"Do you feel the change in the air?" she finally asked in a low voice. In the vast, empty space, her voice sounded especially faint, almost swallowed by the oppressive atmosphere.
Jiu Jia Yi did not answer at once. The scene before him grew increasingly hazy. The light ahead was no longer simply a source of illumination; it looked like a chaotic flame, steadily consuming everything around it. His brow furrowed. His face remained calm, but unease flickered in his eyes.
"I know," he said at last, his voice low. "I've noticed it too. We can't ignore it."
Yan Zhi gripped his hand tightly, as if it were the only way to find a little comfort amid her anxiety. Countless thoughts crowded her mind, filling her with questions and fear. She felt an invisible force drawing closer, as though some danger were quietly surrounding her, ready to swallow her at any moment.
"Do you think this is deliberate?" Her voice trembled, and her eyes were full of confusion and fear. "Someone's controlling all this from behind the scenes, aren't they? Every part of it has been designed to shape our fate."
Jiu Jia Yi stopped and turned to look at her. Complicated emotions crossed his face as he seemed to consider how to respond. He did not dismiss her words. If anything, he seemed to sense the same invisible pressure.
"I'm not sure," he said at last. "But this has gone far beyond anything we expected. What we've been drawn into may be more than one person's plan. It may be a force beyond our understanding."
Yan Zhi's heart jolted, and an inexplicable chill washed over her. She instinctively wanted to move closer to Jiu Jia Yi, but she did not dare ask him anything more. At a time like this, every question seemed beside the point. What mattered was whether they could keep going and reach somewhere safer.
"You know, we've kept pushing forward, but we've never really considered... what if this path has no end?" Her voice dropped again, her gaze hollow. "What if we can't find a way out? What if we can never escape this fog?"
Jiu Jia Yi did not answer her directly. He simply watched her in silence, and the pause made the air feel unbearably heavy. At last, he sighed. He seemed to want to ease her fears, though he did not know how.
"If there's no end, then we keep walking." His words were brief, but they carried a stubborn strength. "Even if there's no light ahead, we keep going until we find a way out."
Yan Zhi took a deep breath. A calm she had not felt in a long time rose within her. Her heart was still full of questions and fear, but she suddenly understood that only by persevering could they survive this long journey. Her body no longer felt quite so heavy, and her steps grew a little lighter.
She raised her head and looked at the warped scene ahead, determination shining in her eyes.
"All right. I'll follow you." Her voice was clear and steady, as though she were making a promise to herself.
The two of them continued forward. The sights around them remained strange, but the oppressive feeling seemed to ease for the moment.
Before you continue