Sea God Lake's Reflection

The clamor of Shrek City was shut out beyond the towering walls. After passing through a dense forest that was nearly primeval, their view suddenly opened up to an endless lake brimming with rich life energy.

Sea God Lake.

The name naturally surfaced in their minds, as though it had long been etched into their souls. The lake water was crystal clear, reflecting the azure sky and drifting clouds. Deep within its center, specks of golden light seemed to flicker—life energy condensed to the utmost extreme.

An indescribable sense of tranquility and belonging enveloped them. Compared to the unfamiliar city outside, this place instead gave them the peace of returning to the womb.

Night quietly fell. Stars dotted the heavens, and moonlight flowed like water across the tranquil lake. The emerald waters of daylight had become a deep, ink-blue gemstone beneath the moon.

Gu Yuena walked alone to the lakeshore, her bare feet stepping into the cool shallows. Ripples spread around her feet in rings of silver. She lowered her head and looked at her reflection in the water—her stunning face, her loose silver hair, and those violet eyes filled with confusion.

Then, she saw him.

At some point, Tang Wulin had also come to a spot nearby, gazing at the lake's surface. In the water, his reflection faced hers from afar. His black hair shone even more brilliantly beneath the moon, while his upright figure carried a trace of imperceptible loneliness.

Gu Yuena's gaze was helplessly drawn to his reflection in the water.

Suddenly, the surface of the lake trembled slightly, as if an invisible pebble had shattered its calm. The ink-blue waters began to twist and warp, no longer reflecting the starry sky of reality, but revealing another scene—

It was a shattered sky, burning with ominous flames. The "Tang Wulin" in the reflection had a face distorted by immense pain and resolve. He gripped a golden spear tightly in his hand, its shaft entwined with the phantom image of an incomparably violent golden dragon. Even through the veil of water, its destructive aura made her heart stop.

And the "her" in the reflection spread her arms and met the spearpoint. There was no fear on her face, only endless sorrow, release, and... love.

"Squelch—"

The illusory sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh, audible only to her, exploded deep within her soul.

The Golden Dragon Spear in the water pierced the reflected "her" through the chest with brutal precision.

"Argh...!"

Gu Yuena abruptly clutched her chest. The violent, heart-rending phantom pain made her double over at once, her face turning pale as paper. Cold fear, like countless needles, pierced through the trust and dependence she had only just formed toward that black-haired man.

He... killed me before?

The thought carried bone-deep cold, instantly freezing her blood.

Tang Wulin noticed something was wrong with her and immediately hurried over, his face full of concern. "What's wrong?"

His approach, his outstretched hand—in Gu Yuena's eyes at that moment, they overlapped with the figure in the water wielding the spear. Like a startled bird, she suddenly recoiled, avoiding his touch. Her violet eyes were filled with a complicated mix of pain, fear, and confusion.

"Don't come any closer!" Her voice trembled slightly.

Tang Wulin's hand froze in midair, his clear eyes filled with shock and hurt. He could not understand why she, who had been in such harmony with him only a moment ago, would suddenly show him such intense fear and rejection.

"I..." He wanted to explain, but he had no idea where to begin.

Gu Yuena bit her lower lip tightly, struggling to calm her pounding heart and surging emotions. She looked at his face, filled with innocence and worry, then recalled that cruel scene in the water. The immense contradiction nearly tore her apart.

In the end, she offered no explanation, nor could she. She merely gave him one deep look, a gaze so complicated that it broke his heart. Then she turned and hurried away from the lakeshore, disappearing into the shadows of the forest. She left him alone before the glittering lake, now restored to calm, and his own lonely, bewildered reflection in the water.

The evening breeze swept past, carrying the dampness of the lake and the fragrance of life, yet it could not disperse the chill and haze in Tang Wulin's heart. The connection between them, which had only just begun to warm, seemed to have been instantly frozen by the eerie waters of the lake.

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