When Yun Hao's vision cleared, the first thing he noticed was the silence. It wasn't like the silence of the night, this was different. It felt oppressive, as if the very air was still, thick with something ancient and unspoken.
He blinked, trying to adjust to the dim light surrounding him. His body ached as if he had been pulled through time itself, but there was no sign of Ruin. No sign of Kael.
"Where am I?" Yun Hao's voice sounded foreign to him, hoarse and weak. He tried to move but found his limbs sluggish, his body heavy, as if some unseen force was holding him down.
"You're awake."
The voice sent a shiver down his spine. It wasn't Kael's smooth, commanding tone, nor was it Ruin's deep, gravelly voice. It was something far older, far more sinister.
Yun Hao turned slowly, his heart racing. The figure standing in front of him was cloaked in shadow, its features obscured by an aura of darkness. The only thing visible were the piercing, glowing eyes that seemed to burn into his soul.
"You're… not him," Yun Hao managed to say, his voice shaky. "Who are you?"
The figure didn't answer right away. It took a step forward, and Yun Hao could feel the temperature drop by several degrees, the cold seeping into his very bones.
"You are… the one who seeks answers," the figure spoke again, its voice now a low, guttural whisper that seemed to echo from the depths of the earth itself. "And yet, you are not ready for them."
Yun Hao's heart skipped a beat. "I—I don't understand. What's happening?"
A soft laugh echoed through the chamber, though it sounded more like a dry cough than any form of amusement. "Oh, you will. Soon enough."
Suddenly, the room seemed to shift. The walls, the floor... they all blurred, as if reality itself were bending around him. Yun Hao tried to stand, but his body wouldn't respond. It felt as if invisible chains were wrapped around his limbs, binding him to the spot.
"This place is not of your world," the figure said. "But you were always meant to come here. Just as you were always meant to remember."
Yun Hao clenched his fists, trying to summon some form of magic, but it was useless. His magic felt like a distant memory, just out of reach, like a dream he couldn't hold onto.
"Who are you?" Yun Hao repeated, his voice firmer this time.
The figure tilted its head, and for the briefest of moments, Yun Hao could have sworn he saw a flicker of recognition in those glowing eyes. Then the figure stepped forward, closer, until it was standing right in front of him.
"You are the child of the sigil," the figure whispered, its voice barely audible, as though it were speaking in a forgotten language. "The one who was never meant to be born, yet here you are. The key to the fate of both worlds."
Yun Hao's chest tightened. The child of the sigil. The words struck him like a blow, and for the first time, the fragmented memories in his mind seemed to shift, coming together like a broken puzzle.
"Fate of both worlds?" he murmured, his mind racing. "What do you mean?"
The figure leaned closer, its breath cold against Yun Hao's ear. "Your power is ancient, Yun Hao. More ancient than you can imagine. But you were never meant to remember it. You were meant to stay forgotten, lost to time. But Kael… Kael wants you to remember. He wants you to fulfill your destiny."
Yun Hao's eyes widened. "Kael?"
"Don't be fooled," the figure warned, its tone darkening. "Kael is not your ally. He is the one who will bind you to your fate. And when that happens, there will be no escape."
A surge of panic gripped Yun Hao's chest. Kael wasn't on his side? He had been so sure of it so sure that Kael wanted to help him, wanted to show him the truth. But now, with the figure's cryptic words weighing on him, doubt began to creep in.
"What does he want from me?" Yun Hao asked, his voice barely a whisper.
The figure smiled, a thin, cruel smile that didn't reach its eyes. "To awaken the darkness inside you. To unlock the seal that binds you. And once it's broken, once your power is freed…" It trailed off, as if the end of the sentence was too dangerous to say aloud.
Yun Hao could feel the cold sweat running down his back. His mind raced, but it couldn't keep up with the storm of thoughts whirling inside his head. This was too much.
"What is this power?" he asked, feeling the weight of the words press against his chest. "What's inside me?"
The figure's eyes glowed brighter, burning with an almost painful intensity. "You are the sigil bearer. The one who holds the mark of both creation and destruction. The key to the ultimate fate of both worlds—the human and the immortal."
Yun Hao's breath hitched. The sigil. The one that had been imprinted on his chest. The one he couldn't erase. The one that had been a constant source of pain and confusion.
"Why me?" he whispered, the question slipping out before he could stop it.
The figure stepped back, its glowing eyes never leaving him. "Because you were chosen. Long ago, in the time before this world was formed. You were meant to be the one who would either save this world… or destroy it."
Yun Hao felt the world tilt beneath him. His vision swam, the room spinning as the weight of the figure's words crashed into him like a wave.
"You're lying," Yun Hao choked out. "I… I'm not that person. I didn't choose this."
The figure's laugh was cold, echoing off the walls like the rattling of chains. "You never had a choice, Yun Hao. You were born into this fate. And now, you will either embrace it… or suffer the consequences."
Before Yun Hao could respond, the figure's form began to fade, its dark energy dissipating into the air. And with that, the world around him shifted again, returning to the reality he knew—though it felt distant and warped, as if he had just awoken from a dream.
Yun Hao gasped, his heart hammering in his chest. The chill of the figure's presence still lingered in the air, but he was back in the streets, standing where he had been just moments ago.
Ruin was there, his eyes wide with concern. "Yun Hao! Are you alright?"
Yun Hao opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. His mind was reeling, his thoughts scattered like shattered glass. What had just happened? Had it been real? Or had it been a vision? A warning?
Before he could gather his thoughts, Ruin stepped closer, his voice low but urgent. "You were gone for a moment. What did you see?"
Yun Hao opened his mouth, but his throat felt dry. He couldn't explain it. He couldn't make sense of it.
"I… I don't know," Yun Hao whispered, his voice trembling. "But I remember something. Something important."
Ruin's gaze softened, but the concern never left his eyes. "We'll figure this out. Together."
But Yun Hao wasn't so sure anymore. Whatever was happening to him, it was bigger than anything he had ever imagined. And now, more than ever, he had to confront the truth of his existence—and the power he carried.