The girl knelt in the snow-dusted dirt, cradling two bloodied bodies. One was her mother, torn brutally in half, her lifeless form soaking the ground in red.
The other was a young boy, her brother, his feet burned beyond recognition. His wide, unblinking eyes and slackened jaw spoke of a pain too unbearable to name.
"Why..." Her voice trembled as she stared up at the night sky, her breath forming clouds in the freezing air. Snow fell steadily, indifferent to the carnage below.
"Why...? Why? WHY!" she screamed, her tear-streaked face twisting in rage, as though pleading for the heavens to hear her.
The scene unfolded just steps away from Wang Zhu, dragging her into a memory she had fought to bury.
Her breathing hitched. Her chest tightened. The child's grief wasn't hers, yet it felt deeply, painfully familiar, as if their emotions had become one.
Wang Zhu clenched her fists, forcing herself to remain still.
She would not; could not, succumb to the raw anguish clawing at her heart.
But the girl's cries grew louder, her sorrow and fury poisoning the air like venom. The world around Wang Zhu darkened, her fragile composure splintering.
Her heart pounded in her ears. The screams faded into eerie silence. Only the child's sobs remained, desperate and unrelenting.
"Stop..." Wang Zhu whispered, her voice shaking beneath the weight of her own suffocating emotions.
Tears blurred her vision. A crushing heaviness settled in her chest. She struck herself with a clenched fist, desperate to regain control.
But it was futile. Her breath came in sharp, ragged gasps. Her knees buckled, sending her collapsing onto the cold ground.
She clutched at her chest, struggling to breathe, as the girl's cries tore through her resolve.
The more she resisted, the stronger the torment became.
Then, as though a spark of clarity ignited within her, Wang Zhu's eyes snapped open.
Her sorrow twisted into something else.
Rage.
"ENOUGH!" she roared, her voice splitting the void like a crack of thunder.
The scene shattered. The screams, the blood, the snow, they dissolved into nothingness.
Before she could gather her senses, a hand emerged from the darkness, cold and unrelenting, clamping around her throat.
Wang Zhu's eyes widened as she locked onto her attacker, and froze.
It was herself.
Dressed in midnight black, crimson eyes glowing like embers, a smug, twisted smile curling her lips.
Her doppelganger loomed over her, fingers tightening like a noose around her neck.
"Wha..." Wang Zhu barely managed a strangled gasp before the grip cut her voice off completely.
Tears streamed down her face. Her vision blurred. A searing heat burned through her cheeks as the world seemed to close in, suffocating her.
She thrashed, struggling, but her strength ebbed away. The darkness dragged her down, swallowing her whole.
Somewhere in the void of her unconsciousness, a voice echoed.
Trembling. Desperate.
It was Zui.
His cry jolted something deep within her.
Wang Zhu's eyes shot open.
She bolted upright, her fingers instinctively wrapping around the hilt of her sword.
A familiar room came into focus, her mind racing to catch up. Her heart pounded relentlessly as her frantic gaze swept across the dim space.
Then she saw a man.
A figure loomed in the corner, standing six feet tall, his presence suffocating. A thick, swirling fog of dark energy coiled around his upper body like living shadows.
Zui was pinned against the wall. The man's clawed hand clamped tightly around the boy's throat, lifting him off the ground.
A demon.
"Finally awake?" The creature sneered, its voice dripping with amusement.
"Did you enjoy the gift?"
Zui gasped, clawing at the demon's grip, his wide, cat-like eyes brimming with tears.
"Help..." he choked, his small hands trembling.
Wang Zhu didn't know what the demon meant. She couldn't piece together what had just happened. But she had no time for questions.
In one swift motion, she unsheathed her swords. The blades gleamed under the dim light as she lunged, aiming straight for the demon's core.
But before her strike could land, he vanished, dissolving into the very void he had emerged from, leaving only the suffocating weight of his presence behind.
A surge of frustration burned in her chest. She wanted to chase him down, to carve him apart. But Zui needed her.
She turned and rushed to his side. He had collapsed to the floor, coughing and gasping for air.
Bending down, she lifted him gently, guiding him back onto the bed.
Once he steadied his breath, she met his gaze, her expression dark with restrained fury.
"Who was that demon?" she asked, her voice edged with indignation.
How dare he toy with me.
She gritted her teeth, the unresolved fury simmering beneath her skin.
"It was him," Zui rasped. His voice was hoarse, but his eyes were sharp.
"The one who captured me."
He wiped at his tears, inhaling deeply before continuing.
"That corrupt bastard fled the moment you woke up. He must be afraid. The body he took over is weak, and if you had struck him, he wouldn't have been able to protect himself."
Wang Zhu frowned.
Zui took another breath, calming himself before he spoke again.
"He's a demon created by human reflection," he explained.
"That's why I warned you earlier. He's dangerous. And if you face him, you might die."
He hesitated, his expression conflicted. But then, as if steeling himself, he continued.
"Because... you are spiritually fragile."
His words were quiet, but they struck like a blade.
"I felt it the moment I met you," he said.
"The positive energy around you is unstable. It clashes against your restless mind."
Wang Zhu's grip on her sword tightened.
"You carry a heavy burden; anger, a thirst for justice that will never be satisfied." His gaze locked onto hers, unwavering.
"If you fight a demon formed from human desires, you'll become trapped in an endless nightmare. It will break you, corrupt you, and consume you piece by piece."
His voice dropped lower.
"And you know what happens after that, don't you?"
Silence stretched between them.
"You cultivators are smart, after all."
Wang Zhu said nothing.
But deep inside, a bitter realization clawed at her.
Because she knew. She knew exactly what he meant.
But she didn't care.
Not anymore.