Scenes flickered rapidly around me—spring, summer, autumn, and winter flashed before my eyes, while a torrent of memories poured into my mind.
From a young age, Old Man Rivers was especially strict with Evan Zhao. Though Evan was obedient as a child, his rebellious side grew with age. Old Man Rivers often beat and scolded him, but each time, he felt sorrow afterward—he only wanted Evan to inherit the family estate after his death, so he was extra severe.
It was during a trip to the county to sell goods that Old Man Rivers let Evan handle things alone, hoping he'd start taking over the family business. But after selling the goods, Evan was drawn to the bustling world outside and quickly got caught up in pleasure.
From then on, Evan Zhao seemed to fall further in Old Man Rivers' eyes. The scene slowed—Rivers Family relatives argued, snatching anything they could from the mansion. Money, valuables, anything within reach was taken. Townsfolk gossiped, but the relatives didn't care; Evan had left and wasn't coming back, so why shouldn't the estate belong to them?
By the pillar, I saw Evan Zhao’s Shard of Sorrow, its gaze filled with grief as it watched everything unfold.
Eventually, the Rivers Family estate was stripped bare—only a few tables and chairs remained. Most relatives planned to leave, having sold off everything for cash. They feared Evan Zhao might someday return to reclaim his inheritance, so they decided to move far away.
Old Man Rivers had always been good to these relatives, helping them whenever they were in trouble. He hoped that, if he were gone one day, they would support Evan Zhao in turn.
Yet soon, many Rivers Family relatives who had left Fallen Hollow returned, gray mist curling above their heads—a mark of Evan Zhao’s Sorrowbane Power. They came back with haunted, bitter faces, weighed down by supernatural gloom.
Some used their ill-gotten gains to buy houses and start businesses elsewhere, but misfortune followed them. Their ventures failed inexplicably, no matter how hard they tried. Frustration turned to desperation, their hope consumed by the curse.
Others went to live with their daughters’ families far away. At first, things seemed normal, but soon relationships soured—arguments erupted, bitterness spread, and in misery, they had no choice but to return to Fallen Hollow, faces twisted with grief, as if drawn back by an inescapable curse.
Many in town spread rumors that it was retribution for stealing everything from Old Man Rivers and fleeing. But what shocked the people of Fallen Hollow was that others in town began to suffer misfortune as well.
Anyone in town who left for work found nothing went smoothly. When they returned, they grew poorer and poorer. The townsfolk tried to run the Rivers Family’s orchards and farmlands together, but for some reason, the fruit turned out sour and astringent, losing its former sweetness and crunch. Sales dried up—no one wanted to buy the town’s fruit.
Whenever they planted new seedlings in the fields, the crops would mysteriously sicken and wither, with no cause to be found. Fallen Hollow grew ever poorer.
Life in town became unbearable. Many died in misery, and the young people, though they occasionally left to work outside, never met with success and always returned home in the end.
"Enough, Evan Zhao! You force others to bear your sorrow. What you’re doing is truly despicable!"
I roared in anger, the scene still spinning before my eyes as I stared quietly at everything around me.
A flash of green light fell before me; everything around vanished, and I found myself back in the rear courtyard of the Rivers Mansion. Evan Zhao stood before me, his face full of sorrow and lifelessness.
"Evan Zhao, you’ve gone too far. Let me out!"
As I spoke, flames erupted across my body again. Evan Zhao drew closer, and in an instant, my fire left me, sucked into the ground.
I began to understand the nature of Evan Zhao’s power: it was a curse. Sorrow withers a person’s heart, leaving them powerless to change anything. Thinking of those who left town, I realized their misfortune wasn’t caused by some force, but by their own sadness at every setback. Evan Zhao’s curse made their hearts grow heavier and heavier, until they lost the will to fight as human beings.
"Evan Zhao, I don’t know what you’re after, or why you’re here alone with your sorrow. But I’m leaving now. Let me out, right away!"
I was furious, thinking of generations of innocent villagers. I felt no sympathy for Evan Zhao anymore—only anger.
"Fine, you can stay too. In this world of sorrow, you’ll slowly die."
Suddenly, my mind went blank. Sourness and coldness flooded my body; my cheeks burned, and tears sprang from my eyes as sorrow crashed over me. I gritted my teeth and endured in silence.
"Sorrow? I’ve borne it alone for years."
A stream of white energy flowed from my body, and I felt much better. Immediately, Evan Zhao turned to mist and vanished. I spread my wings and soared into the sky—coexistence had already told me how to escape.
My flaming wings were stripped away, their power drained by Sorrowbane Power. The purple wings on my back turned fiery red. Sorrow made my strength mournful, but the power of Rachel Lan’s shadow self, born from sorrow, was different now. I raised the Phoenix Blade and slashed toward the sky.
With a column of fire shooting skyward, I tore open a gap and flew out in an instant. I was still in Fallen Hollow. Evan Zhao now stood floating on the roof of the Rivers Mansion, quietly watching me.
At this moment, I faced everything in my heart. I had known deep sorrow—alone as a child, when my father suddenly left, when I had no friends to confide in, when I grew tired of ghosts, and when I met Ethan Zhang. That time, I died. I know how sad death is. But when I woke again, hope instantly filled my heart, because I knew there was a man just like me, whose heart was always full of light, pulling me forward.
With a whoosh, Evan Zhao appeared before me, grabbing my throat with an icy hand. I swung the Phoenix Blade, but a surge of powerful ghostly energy instantly snuffed out the flames on my blade and the red wings behind me. I plummeted toward the ground, Evan Zhao's cold hand tightening around my neck.
"You bastard!"
I cursed, and suddenly red ghostly tendrils shot from my body, instantly binding Evan Zhao. Red Spider Lily Petals drifted around me, and a pair of icy hands caught me.
With a swish, John Chou appeared, wielding his pitch-black machete and swinging at Evan Zhao, who dodged nimbly.
"Thank you, Rachel Lan. Once I subdue Evan Zhao, you just need to wake him up. Leave the rest to me. Evan, I promised you long ago that one day we'd have a proper fight. Now it's time to fulfill that promise."
John Chou smiled, but Evan Zhao still wore a sorrowful expression. Suddenly, two Wraithlight Rods appeared in Evan’s hands. I was surprised to see he was holding two slender weapons—rod-like, glowing with eerie wraithlight.
"I originally advised John Chou not to seek out Evan Zhao. He’s too much trouble."
Isabelle Frost spoke, and I looked at her in confusion. She let go and placed me on a giant Spider Lily Petal. It made sense why she and her brother rushed here to find a Possessing Ghost—when they sought Tang Yao before, they weren’t nearly this concerned.
"What’s really going on?"
Isabelle Frost asked.
His power can suppress the undying souls spawned by Old Hell.
My eyes widened—I’d heard of this. In Old Hell, the ghosts revive after a time, even after death.
John Chou advanced, the air whistling as streaks of Wraithlight flashed past him. He dodged them all and closed in on Evan Zhao, swinging his machete fiercely.
With a swish, Evan Zhao’s body was cut in two—I stared in shock. Then he transformed into a dense green weapon; darkness engulfed everything, trapping John Chou inside.
Hurry, John Chou! Find Evan Zhao’s true body, or we’ll be trapped in this ghost domain!
Isabelle Frost shouted, her voice echoing with urgency.