"We're trapped." Her voice was low, but she could not hide the anxiety in it.
Jiu Jia Yi turned slowly. His expression remained calm. "Yes. This power is beyond our control. But as long as we don't give up, we still have a chance to break through."
Yan Zhi looked at him. Unease still filled her, but she knew that only by pressing on could they find a way out. She clenched her teeth and nodded.
They set off again, each step more cautious than the last. The air around them seemed to grow heavier, and the dark shapes in the mist thickened. Yan Zhi stayed alert, afraid that an unknown force might swallow her the moment she let down her guard.
Suddenly, the mist ahead churned violently. A strange light shot through it, illuminating the path before them. Yan Zhi stopped short, her gaze fixed on the light.
"What is that?" she asked softly, her voice trembling.
Jiu Jia Yi frowned, his eyes sharpening. Instead of answering, he edged toward the light, watching their surroundings. The pressure in the air grew stronger. Whatever that light was, it was no ordinary thing.
"Be careful," he murmured. "That light..." He paused, hesitation flickering in his eyes. "It doesn't seem to belong to this space."
Yan Zhi's heart jolted. Her instincts told her the light might be the key to escaping their predicament, but she dared not rush in. She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and approached it with Jiu Jia Yi.
As they drew closer, the dark shapes around them seemed to turn insubstantial, as though the light were driving them away. But that offered Yan Zhi no comfort. It only made her more wary. Danger still lay ahead, and behind the light there might be something more terrifying yet.
"We have to pass through it," Yan Zhi said softly, determination in her eyes. "Whatever it is, this is our chance."
Jiu Jia Yi said nothing. He only nodded, his gaze fixed ahead as though waiting for the right moment.
They took the final step into the light.
The instant she entered, a wave of dizziness hit Yan Zhi. The scene before her twisted, and the sounds around her grew indistinct. She blinked hard, trying to stay conscious, but an irresistible pull surged in from every direction and enveloped her. Her heart raced. It felt as though an invisible hand had gripped her chest, leaving her breath heavy and quick.
"Jiu Jia Yi..." Her voice trembled. She tried to call out to him, but even her own words sounded faint and blurred. She turned to look for him and found him standing beside her, his eyes filled with the same shock and confusion.
"We're trapped here," Jiu Jia Yi said, his low voice betraying a tension he could not conceal. He gripped her hand tightly, trying to stay calm, but the faint chill in his palm told Yan Zhi that things were not as simple as they seemed.
Yan Zhi looked down and felt the hilt of her sword growing warm in her hand. Power was rising from the blade, as though it were answering some unknown call. She tightened her grip and struggled to keep herself steady.
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