Yan Zhi froze for a moment and turned to him, undisguised confusion in her eyes. "Give up?" she repeated.
Jiu Jia Yi nodded, his gaze still fixed ahead. "Giving up means letting this mist swallow us. The moment we stop, everything we've done will lose its meaning. We can't give up."
His words struck a chord deep inside her. She lowered her head, her thoughts returning to when they had first entered the mist. Back then, she had no idea how things would unfold, or that she would have to fight an unfamiliar force in such a strange place. But she knew she had no choice.
"You're right." She finally raised her head, her voice firmer. "We can't stop. We can't let this decide our fate."
Her gaze sharpened. In that moment, she seemed to make up her mind to fight whatever lay ahead. No matter how many unknown terrors awaited them, she could not retreat again.
Just then, a strange low hum rose from the mist, as if something deep within it had stirred. Yan Zhi went on alert, her grip tightening slightly around her sword hilt. That feeling of being watched returned. She instinctively tightened her hold on Jiu Jia Yi's hand. They stopped almost in unison and listened intently.
The sound drew closer, seeming to come from countless directions at once. Its oppressive weight was impossible to describe. Yan Zhi's heart raced as tension swept through her.
"What is it?" she whispered, her eyes alert.
Jiu Jia Yi frowned, unease flickering in his eyes. "I'm not sure, but this isn't normal." Deep doubt filled his gaze. "We have to find the source."
Suddenly, a piercing noise cut through the mist, like something sharp slicing through the air. Yan Zhi dodged on instinct, her blade flashing in her hand. But nothing appeared. Instead, dead silence fell.
Her heart nearly leaped from her chest. A fear and tension unlike anything she had known closed around her. She tried to stay calm, but the unseen pressure gripped her throat like an invisible hand.
"Are we... dreaming?" she murmured, her voice trembling. She could not help wondering whether everything before her was just an illusion born of her fear.
Jiu Jia Yi looked at her with deep understanding. "This isn't a dream," he said, steady and calm. "Every second here is real. We can't avoid it."
Yan Zhi fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and fought to steady herself. She knew that if she lost her composure, they really would be in trouble. Without another word, she gripped the Short Blade and stepped forward.
A faint tremor ran through the ground. Yan Zhi stopped abruptly, feeling something unseen shifting beneath her feet. Dread rose within her, as though an unknown force were drawing near.
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