Yan Zhi felt as if a heavy weight were pressing down on her heart. She instinctively tightened her grip on Jiu Jia Yi's hand and felt his palm growing colder, as though he, too, were bearing an unspeakable pressure.
The light ahead suddenly changed. Its piercing glare gradually softened into a deep blue, like a glimmer in the depths of the sea, gentle and mysterious. Yan Zhi stopped without thinking, her gaze drawn to it. Her unease gave way to a strange sense of peace, as though every fear she had was dissolving in the light.
"Look..." she murmured, her voice barely audible. "The light doesn't seem so... frightening anymore."
Her words did not sway Jiu Jia Yi. He remained on guard, his eyes fixed ahead. Though he did not show it, his tension had not eased in the slightest. He knew this change was no simple matter. They had not reached a place of peace; they had only entered a more complicated predicament.
"Don't let it fool you," he warned quietly. "This change could be another illusion, or some kind of lure. Stay alert."
Yan Zhi's heart began to race. She did not fully understand Jiu Jia Yi's warning, but her instincts told her he was right. The strange calm was growing stronger, clouding her thoughts, as though the light were absorbing every emotion she had. She knew she could not let it continue.
"I... something's wrong with me," Yan Zhi said softly, panic edging into her voice. "I feel like... I'm not myself anymore."
"Hold on." Jiu Jia Yi turned abruptly and gripped her shoulders, his gaze steady. "You need to remember that this isn't what you want. None of this is real. It's trying to lead us where it wants us to go. We have to hold on to who we are."
Yan Zhi felt the warmth of his hands through her shoulders. It lasted only an instant, but it gave her strength. She drew a deep breath and fought to pull herself free of that strange calm, trying to find herself again.
"We can't stop." Jiu Jia Yi's voice grew firmer. "There's only one last stretch. We have to keep going. As long as we haven't reached the center of the light, we haven't failed."
Yan Zhi managed a nod. Her body was still stiff, but she struggled to keep her mind clear as she followed Jiu Jia Yi. The farther they went, the more the light around them seemed to change. The blue grew steadily deeper, as though it meant to swallow them whole.
Her heart pounded faster, and questions flooded her mind. What was this place? Why had they come here? What power lay hidden behind the light? The questions battered her thoughts, but she could find no answers.
Suddenly, Yan Zhi's vision blurred. Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed. She instinctively grabbed a nearby support and barely managed to steady herself.
"Are you all right?" Jiu Jia Yi turned back, concern in his eyes.
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