The air didn't settle.
It grew heavier.
Colder.
Unforgiving.
Lin Mo couldn't move.
Not because he didn't want to
But because the pressure above him refused to allow it.
Absolute.
Overwhelming.
"…So this is where you've been."
The voice echoed again.
Calm.
But final.
Lin Mo slowly lowered his gaze.
"…My Lord."
Mo Ran didn't kneel.
Didn't bow.
Didn't move at all.
Instead
His grip on Lin Mo tightened slightly.
"…Let go of him."
The command came instantly.
Sharp.
Unquestionable.
Silence.
Mo Ran didn't respond.
Didn't release him.
"…I won't say it again."
The air cracked.
Pressure surged
Violent.
Unrelenting.
Lin Mo's breath hitched
But before the force could fully reach him
Mo Ran moved.
He stepped forward.
Placing himself between Lin Mo and the descending light.
"…Don't."
The word came low.
Dangerous.
Lin Mo's eyes widened slightly.
"…Mo Ran"
"Stay back."
This time
It wasn't a request.
It was a command.
The Heavenly Lord's presence stilled for a moment.
"…A demon… dares to interfere."
The tone didn't rise.
But the weight behind it
Was enough to crush anything beneath it.
Mo Ran didn't flinch.
"…If you want him"
A pause.
"…you go through me."
Silence.
Heavy.
Because
That wasn't defiance.
That was a declaration.
Lin Mo's chest tightened.
"…Stop."
But neither of them listened.
"…You've already crossed the line."
The Heavenly Lord's voice turned colder.
"…There is no return for you."
That wasn't just directed at Mo Ran.
Lin Mo felt it.
Felt the meaning behind those words.
"…Lin Mo."
His name echoed again.
"…You were given purpose."
A pause.
"…You were given order."
Another pause.
"…And yet you chose chaos."
Silence.
Lin Mo's hands clenched slowly.
"…I chose nothing."
"…You chose him."
The words landed
Direct.
Unavoidable.
Lin Mo didn't respond.
Because
There was no denying it anymore.
The truth had already been seen.
The Heavenly Lord raised a hand slightly
And the sky responded.
Light gathered.
Condensed.
Sharp enough to cut through existence itself.
"…Then you will be judged."
The moment those words fell
The world shifted.
Lin Mo felt it instantly.
A force
Pulling.
Dragging.
His body tensed
As if something was trying to tear him away.
"…No"
Mo Ran reacted immediately.
His hand shot forward
Grabbing Lin Mo again
Refusing to let go.
"…You're not taking him."
The air exploded.
Light and darkness collided
Violent.
Unstable.
The ground beneath them cracked.
Lin Mo's vision blurred
The pressure unbearable now
"…Mo Ran let go"
"No."
The answer came without hesitation.
Stronger than before.
"…If I let go now"
A pause.
"…I lose you."
That
That broke something.
Lin Mo's breath stopped.
Because
For the first time
Those words weren't hidden.
They were real.
The light surged again
Stronger.
Colder.
Final.
"…Enough."
The Heavenly Lord's voice cut through everything.
And this time
There was no resistance.
The force struck.
Separating them.
Mo Ran's grip
Slipped.
Lin Mo was pulled away
Dragged upward
Into the blinding light.
"…LIN MO!"
The shout echoed
Raw.
Uncontrolled.
But it was too late.
The distance between them grew
Faster.
Further.
Until
Lin Mo disappeared completely.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Broken.
Below
Mo Ran stood still.
His hand still raised
As if reaching for something no longer there.
"…You took him."
The words came out quietly.
But the air around him
Shifted.
Darkened.
Dangerous.
"…Then I'll take him back."
Far above
Lin Mo's consciousness faded.
The last thing he saw
Was the light.
And the last thing he felt
Was something breaking inside him.
To be continued… 🖤🔥