It was hard to believe it was all a curated illusion.
"I’m going to find the City of Souls," Xiaochen said, pulling his hood over his white-streaked hair.
"A wise choice. But remember, Xiaochen... the Void is a jealous master. The more you use it, the more it takes. Don't lose sight of that 'humanity' you’re so fond of. It’s the only thing that keeps you from being just another monster in the dark."
"I know."
Xiaochen turned east, his silhouette a dark blot against the golden grass. He walked with a steady, tireless pace, his black eyes fixed on the distant horizon. Behind him, the smoke from the Qingyun Sect rose in a single, straight line, a black pillar that mirrored the ones in the sky.
The first chapter of his life was over. The boy was dead, buried under the ash of his home.
Th
