Jian was no longer in the ruined city.
The cold air, the blood-soaked roads, and the sound of Graylings shrieking somewhere in the distance—gone.
Instead, he was standing on something soft and strange. Beneath his boots, the surface rippled gently, like stepping on spongy clouds. The sky was a pale lavender, and everything shimmered faintly, as if dusted in stardust. He glanced around slowly. The space around him was vast and weightless, filled with silence so deep that it seemed to press against his ears.
It took him a few seconds to realize—this wasn't real. It was a dream.
A soft light pulsed ahead, drawing him forward. His body moved on its own, as if it knew where to go. The clouds gave beneath his steps but supported him just enough, bouncing gently with every movement. As he walked toward the glowing spot, he spotted a figure sitting far off, her form barely outlined in the golden light.
A woman.
