"You will be shattered into nothingness, Li Chen!" the Great One roared, his laughter booming and echoing through the ruined hall, even as Li Chen, a dying star, pierced his defenses. "And she will watch your void, realizing how futile your sacrifice was! How foolish your love!"
The Great One’s voice pierced through Yueling, sharper than a crystal blade, colder than the vacuum of space. The words swirled in her mind, twisting a horrific truth: Li Chen was going to leave. Gone forever. And she, Yueling, would be left to watch the remnants of him fade away, destroyed by the power she had requested for the sake of their freedom. Tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her vision of the flash of purple light piercing the Great One’s defenses. No. I cannot let this happen. Not again.
She fel
