The argument raged on, voices sharp and relentless. I climbed to the fourth floor, halting at the entrance of Room 410. Everything had begun on that night, right here in Room 410.
Pushing open the door, I found the room unchanged, frozen in time. I moved to the bedside, sat down, and lay quietly. Suddenly, a sinister crimson glow flared beside me.
"It's almost time. Just a few shards of Blood Jade remain. Ethan Zhang, why not claim them all in one stroke? This is your chance."
"You're still here."
I muttered. That harsh, familiar rasp—the Blood Jade sat silently on the bedside table, its presence radiating Deathbane Aura.
I picked it up, letting my gaze linger for a moment.
"Even now, you seek to use me? I can sense it—the malice lurking in your soul."
"Use or don't use—does it matter? Ethan Zhang, this is a rare moment. Gather the last Blood Jades, and you'll wield a power beyond imagination. Isn't that what you crave? A strength that could eclipse even the rulers."
"Empty power means nothing to me."
The Blood Jade pulsed with crimson light, its energy restless and oppressive.
"Please, I'm begging you, Ethan Zhang. Just do me this one favor."
"No. I won't."
I could never let my guard down around this thing. The malicious intent of the Blood Jade was palpable—just a brush of my fingertip against its surface and I could feel it seeping in.
"Hey, Ethan Zhang, are you carrying something on you?"
Suddenly, as the Blood Jade spoke, its crimson glow intensified. I realized immediately—it was probing for whatever I was hiding. Tendrils of Deathbane Aura began to seep out, black and suffocating.
"Wait, Ethan Zhang, where did you get that Crimson Essence?"
As expected, it was after the vial of Crimson Essence I'd hidden on me.
"If you keep making noise, I'll destroy you."
The crimson light faded. The Blood Jade went still. I smiled faintly, then lay back on the bed.
Tomorrow, it begins—the war. Yet my heart is eerily calm, untouched by even the faintest trace of anxiety.