After giving it some simple thought.
Su Wen leaped toward the other side of the rippling water.
What suddenly appeared before him was an enormous altar, surrounded by endless sealing incantations and horrifying bloodstains.
At that moment,
countless people in dark black cloaks stood densely gathered around the altar,
like a group of ghosts swallowed by darkness, silent and oppressive.
The altar stood tall and ancient, built from unknown black stone. Its surface was carved with twisted runes that emitted a faint blue glow, like ancient spells whispering.
A thick stench of blood and decay hung around the altar, mixed with the faint scent of strange spices that made one feel both uneasy and confused.
Directly above the altar hung a massive crystal chandelier. Though its light was weak, it was enough to illuminate the heart-wrenching scene at the center of the altar.
Though the black-cloaked figures remained silent, their eyes revealed zealotry and unease, as if they were waiting for some indescribable ritual to reach its climax.
Yet upon the altar,
a woman who appeared to be unconscious was tightly bound.
Blood continuously seeped from her wrists, staining the ropes binding her red before dripping onto the altar's cold stone surface with soft yet distinct sounds.
The woman's face was pale as paper, her breathing weak, as though she might lose all signs of life at any moment. The entire scene was filled with despair and sorrow.
But just as Su Wen was still uncertain about what exactly had happened,
little Beth, who had leaped into this strange space after him, witnessed the heartbreaking sight as well.
Her gaze instantly locked onto the frail woman on the altar, and the girl's tears burst forth, rolling down like pearls from a broken string.
She choked out the name most familiar