In the middle of the night, Cheng Yu's eyes snapped open.
He gently released the waist of the woman beside him, then rose. As he did, the Pure White Emissary finished clothing him.
There was only one reason for him to make such a sudden move.
This universe's gateway in the Eternal True World had been destroyed.
If Cheng Yu had not left a contingency behind, that would have meant losing all contact with the Eternal True World.
After all, this universe's coordinate gateway was in Skycloud Academy, and Skycloud Academy stood in Fuzhou City, in Humankind's West Sea Prefecture.
That was one of the four great cities of the Humankind Territory.
Something terrible must have happened!
"Mmm... what's wrong, Yuyu?"
Cheng Yu looked at the drowsy Snow Spirit, his gaze impossibly conflicted.
Yet he still said,
"Lingling, we have to go back."
At his words, Snow Spirit froze. For the first time, resistance showed on her face.
"C-can't we wait a little longer?"
Cheng Yu reached out and gently stroked her cheek, his voice as tender as ever.
"I'm sorry, but we can't."
Snow Spirit continued pleading.
"I want to see Uncle Huzi, A Xin, and..."
The hand caressing Snow Spirit's face wiped away the tears at the corner of her eye.
"I'm sorry, Lingling. We really can't."
Snow Spirit asked through her sobs,
"W-why?"
Sensing that the Hidden Marker he had left behind was also beginning to falter, Cheng Yu sighed and continued,
"Because... we're running out of time."
As he spoke, Cheng Yu gave a slight wave of his hand. An unstable space-time tunnel appeared in the room that held their memories.
Chaotic space-time turbulence surged out of it, tearing everything in the room to shreds.
Sheltered by Cheng Yu, Snow Spirit clung desperately to his hand.