Amid the shadows of a dense forest filled with the caws of ravens and the cold breeze brushing against travelers' faces, Xiao stood alone, staring at the spot where the meteor's light had vanished the previous night. The ground was still cracked from the explosion, exuding a strange scent of ashes that did not belong to this world.
His eyes were locked onto that darkened spot, as if they were diving into old memories. Scenes from his past began to surface—his mother's smiling face, his father's battle cries, his trembling hand brushing the ash off his younger brother's chest… A past he had tried to bury countless times, now returning to rip through the stillness of his heart.
Suddenly, he turned his face away, feeling a spiritual vibration shaking him from within. It was coming from behind the trees. He was not alone.
A pale-skinned girl emerged from the shadows, her long black hair billowing in the wind. She wore a white robe adorned with deep blue patterns. Her eyes shimmered with a profound sorrow.
"Xiao..." she whispered his name, yet the sound reached his heart like a cold blade.
He stared at her, stunned, his name echoing in his ears as he struggled to grasp her presence: "You...? How...?"
"It's been a long time," she said as she stepped closer, "but I never forgot. And neither did you."
It was Lianna—the girl who had vanished from his life years ago under mysterious circumstances. They had shared a promise before the world was consumed by chaos. He had never known whether she was alive or dead... Yet here she stood before him now.
"I thought you... were dead," he muttered, trying to suppress his emotions and fortify himself with the harshness of all he had learned.
"I also... thought I died that day. But what happened... was greater than death."
She moved closer, pulling out an ancient map from beneath her robe. It bore cryptic symbols—the same ones Xiao had seen in his dreams days ago, at the ruins of the abandoned temple.
"This...?" He asked, his eyes widening.
"It is your path, Xiao. But this path is merciless. And blood alone is its key."
At that moment, a powerful sound roared from the sky, and the earth trembled beneath them. A spectral gateway formed between the trees, ablaze with violet light, glowing symbols swirling around it.
"They've opened it," Lianna whispered, her face trembling. "The Gate of the Blood Realm… The end has begun."
Xiao turned toward the portal, his heart pounding wildly. He sensed that what lay beyond was not just another battle… but the truth that had been kept from him all his life.
"Will you enter?" Lianna asked, looking into his eyes.
He lifted his head, tightened his grip on his sword, and stepped toward the gateway without hesitation. "I have always been inside... I was just waiting to open my eyes."
Without looking back, Xiao crossed through the portal.
And the light sealed behind him.
*As soon as Xiao crossed the Gate of the Blood Realm,* he felt his body tear into fragments of light, as if his very being was being reassembled anew. It wasn't the first time he had crossed between worlds, but this time was different—far more painful, and unbearably mysterious.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a bleak gray world, blanketed by thick black clouds. From the sky hung pillars of bone. The ground beneath his feet was cracked, seeping a faint red glow as though it were breathing. Distant cries echoed across the horizon—wails of tormented, pleading souls.
"This isn't just a world… it's a prison," Xiao muttered, clutching his sword as his eyes scanned the surroundings with precision.
Suddenly, the echo of slow footsteps emerged from the mist. A massive figure appeared, clad in rusted iron, bearing on its chest the ancient sigil of the Wraith Clan—the sworn enemies of Xiao's lineage. These half-human creatures had exposed fangs and arms wrapped in iron chains glowing the color of blood. And from behind them… came a man in a black cloak, his face hidden, speaking in a voice that seemed to rise from the depths of the world itself.
"At last, the Blood Heir… You've come to where you belong."
Xiao didn't reply, but steadied his stance, ready for battle.
"Who are you?!" he shouted.
The stranger responded calmly, "I am the past you denied… and the future you cannot escape. I am the Black Priest, Guardian of the Gate of Chains."
The priest stretched out his hand, and the earth split open—decayed hands burst forth, grabbing Xiao's legs. From behind, spectral chains surged to bind him. He struggled, but the force was immense, as if the earth itself wanted to swallow him.
"What is this…?!" Xiao cried, resisting. "These… aren't just physical chains… They're draining my memory!"
"Exactly," said the Black Priest as he stepped closer. "Everyone who enters here… loses themselves. Your soul will become the gateway to revive the Blood Covenant. You will forget who you are… and become a vessel for darkness."
Xiao's body trembled, screams rose within him—visions of his father slain, his mother burning, Lianna crying out his name… Yet amid the agony, Xiao remembered his vow.
"I… am not… anyone's vessel!" he roared, and from his body erupted a crimson aura, repelling the hands and chains. His spiritual energy exploded like a fiery storm.
His eyes transformed into a fusion of flame and blood, his body illuminated with legendary symbols from his extinct clan.
"You… broke the seal?!" the Black Priest shouted in terror.
"No," Xiao thundered, his voice like an earthquake. "I shattered it!"
In a flash, Xiao surged forward like a bolt of lightning. His first strike tore through the priest's cloak, the second shattered his mask—revealing the face of an aged man, lined with ancient scars.
But despite the pain, the priest smiled. "The end… has begun, Heir of Blood…"
Then he vanished, leaving behind a shadow that slithered into the heart of the earth.
Silence returned—but Xiao knew… this was only the beginning of the true war.
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