The night was as black as ink. The lake surface was like a silent mirror, reflecting the sparse stars in the sky. Lucas and Dalin were on their way back, but their hearts were as heavy as if they were carrying a thousand - jin burden.
The phantoms in the courtyard, the whispers of the black - robed man—everything haunted them like a shadow, impossible to shake off.
"Lucas, do you believe that the person back there was you?" Dalin asked softly. Her eyes flickered slightly, as if she was afraid of getting an answer.
Lucas was silent for a moment. He looked down at his palm. "I don't know. Sometimes, I even doubt whether I'm living in some kind of illusion."
Dalin's heart twitched. She sensed the unease and confusion deep within Lucas.
The lake breeze blew, sweeping up the fallen leaves on the ground, making a "rustling" sound.
Just as the two were about to leave the lakeside, a faint crying sound suddenly reached their ears.
The sound drifted faintly, as if it came from a distant void.
"Is it a child?" Dalin stopped abruptly, looking around, but saw not a single person.
Lucas frowned tightly. "Be careful. Don't act rashly."
Dalin nodded, tightly gripping her sword, and approached the source of the sound cautiously.
At that moment, a black shadow flashed across the lake surface.
"Over there!" Dalin exclaimed in a low voice, her eyes fixed on the small boat in the middle of the lake.
The lake water rippled slightly. A small figure was huddled on the boat. The figure was dressed in rags, with long hair disheveled, like a lost child.
However, when Dalin saw the face clearly, her breath hitched.
— It was her own face.
The girl on the boat had a pale complexion identical to Dalin's. Only her eyes were empty, staring fixedly at the lake surface. A strange smile lingered on her lips.
"Sister, you've finally come."
Dalin took a step back and tightly grasped Lucas's hand. "Do you see it?"
Lucas's expression was solemn. "I see it."
The girl in the middle of the lake stood up slowly, walking bare - footed on the water, approaching the two step by step. With each step, a circle of pitch - black ripples spread on the water surface, as if the lake water was being corroded and devoured.
The girl stopped in front of them, tilting her head slightly. Her eyes glowed faintly. "Why don't you recognize me?"
Dalin gripped her sword tightly. Her voice trembled slightly. "Who... who on earth are you?"
The girl smiled, the corners of her lips rising. "I'm the part of you that you've forgotten in your heart."
Lucas stepped in front of Dalin. The sword in his hand glinted. "It's just an illusion. Don't listen to her."
The girl shook her head gently and looked at Lucas. "Lucas, haven't you noticed? She's already incomplete."
Dalin's heart jolted. Her fingertips turned cold. "What... what do you mean?"
The girl slowly stretched out her hand and pointed at Dalin's chest. "You've already lost the most important thing."
Dalin took a step back and looked down at her chest. A faint black glow was emanating from the position of her heart, as if a crack had been torn by some force.
"When did this happen..." Dalin looked at Lucas in astonishment.
Lucas frowned, a cold glint in his eyes. "This is an illusion. Don't believe her."
The girl chuckled softly. "An illusion? No, she brought this upon herself."
"Shut up!" Lucas said coldly. The tip of his sword pointed directly at the girl's forehead. "If you say one more word, I won't hesitate to make you disappear."
However, the girl wasn't afraid. Instead, she slowly reached out and grasped the sword blade.
Black blood flowed down the sword, dripping onto the lake surface, causing ripples.
Suddenly, countless pale arms emerged from beneath the lake surface, as if the souls of the dead were struggling to climb ashore.
Dalin's pupils contracted slightly. She stared fixedly at the lake. "This... this is impossible!"
Lucas quickly pulled Dalin back, warily eyeing the emerging souls. "Get out of here!"
However, those arms stretched out rapidly, entangling the two tightly, trying to drag them to the bottom of the lake.
"Don't struggle. The bottom of the lake is your true destination." The girl's voice echoed in their ears, piercing their hearts like a spell.
Dalin swung her sword violently, cutting through the chain - like arms entangling her. But more souls kept emerging, seemingly endless.
Lucas's sword was also swinging non - stop. The sword light flashed across the lake surface, cutting through one black shadow after another. However, the souls became even more overwhelming.
"Seems like I have to use that." Lucas's eyes were cold. He bit his fingertip, and blood dripped onto the sword blade. The sword immediately burst into dark - red flames.
"Dalin, close your eyes." Lucas said in a low voice.
Dalin was stunned for a moment. "Why?"
Lucas didn't answer. Instead, he stabbed the lake surface fiercely. The sword instantly erupted with dazzling fire, igniting the entire lake.
Beneath the lake surface, countless souls let out shrill roars. The flames devoured them all in an instant.
Dalin slowly opened her eyes. The lake surface returned to calm, and the small boat in the middle of the lake had disappeared.
Only the remaining black ashes were floating on the lake surface.
Lucas withdrew his sword and said slowly, "Let's go. We can't stay here for long."
Dalin nodded, but her heart couldn't calm down for a long time.
She had a feeling that the girl in the middle of the lake... hadn't truly disappeared.
—
Under the night sky, the lake surface in the distance rippled again. A pair of cold eyes emerged quietly.