"What is really happening, Rachel's Shade?"
I asked, feeling a surge of warmth flooding into my body. I could sense it was the power of renewal—Rachel's Shade's strength. The pure, bright space before me was my own instinctive domain.
At that moment, a stream of white mist drifted slowly from afar, gradually settling in front of me and taking on my own appearance. I recognized her immediately—it was Rachel's Shade. She gazed at me quietly, worry flickering in her golden-red eyes.
"When will you finally accept reality, Rachel Lan? If you keep going like this, you have no future."
Rachel's Shade spoke with a heavy tone. I smiled helplessly, shook my head, and pressed my lips together—a part of me ached faintly inside.
"Immersing yourself in the past gets you nowhere. Hope will drift further and further away, and your faith has begun to waver. What do you have left now? Maybe you already know: everything you've gone through was triggered by this ritual, yet you remain lost in a world of lies your heart created, trying again and again to cross the chasm of your past. Whether it's refusing to let go of May Shaw or seeking guidance from Serena Chen, those things are real but only fragments of your mind. That's why you're trapped here!"
I stared quietly at Rachel's Shade and asked.
"Then what about Serena Chen and May Shaw..."
"They truly exist, but because of your own heart, they've entered a reflection of your inner world. On one hand, you long to be resilient, like someone who's been through it all; on the other, you want to save that girl who died long ago, hoping it will give you resolve and unwavering faith. But you already have all that inside you, Rachel Lan. Testing yourself over and over will only drag you deeper into sorrow."
I didn't answer Rachel's Shade. She seemed to understand everything already, which is why she spoke so frankly. And I understood it all, too.
Maybe everyone who enters this time-warped place—after Tenfold Crossing—finds themselves in a world of their own making. The reason their worlds intersect with mine is probably because of my power.
"You don't need to prove anything anymore, Rachel Lan. You've already grown, but deep down you're still unsure if your changes are right or wrong—because they affect the future, a future you're afraid to imagine. One day, it will come: maybe you and Ethan Zhang won't be able to stay together. That's why you fear your own choices, fear your own growth. What you're really afraid of is that one day you and Ethan Zhang will stand on opposite sides."
My eyes widened.
"Do you live inside my heart?"
"Everything the Founding Emperors taught you, you've chosen to forget. That's because what they warned you about could really happen in the future. That's why you refuse to accept this new self. The past is over, Rachel Lan. Listen to me—go back to the real world."
Rachel's Shade raised a hand in front of me. I stared at it in silence, a part of me still aching inside.
Fragments of memory began to surface. I clearly remembered what I had gained from the Founding Emperors in that dark place—what they taught me about the way of humanity. After seeing both the past and future Ethan Zhang, I understood even more that the future might be heading for the worst. That's why I wanted to go to the world where Ethan Zhang now exists, that illusion. Once I found him, I intended to stay there with him forever. The affairs of the worlds of yin and yang would have nothing to do with us. I was selfish.
"I really am selfish—so selfish that I don't want to care about anything else. I can't help it. Even if I can give Ethan hope again and again, be a symbol of hope for him, who will give me hope? John Chou once told me, no matter if the choice is right or wrong, the key is whether, after taking that step, you really need to bear the consequences yourself. That's what matters most."
I pressed a hand to my chest.
"So I have to find Ethan—I won't let what the Founding Emperors warned about come true."
"I warned you a long time ago—give up on Ethan Zhang, or he'll hurt you. The way things are now is best, for you and for both worlds. Maybe you've already sensed a hint of it..."
I shook my head and replied sternly.
"Enough. I don't want to argue with you anymore, Rachel's Shade. I want to go to the Illusory Realm—I have to go!"
"Can't you see anything, Rachel Lan? Even if none of this means anything to you now, you mean so much to others. Your parents are desperately trying to wake you up, and the people of the Underworld, even the other sects in the ritual world, are doing the same."
I shook my head.
"This isn't what I want. It's just like when I died and Ethan followed my trail—he finally found me. Now it's my turn. I want to find him."
I stepped back several times. Rachel's Shade held out her hand, but I never took it.
"Stop being so stubborn, Rachel Lan. I've told you, you don't need to prove anything—whether it's your faith or your love for him, it's already more than enough. You've done everything a person possibly can. You should remember that memory now. So listen to me: just bury it all in your heart."
I bowed my head, my throat tightening with sobs.
"No. I just want to be who I was before. I have a responsibility, a duty—I must find Ethan and tell him everything!"
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In an instant, Rachel's Shade appeared before me. I felt my body freeze, unable to move.
"What are you trying to do?"
I cried out in alarm as Rachel's Shade stared at me forcefully.
"If I have to use force, I will—even if I have to be rough, I'll bring you back. Just forget everything in here for now."
I struggled desperately, fighting against Rachel's Shade's power. Gradually, I regained movement in my arms and legs. Rachel's Shade kept pulling me toward her, but suddenly a streak of black mist appeared between us. Then I saw the Wraithlord, who smiled coldly.
"Who is the master and who is the servant? You need to figure that out, Rachel's Shade."
"Why can you do this?!"
Suddenly, the Wraithlord grabbed me. Instantly, cracks appeared in my instinctive domain. He turned his head to look at me.
"Do you want to go to the Illusory Realm?"
I nodded firmly. The Wraithlord burst out laughing.
"Very good. This is how people should be. What does the world matter to you? Humans are born of emotion—I was the same. If I hadn't had feelings, maybe things wouldn't be like this. But the one I loved most abandoned me, even blamed me for ruining everything. So I became the villain she wanted me to be—the root of all evil, the ancestor of ghosts, the cause of destruction. She'll never understand, because she's a god, and emotions are beyond her reach. What she sees is the real source of chaos between yin and yang. She feared my power would destroy everything, and even though I told her I was her child and would never do what she dreaded, she didn't trust me. She trusted the gods instead. So I became what she saw: the evil origin, the ancestor of ghosts, the culprit—none of it matters. It's what she wanted. Are you ready, Rachel Lan?"
I responded with a quiet 'mm.' Rachel's Shade lunged at us, but then a vast chasm appeared before the Wraithlord. Rachel's Shade desperately tried to reach us, but she was swept away by the chasm, which kept expanding until it swallowed her whole.
In a daze, I found myself back in the small town by the Snowveil River. The snow was heavy. The Wraithlord let go of my hand.
"Everyone who comes here can't accept themselves, but you're different, Rachel Lan. You're the first I've seen who truly accepts everything about herself. That's not flattery—it's the truth."
I gave a bitter smile.
"If I take you to the Illusory Realm, what will happen to you?"
"Once my seven souls unite, I can return to the living world. I won't need the war that started because of me—I can be fully revived. The seven chess pieces suppressing me have lost a corner!"
I stared blankly at the Wraithlord. I knew he meant Basil Bertram. In Yvonne May's instinctive domain, the Wraithlord's original power is sealed.
"If I end up fighting Ethan Zhang, who do you want to win, Rachel Lan?"
I smiled.
"Of course—Ethan."
The Wraithlord laughed heartily, raising a hand. Instantly, a black bridge appeared before us, stretching across to the opposite valley.
"If you've thought it through, come over, Rachel Lan. You know what your actions will lead to, but this is your only chance to see Ethan Zhang. If you miss it, you'll never see him again."
I gazed quietly at the departing Wraithlord, then lifted my head and stepped onto the black bridge. Instantly, everything around me vanished.
"Thank you, Rachel Lan. If you hadn't come to this world, I might never have had a chance. But now, my seven souls can unite—all because of your persistence. Even if I destroy everything in the future, please forgive me! Because in my mother's eyes, that's all I am!"