"I think I really did cross into another world."
The thought suddenly surfaced in Qin An's mind.
That first stretch of hazy memories suggested he had crossed over once, only to forget it for some inexplicable reason.
Now those memories had returned with that voice, giving Qin An a strange, absurd idea.
He had crossed over, then crossed back.
But this was not how he had wanted to return.
Everything was false.
The moment that thought arose, Qin An reacted.
His grip on Cold Star tightened until veins stood out on the back of his hand. Two emotions struggled within him.
"Isn't this exactly what you wanted?" one voice said. "You dreamed of leaving that dangerous, terrifying place and returning to a safe world."
"Now you have it all. You can live here in peace. You can use every bit of power you gained after crossing over to roam free, and no one can stop you."
Another voice spoke. "It's fake. All of it is fake. He wants you to suffer, to lose yourself in your fall. Don't believe him. Wake up!"
The two voices tangled together like fire and water.
They were like two armies locked in a tug-of-war, battling for ground.
Qin An panted wildly. It felt as though endless pain was spreading through his body.
He jerked his head up. "Who are you?"
"I am what your heart desires most," the voice replied.
Then Qin An noticed the scenery around him changing.
Traffic, passersby, and birds sweeping across the sky all stopped in that instant, as though someone had pressed pause.
Everything seemed frozen in place.
Not far away, a figure emerged, gradually sharpening from a blur.
As the figure took shape like a vortex, its features became clear before Qin An.
It wore a plain white