The forest began to thin out as Yun Lan and Leon reached the base of a jagged cliff. The sun had started to set, casting a warm golden glow across the rocky landscape. The wind blew softly, rustling Yun Lan's hair as she glanced up at the towering stone wall.
"This must be it," Leon murmured, stepping ahead and running a hand along the stone. "The entrance to the second trial."
A symbol carved into the cliffside shimmered faintly. It resembled the same emblem on the scroll the wolf had given them — a crescent moon entwined with vines.
Leon turned to Yun Lan. "You sure you're ready for this?"
"I've come this far, haven't I?" she replied, her tone firm, though her heart pounded in her chest.
Leon gave a faint smirk, nodding once before pressing his palm against the symbol. The stone glowed brighter. With a low grinding sound, a narrow passage began to open, revealing a tunnel lit with ethereal blue light.
As they stepped inside, the temperature dropped, and Yun Lan shivered.
"Here," Leon said, wrapping his dark coat around her shoulders without asking. His touch lingered for a second longer than necessary, but he said nothing more.
The tunnel led into a vast underground cavern. At the center stood an altar with a single blue flame burning atop it. Surrounding the flame were stone pedestals, each marked with ancient runes. Yun Lan stepped closer, the heat of the flame oddly comforting.
A sudden voice echoed around them, deep and cold.
"Who dares seek the Second Heart(blue heart) of the Realm?"
Yun Lan jumped, grabbing Leon's arm instinctively. From the shadows beyond the altar, a figure emerged — a tall woman cloaked in black robes, her face hidden by a silver mask. Her voice was layered, as if more than one being spoke at once.
"We're here for the blue crystal," Leon said firmly. " The blue stone which it resembles the power of the sea."
The masked guardian's head tilted slightly. "To obtain it, one must pass the Trial of Reflection. You will see yourselves not as you are, but as you truly were — and may become."
Before either could respond, a gust of wind erupted from the altar. Blue mist surrounded them, thickening until Yun Lan could no longer see Leon. Her heartbeat quickened.
"Leon?" she called out.
No response.
She spun around — and then gasped.
Before her stood a younger version of herself. But this Yun Lan wore armor, and her eyes glowed violet. She held a sword in one hand, and blood dripped from the blade. At her feet knelt a wounded man — Leon.
Yun Lan's breath caught in her throat.
"Why?" the armored version asked, eyes boring into hers. "Why did you let him die before? Why didn't you save him?"
Yun Lan shook her head. "No—I didn't—"
But the vision shifted. Now she saw herself kneeling beside Leon's lifeless body, her screams echoing in the silence of a battlefield. Her heart ached as memories — unfamiliar and yet so real — washed over her. She had seen this before. In the crystal, in the dream.
Tears welled in her eyes.
"I didn't want him to die…"
The mist swirled again.
This time, it was Leon who appeared — not the one she knew now, but one with soft eyes, no tattoos, and a peaceful smile. He reached out and touched her cheek.
"I never blamed you, Yun Lan," the vision of Leon said. "But the choices we make always return to us."
And just like that, the vision shattered into thousands of blue shards.
Yun Lan collapsed to her knees, trembling.
Moments later, Leon appeared, rushing to her side.
"I heard you call me. Are you okay?" he asked, crouching beside her, his eyes searching hers.
"I saw… us. From before," she whispered. "I think I was the reason you...."
Leon's brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
She shook her head, unwilling to say more. "It doesn't matter. It was just part of the trial, right?"
Leon didn't press. Instead, he stood and helped her to her feet.
The altar now glowed with a crimson light. Where the blue flame had once burned, there now rested a red crystal in the shape of a heart — the blue heart.
"You did it," Yun Lan breathed.
Leon approached the pedestal and picked up the crystal, the light bathing his face in warm red hues. "We did it."
But just as he turned back to Yun Lan, the cavern began to quake.
Cracks split the ground, and a monstrous roar shook the walls.
From the shadows behind the altar, a beast emerged. Towering and skeletal, with black fur, glowing red eyes, and antlers like twisted obsidian branches, it let out a snarl that made Yun Lan's blood freeze.
Leon stepped in front of her. "Run."
"I'm not leaving you!" she shouted.
"I'll distract it! Find an exit!"
But Yun Lan didn't run. Instead, she reached into her satchel and pulled out a small blade Leon had given her earlier.
"We fight together," she said.
The beast lunged.
Leon blocked it with a burst of energy from the crystal, the magic searing the creature's hide. Yun Lan dashed to its side, slashing at its legs. The monster howled in pain, but it didn't fall.
Yun Lan slipped, hitting the ground hard. The creature raised its claw to strike her.
"YUN LAN!" Leon shouted.
Before the claw could land, Leon slammed into the beast from the side, knocking it off balance. They crashed into the wall together, and the crystal tumbled from Leon's hand.
Yun Lan grabbed it and pointed it at the creature, praying it would work.
"Please…" she whispered.
The crystal glowed again — this time pulsing with blue light that spread through the cavern.
The beast screamed and disintegrated into ash, vanishing into the air.
Silence fell.
Leon lay on the ground, bruised but alive. Yun Lan rushed to him, dropping to her knees and grabbing his shoulders.
"Leon! Are you okay?"
He coughed, then gave a crooked smile. "You didn't run. I'm surprised."
Yun Lan rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid. I wouldn't leave you."
His eyes darkened, something raw and vulnerable flickering there.
"Good," he said softly. "Because I'm not letting you go."
She opened her mouth to speak, but he leaned closer. His hand brushed her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Their faces were inches apart.
"I want it" he whispered.
Yun Lan's heart pounded. She felt his breath on her skin, his lips hovering just above hers.
"You shouldn't tease me like this," she said, voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm not teasing," he murmured. "Just... waiting."
"For what?"
"For you to stop pretending you don't want this too."
Her eyes flickered to his lips, then back to his eyes. Her body leaned in involuntarily — just a fraction.
But before they could cross that line, the cavern trembled again — not from danger, but as a signal. The wall behind the altar cracked open, revealing a glowing path of light.
"The exit," Leon said, still breathless.
Yun Lan pulled away slightly, regaining her composure. "Let's go before this place collapses on us."
Leon smirked, getting to his feet and extending a hand.
Together, they stepped into the light — the second task complete, but the weight of everything unspoken still lingering between them.
Like it add to library.