The world twisted, colors bleeding into each other like watercolors left in the rain. The shrine's walls dissolved into a swirling void, the ground beneath me turning to a glass-like surface that reflected a distorted version of reality. Above, the sky—if it could even be called that—was a churning mass of black and gold, like ink spilled into molten metal.
I stumbled, the pendant and coins clutched tightly in my hand. The air was thick, almost liquid, and every breath felt like drowning. Lin Mo was gone, the shrine was gone, and the entity's laughter echoed faintly, as if it were miles away yet right beside me.
"Lin Mo!" I shouted, my voice swallowed by the void. There was no response.
The pendant pulsed in my hand, its warmth spreading up my arm. The coins, now glowing faintly, seemed to vibrate in sync with the pendant. I held them up, and the symbols etched into their surfaces began to shift, rearranging themselves into a pattern I recognized—the same spiraling design from the shrine's pillars.
A voice, soft but clear, cut through the silence. "You've found the anchors."
I spun around, but there was no one there. The voice came again, this time from behind me. "The coins are fragments of the seal. The pendant is the key."
"Who's there?" I demanded, my voice trembling.
A figure materialized from the void, her form shimmering like a mirage. She was tall, her features sharp and regal, her eyes glowing with the same golden light as the pendant. Her robes flowed around her, though there was no wind.
"I am the keeper of the seal," she said, her voice calm but tinged with sorrow. "The one who bound the entity long ago. You carry a piece of me."
I stared at her, my mind racing. "The pendant… it's part of you?"
She nodded. "A fragment of my essence, given to those who might one day restore the balance. But the seal is breaking. The entity has grown too strong."
"How do I stop it?" I asked, desperation creeping into my voice.
The keeper's gaze softened. "The coins are anchors, tied to the ley lines. The pendant can activate them, but it will require a sacrifice. The entity's power is rooted in the shrine, in the flesh of its prison. To seal it again, you must destroy the altar—and yourself."
My breath caught. "Destroy myself?"
"The pendant's energy is tied to your life force," she explained. "To activate the anchors, you must give all of yourself. There is no other way."
The weight of her words settled over me like a shroud. I thought of Lin Mo, of the disciples at Qingyun Temple, of the world I had come to care for. If I didn't do this, the entity would break free, and everything would be lost.
"What happens if I don't?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
The keeper's expression darkened. "The entity will consume this world, and then others. It will never stop."
I clenched the pendant and coins tighter, my resolve hardening. "Then I'll do it. Tell me how."
The keeper stepped closer, her form shimmering like starlight. "When you return to the shrine, place the coins around the altar. The pendant will guide you. But be warned—the entity will not let you go easily. It will try to break you, to turn you against your purpose."
"I won't let it," I said, though the whispers in my mind grew louder, their voices a cacophony of doubt and temptation.
The keeper reached out, her hand hovering over mine. "You are stronger than you know. But remember—the path of eternal life is paved with sacrifice."
Her form began to dissolve, the void reclaiming her. "Wait!" I called out. "What about Lin Mo? Can I save him?"
Her voice echoed as she faded. "That choice is yours to make."
The world twisted again, and I was back in the shrine. The altar loomed before me, its black veins pulsing with malevolent energy. Lin Mo lay on the ground nearby, his body twitching as the corruption spread. The entity's form hovered above the altar, its eyes blazing with fury.
**"You cannot win,"** it hissed, its voice a thousand whispers in my mind. **"You are nothing but a pawn."**
I ignored it, placing the coins around the altar in the pattern the keeper had shown me. The pendant's glow intensified, its warmth spreading through me like a fire. The entity roared, its form surging toward me, but I was ready.
"This ends now," I said, my voice steady.
I pressed the pendant to the altar, and the world exploded in light.