The colossal profound ark glided smoothly through the evening clouds, its massive jade and gold hull cutting through the sky with a low, rhythmic hum.
Down in the narrow, dimly lit corridors of the vessel's lower hold, away from the bustling main deck and the loud toasts of the celebrated sect disciples, the air was cold, stale, and silent.
Shen Xun'er had retreated into a shadowed alcove near the vessel's secondary formation ballast, her knees pulled tightly to her chest, her back pressed against the cold ironwood wall.
She was staring blankly at the smooth surface of the jade entry token cradled in her trembling fingers, her mind still trapped in the suffocating spiral of self-doubt.
TAP.
The soft, weightless sound of a boot striking the polished floorboards shattered the quiet.
Shen Xun'er froze, her breath instantly catching in her throat.
