Luckily, He'd Bet Right!

"Maybe it's the answer," he finally said, his voice still low. "Or maybe... it's the end."

Yan Zhi nodded. Though she could not suppress her unease, she knew every decision mattered now. "Whatever it is, we have to keep going," she said firmly. "We can't stop."

They pressed on through the darkness, where time lost all meaning. Yan Zhi could feel the pressure in every inch of air, as though a low voice might rise from the depths at any moment. She tightened her grip on the Short Blade. Her fingertips tingled, and her anxiety made it almost impossible to focus.

"Why did we come here?" she asked suddenly, breaking the oppressive silence. Her voice was barely audible. "Do you think... we can really get out?"

The question had weighed on her like a boulder. She knew the answer might offer no comfort, but she could not stop herself from asking.

Jiu Jia Yi glanced at her, a complicated emotion in his eyes. He did not answer at once. Instead, he stared deep into the mist ahead, as if its secrets were slowly becoming clear to him. After a moment, he said softly, "I don't know either. But we have no choice."

Yan Zhi looked at him, unease stirring within her. She knew it was not that he did not want to answer. Like her, he already harbored doubts and fears.

"Aren't you afraid?" she could not help asking, a faint tremor in her voice. "What if... what if we can never go back?"

This time, Jiu Jia Yi stopped. He turned to face her instead of answering immediately. A deep resolve filled his gaze, as though he had already made up his mind.

"I'm not afraid," he said slowly. "Whatever happens, I'll face it with you." There was no wavering in his voice, as though that resolve was the very reason he existed.

Yan Zhi's heart trembled. His words seemed to soothe the turmoil inside her. She drew a deep breath, lifted her head, and looked ahead again. The mist remained endless, with no exit in sight, but she felt a little stronger now.

Just then, the mist ahead churned violently, as if an unseen force had stirred it. Yan Zhi and Jiu Jia Yi went on alert at once. The Short Blade and his sword glowed faintly in their hands, ready for whatever came.

"It's here," Jiu Jia Yi said quietly.

Yan Zhi nodded. She knew the trial before them had only just begun.

A dark shape suddenly lunged out of the mist, moving so fast there was barely time to react. Yan Zhi swung the Short Blade on instinct. Its edge struck the shape with a dull clang. The blow drove it back a few steps, but it sprang at them again, like countless sharp claws attacking at once.

Her heart raced. She slashed again, putting all her strength into every blow, but the dark shape kept closing in.

"What is it?" Yan Zhi asked tensely, unable to hide the shock and suspicion in her eyes.