The silence lingered longer than it should have.
Lin Mo stood where Mo Ran had left him.
Still.
Unmoving.
As if the world had shifted and he hadn't yet caught up.
"…This shouldn't have happened."
The words were quiet.
Almost lost in the wind.
But they were true.
Because nothing about this,
About him
Was supposed to feel this way.
And yet…
It did.
Lin Mo closed his eyes briefly.
But the moment he did
A memory surfaced.
Unwanted.
Uninvited.
But impossible to ignore.
It had been their first encounter.
Not planned.
Not expected.
Just another mission.
Or at least
That's what Lin Mo had believed.
"The disturbance is minor."
That was what he had been told.
A routine descent.
A simple task.
Nothing more.
But the moment he stepped into the lower realm
He knew something was wrong.
The air had felt heavier.
Darker.
Not chaotic
But controlled.
As if something was watching.
Waiting.
"Strange…"
Lin Mo had murmured softly, his gaze scanning the empty surroundings.
There was no visible threat.
No immediate danger.
And yet
The unease refused to fade.
"…You're late."
The voice had come from behind him.
Low.
Calm.
Too calm.
Lin Mo turned instantly.
And that
That was the moment everything changed.
A figure stood not far from him.
Draped in darkness
But not consumed by it.
His presence didn't feel chaotic.
Didn't feel wild.
It felt…
Controlled.
Dangerously so.
"You shouldn't be here," Lin Mo had said immediately.
Calm.
Firm.
Like an angel should be.
A faint smile had appeared on the stranger's lips.
"…And yet, you came to me."
That answer,
It had been strange.
Too familiar.
Too certain.
"I didn't come for you."
"…Didn't you?"
Silence.
Because,
Even then,
Something about it had felt off.
Lin Mo had stepped forward.
Careful.
Measured.
"…Identify yourself."
The man had tilted his head slightly.
As if amused.
"…You can't tell?"
And that..
That was when Lin Mo realized it.
The energy.
The presence.
The overwhelming pressure beneath the calm surface.
"…A demon."
The word had come out colder than intended.
The man smiled.
Slowly.
"…Not just any demon."
Silence.
Heavy.
Lin Mo's grip had tightened.
"…Leave."
"…No."
That was it.
Simple.
Direct.
Refusing.
And that was when everything should have ended.
When Lin Mo should have acted.
Should have forced him away.
Should have completed the mission.
But he didn't.
Because instead of attacking
He hesitated.
Just for a second.
But that second
Changed everything.
"…Why aren't you attacking?" the demon had asked quietly.
Lin Mo hadn't answered.
Because
He didn't know.
"…Strange," the demon murmured.
"…You don't look afraid."
"I'm not."
"…Good."
A step closer.
"…Because neither am I."
That had been the moment.
The first crack.
The first mistake.
Because from that point on
Things had never been simple again.
Lin Mo opened his eyes.
The memory faded
But the feeling remained.
Stronger than before.
"…It started back then."
And now
There was no turning back.
The air shifted again.
Sharp.
Cold.
Watching.
Heaven.
Lin Mo straightened immediately.
His expression returning to calm
Controlled
Untouchable.
But inside
Everything had already changed.
To be continued… 🖤🔥