Moonkeepers. By choosing her, you have bound yourself to the twin-moon calamity."
Ye Lan's eyes widened. She turned sharply. "You knew?"
Luo Mingyao's expression remained calm, her voice unyielding."The pact leaves no path of retreat."
Something struck Ye Lan's chest—a ripple she could not name.
The Watcher lifted its hand. Its form scattered into starlight, condensing into a shard of crystal jade that hovered between them.
"This is a fragment of the Mystic Moon Jade. Gather the whole, or perish. Only thus may the twin moons lead you beyond your doom."
With that, the altar crumbled. The labyrinth began to collapse, stars imploding into shadow.
Luo Mingyao seized the jade and, in the same breath, pulled Ye Lan into her arms. Moonlight erupted from her sleeves, encasing them as the world dissolved into blinding white.