*MOONLIT SHADOW*
*Chapter Twenty: The Echo of What's to Come*
The spirit realm had never felt so heavy. The air pressed down on Jun and Mark like an unseen weight as they sat side by side beneath the gnarled branches of a dying tree, its twisted limbs clawing at the starless sky. Between them, the faint glow of ancient sigils marked the ground, pulsing softly with energy — a gateway to what lay beyond.
Jun's hand found Mark's, trembling slightly but firm, a lifeline through the swirling unknown. "Are you ready?" he whispered, voice barely above the rustle of the spectral leaves.
Mark swallowed hard, nodding slowly. His eyes flicked between the sigils and Jun's calm gaze. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Together, they placed their palms against the glowing symbols, the warmth seeping through their skin and pulling at their souls. The world around them twisted, colors bleeding into one another as time folded, memories and futures colliding in a dizzying kaleidoscope.
Suddenly, the vision took hold.
---
Back in the present, Jun and Mark's breaths came in ragged gasps, hearts pounding fiercely.
"Did you see that?" Jun asked, voice trembling.
Mark nodded, swallowing his fear. "It's not set in stone... but it's close."
"We have to be ready," Jun said, resolve hardening his features.
---
Elsewhere, Dao and Lek prepared for their own trial. The spirit realm's guardian, a colossal beast forged from bone and flames, barred their path with eyes like burning coals.
"Stick together," Dao commanded, voice low and steady, despite the burn of pain from her own wounds.
Lek cracked a grin, wincing but defiant. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
The battle was savage. Flames roared and shadows clawed at their minds, twisting fears and doubts into phantoms. But Dao and Lek moved as one — their steps synchronized, their strikes weaving a lethal dance born of hard-earned trust.
The beast's fiery breath singed Dao's skin, but Lek was there, intercepting with his blade. When the beast finally fell, its roaring death echoing through the spirit realm, they collapsed beside each other, breathless and scorched.
Their eyes met, sharing a silent promise — hope, fear, and something far deeper simmering beneath the surface.
---
The sky bled red and orange, as if the sun itself had been shattered. Smoke curled in thick, suffocating tendrils over the ruined temples of Chiang Mai. The city they knew was gone, replaced by a wasteland of ash and shadows.
Jun's grip tightened around Mark's hand. "We've failed," Mark breathed, voice cracking with despair.
"No," Jun murmured fiercely, "this is only one possibility. We can change it."
They watched helplessly as their friends fought desperately among the ruins. Dao's blade flashed in the dim light, a streak of silver cutting through twisted spirits that swirled like black smoke. But she was overwhelmed, fatigue etched into every strike. Lek bled openly, his usual fierce strength drained by relentless blows.
And then, from the depths of the shadows, a figure stepped forward — tall, cloaked, face hidden beneath a hood. The villain. The source of the darkness, pulsing with malevolent power yet to be revealed.
"Run!" Jun urged, voice sharp with warning.
Mark hesitated, torn between fleeing and standing to fight. His eyes flickered to Dao and Lek, to the friends he couldn't abandon.
But the vision shattered like glass, collapsing inward and leaving them gasping on the cold earth of the spirit realm.
---
To be continued.