The world around Jin cracked.
The moment Yooha collapsed, the air around them warped, shifting as though reality itself was bending.
Boom.
A violent gust of wind knocked Jin back, his grip slipping from Yooha's limp form.
Then—
Silence.
Jin's heart raced in his chest. He turned to see the others, but they were frozen in place, motionless, their faces pale and distant.
Yooha's body lay before him.
But her soul? It was gone.
The spirit realm.
He could feel it, a vast abyss stretching out before him, filled with swirling mists, shadows, and echoes of forgotten memories.
"Yooha…" he whispered.
A voice—cold and distant—rang through his mind.
"You cannot save her from this realm."
Jin gritted his teeth. "Watch me."
The voice chuckled darkly.
"You think love is enough? You cannot control her destiny, not this time."
Jin's aura flared. His powers pulsed violently, dark veins of divine energy coursing through him. He stepped forward, determined, his resolve unbreakable.
"Then I'll break it," Jin growled. "I'll fight for her, no matter the cost."
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the distance. A silhouette of black robes, eyes glowing a fierce red.
Ghost Gordon.
"You really think you can change her fate, Hoshin?" the figure mocked. "She was always destined to be a weapon, a tool for our cause."
Jin's eyes darkened. "I'll carve through your plans and protect her. No one will control her again."
The figure laughed. "You're too late."
The ground beneath Jin's feet shattered.
A force of unimaginable darkness surged toward him.
Jin's power crackled, lightning coursing through the air. "I'll destroy every chain you've placed on her."
Just as the attack struck, a flash of light illuminated the darkness.
Yooha's voice.
"Jin… don't. The truth of my past… it's my burden."
Jin faltered. "No. You're not alone. I'll share that burden."
But Yooha's form flickered. She appeared as a ghost, her eyes hollow, her expression haunted.
"No. You need to leave," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'll be lost… forever if you stay."
Jin's heart shattered. "I'm not going anywhere."
In a desperate rush, he reached for her.
But before he could touch her, she disappeared, leaving only a void in the air.
Jin's heart thudded in his chest. He felt the loss, the isolation, the impossibility of saving her.
"Jin, you must face your own darkness to save her."
The voice rang out again, the spirit realm flickering and shifting. An illusion of Jin appeared before him, a twisted version.
"You'll fail. You always fail, Jin. You're not strong enough."
Jin's fists clenched. "I'll never fail her again. I don't care if it costs me my life."
His voice roared as he plunged forward, ready to face his deepest fears, ready to break every chain that bound Yooha's soul.
But the trial had just begun.
To be continued…