Fen Ziyan's brows slowly furrowed.
'… What is this place?'
She lifted her gaze and for a brief moment, her breath caught.
... Above her stretched a night sky unlike any she had ever seen.
Countless stars shimmered in the endless darkness, scattered like fragments of light across the heavens.
…It was beautiful, serene, and almost unreal.
'…Is this a dream?'
The thought surfaced naturally, as if the scene itself was too difficult to believe was real.
With a quiet exhale, she began to walk forward.
Each step sent gentle ripples across the black ocean beneath her feet, the surface bending softly before returning to stillness.
The world remained silent and peaceful and even almost… strangely comforting.
For a rare moment, Fen Ziyan's usually sharp expression softened.
Her steps grew lighter, almost playful, and she even hummed faintly under her breath as she moved through the endless expanse of darkness and starlight.
But then her eyes brightened.
