'I erased you,' Aiden thought, the realization crushing him. 'I literally deleted your entire existence because the story wasn't getting enough views.'
Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the aura vanished.
Yan Shou's eyes closed. The red light faded. The oppressive pressure lifted like fog burning away under sunlight.
Long Chen gasped, air flooding back into his lungs. He collapsed forward onto his hands and knees, shaking violently. Sweat poured down his face. His heart hammered against his ribs so hard it hurt.
But the physical pain was nothing compared to the guilt.
'These are real people,' Aiden thought, staring at his trembling hands. 'The Slaughter Line. Yan Shou. All the disciples who were killed, all the masters who were betrayed—they're not just backstory. They're not disposable lore. They're real, and I'm the one who condemned them.'
