Dawn.
Liu Xia hadn't stepped out yet—
When the door was pushed open.
—
Jesse stood at the doorway.
—
Liu Xia glanced at her.
"You again," he said.
—
Jesse didn't waste words.
"Come," she said.
—
Liu Xia frowned.
"No," he said.
—
Jesse didn't explain.
She looked at him.
"You can't stay here anymore," she said.
—
Liu Xia: "…"
"You people say that every day," he said.
—
Jesse didn't respond.
She stepped aside.
Outside the door—
Two people stood.
—
Not like yesterday.
Colder.
More composed.
—
Liu Xia glanced at them.
"Another confirmation?" he said.
—
One of them spoke:
"Not confirmation," he said.
"Relocation."
—
Liu Xia frowned.
"No," he said.
—
The air went quiet.
—
Jesse looked at him.
"If you stay here," she said,
"They'll come again."
—
Liu Xia: "What does that have to do with me?"
—
Jesse paused.
Then said:
"This time, it's not a test."
—
She looked at him.
"It's removal."
—
The air sank slightly.
—
Liu Xia looked at her.
Didn't speak.
—
After two seconds—
He sighed.
"Troublesome," he said.
—
He stood up.
"Let's go."
—
His tone was casual.
—
Like he was just changing to another task.
—
—
They left the laborers' quarters.
Walked inward.
—
Not the mountain gate.
Not the inner sect.
—
Deeper.
—
No one on the path.
Very clean.
—
The deeper they went—
The quieter it became.
—
Liu Xia walked, then paused.
"Why is no one here," he said.
—
No one answered.
—
Ahead—
A door appeared.
—
Not wood.
Not stone.
—
Like a "boundary."
—
Unclear.
But there.
—
The two men stopped.
Didn't go further.
—
One of them said:
"Inside."
—
Jesse glanced at Liu Xia.
"Go in," she said.
—
Liu Xia frowned.
"What's inside?"
—
Jesse didn't answer immediately.
She looked at the "door."
Paused.
—
"A place with problems," she said.
—
Liu Xia: "…"
"You people really know how to pick," he said.
—
He walked over.
Stopped at the door.
—
Looked.
—
"Just go in?" he said.
—
Jesse nodded.
—
Liu Xia reached out.
Touched it.
—
No feeling.
—
He stepped forward.
—
—
Passed through.
—
—
The next second—
—
The sound changed.
—
Not quiet.
—
Wrong.
—
He stood there.
Looked around.
—
This—
Was still the sect.
But—
Not the same.
—
The ground was there.
The sky too.
—
But some parts—
Didn't connect.
—
In the distance—
A person walking.
—
Halfway—
—
Back to the starting point.
—
Walk again.
—
Back again.
—
—
Elsewhere—
Someone spoke.
—
"Go."
—
The voice repeated three times.
—
Same tone each time.
—
Like a recording.
—
—
Liu Xia stood there.
Watched for a bit.
—
"This place is pretty broken," he said.
—
—
The air paused slightly.
—
The person in the distance—
Stopped.
—
The loop—
Broke.
—
He stood still.
Stunned.
—
"Just now…"
he said.
—
Elsewhere—
The repeated voice—
Disappeared.
—
—
Liu Xia looked around.
—
"Not bad," he said.
—
—
Outside the door—
—
Jesse stood there.
—
She looked inside.
—
Her expression changed.
—
"That fast…"
she said quietly.
—
—
Inside—
—
Liu Xia walked forward.
—
The further he went—
The more things were "wrong."
—
Some people—
Stood completely still.
—
Some shadows—
Didn't match their owners.
—
Some sounds—
Appeared before the speakers.
—
—
Liu Xia frowned.
—
"Too messy," he said.
—
—
That sentence—
Fell.
—
The entire space—
Shuddered lightly.
—
Not collapse.
—
Reordering.
—
Misaligned shadows—
Returned.
—
Repeating sounds—
Vanished.
—
Looping paths—
Broke apart.
—
—
Everything—
Began to become "normal."
—
—
In the distance—
—
A deeper region—
—
A section of space that had always been "distorted"—
—
Paused.
—
Then—
For the first time—
Stabilized.
—
—
The air was quiet.
—
Not the wrong kind.
—
True quiet.
—
—
Liu Xia stood there.
Looked around.
—
"Would've been better like this earlier," he said.
—
—
Outside the door—
—
The two men stepped back at the same time.
—
Their expressions completely changed.
—
One said quietly:
"This isn't repair."
—
The other added:
"It's directly defining it as normal."
—
—
Jesse didn't speak.
—
She looked at the person inside.
—
For the first time—
No doubt.
—
She confirmed one thing.
—
"This place wasn't made to test him."
—
She paused.
—
"It was made to prove—"
—
She didn't finish.
—
But she knew.
—
—
Inside—
—
Liu Xia continued walking deeper.
—
He didn't know—
—
That what he had just done—
—
Had made this place—
—
Recover for the first time.