"RUI!"
Jin's anguished cry barely pierced through the high-pitched ringing in her ears.
Outside the crimson barrier, Zou slammed his fists against the wall, frantic.
"We need to help her! She's dying in there!"
Rui's consciousness shifted away from Jin's desperate cries and the Behemoth's triumphant roar.
She opened her eyes.
She was no longer on the battlefield.
Rui stood alone in a vast, dark stone chamber.
Each of her footsteps echoed like whispers in a tomb.
Water dripped steadily in the distance.
Her body felt light and detached from the agony that had consumed her only moments before.
"Where… am I?" she whispered.
Her voice bounced back at her, distorted by the emptiness.
At the far end of the chamber, a spiral staircase twisted upward into shadow.
With each beat of her chaos core, the stairs shimmered faintly—soft pulses of pink-gold light blooming and fading like a heartbeat.
They called to her.
She stepped toward the staircase cautiously. As her foot touched the first step, the world shimmered.
Suddenly, she was a young child again, dressed in embroidered silk, her tiny hand hurling a golden goblet at a servant.
"I hate you!" She screamed, her young face contorted with rage.
The servant flinched. The dessert tray clattered to the floor.
Rui gasped and recoiled, blinking the vision away.
But the staircase pulsed again.
She climbed.
Another memory took shape—older now.
"You'll never be as powerful as your father." A courtier is laughing under his breath.
In the vision, Rui sneered and snapped her fingers, igniting the hem of the man's robes.
Flames danced as the man shrieked and stumbled, trying to extinguish the fire.
She winced but kept climbing.
Each step brought another echo from her past, moments that she had given in to her wrath.
Halfway up, she paused—hand trembling on the cold stone railing.
Each outburst had once felt righteous.
But now… she saw what lay beneath.
The pieces fit together like glass shards, slicing at her chest.
Her wrath hadn't been strength but a reflection of her fear.
Fear of failure, of being unloved, of being left behind.
She had wrapped herself in anger because it felt safer than vulnerability.
"I was afraid," she whispered, her voice echoing softly through the endless dark.
"All this time… I was just afraid."
Rui continued ascending the staircase, each step feeling lighter than the last.
The weight of wrath faded behind her as golden light shimmered through the surrounding darkness.
As she reached the next step, the void transformed.
She awakes in her bedroom, bathed in the soft amber glow of dawn.
A familiar weight rested against her side.
Kee Kee, curled up and radiated surprising warmth. His familiar grumble echoed through the air.
"You're not going to die on me, are you?
Despite the grousing tone, he nuzzled closer, tiny claws hooking into her sleeve.
"I followed you into this wretched mortal realm. Don't make me regret it."
The memory flickered and faded as she climbed again.
The air shimmered as Zou appeared before her, his golden eyes serious despite his teasing smile.
"My princess," he said, bowing with uncharacteristic sincerity.
"Where you go, I follow. Even into the jaws of death itself."
He straightened, flicking his fan open with practiced grace.
"Though I'd prefer somewhere with better lighting and perhaps some decent wine."
The memory lingered longer than the others, Zou's loyalty shining through his flamboyance like sunlight through stained glass.
Another step, and she was back in Jin's tent.
His fingers brushed hair from her face, his touch impossibly gentle. His eyes held hers, dark and earnest in the dim light.
"I'll always choose you," he whispered, the words settling into her bones like truth.
"In this life and whatever comes after."
Rui's heart ached as the memory settled deep in her chest.
They had all seen her at her worst.
The selfish, bratty, impulsive, and chaotic princess.
And still, they had stayed.
They chose me for me.
"I am loved," she whispered, the revelation spreading through her like wildfire.
The final step brought her to a circular platform.
At its center floated a crystal sphere pulsing with pink-gold light—her Chaos Core.
Hairline fractures spread across its surface, but the light within burned steadily, refusing to dim.
Rui approached slowly, drawn by its familiar warmth.
This was her essence—chaotic, unpredictable, but resilient.
Her fingertips touched the fractured surface. The crystal shook, then burst into blinding light.
Rui gasped awake, her body arching upward as pink-gold chaos energy flickered around her like lightning.
The Behemoth loomed above, its massive form blotting out the crimson sky, talons poised to deliver a final blow.
Rui's hand shot out, fingers closing around the hilt of the Mercy Dagger where it had fallen.
The dagger trembled, then began to transform.
The blade lengthened, metal flowing like liquid. Pink-gold veins of light spread through the steel, pulsating in perfect rhythm with her chaos core.
Within seconds, the dagger had become a magnificent sword.
The Behemoth tilted its massive head, eyes narrowing.
"A new toy won't save you, Princess."
Rui rose to her feet, her movements fluid and certain.
The sword hummed in her grip, an extension of herself rather than a separate weapon.
She felt lighter, faster—as if the acceptance of her fears had removed invisible chains.
"This isn't just a toy," she said, her voice steady. "This is the Sword of Mercy."
The Behemoth laughed, a sound like thunder.
"Mercy? What a weak name from a weak princess."
She said nothing and simply dashed forward, her speed impossibly enhanced.
The world blurred around her as she moved, the sword leaving trails of pink-gold light in its wake.
Before the Behemoth could react, she swung—a clean, precise arc that connected with terrible force.
The beast's massive arm separated from its body, falling to the ground with a thunderous impact.
The Behemoth roared, staggering backward, black ichor spraying from the wound.
From outside the barrier, Kee Kee and Zou erupted in wild cheers.
"That's my princess!" Zou shouted, fists pumping in the air.
"Aim for the throat next time!" Kee Kee added, bouncing excitedly. "Slice that ugly beast!"
The Behemoth steadied itself, rage replacing its surprise.
It snarled, its remaining arm growing larger, claws extending.
Rui simply smiled, the Sword of Mercy glowing brighter in her hand.
"I'm just getting started."
Rui lunged forward again, the Sword of Mercy slicing through the air with deadly precision. The blade connected with the Behemoth's massive chest, carving a deep gash that split its torso.
Black ichor sprayed outward, but beneath the darkness, something glowed—a pulsing blue core that matched Jin's aura perfectly.
"Jin," she whispered, her voice catching.
The wound began to close almost immediately, flesh knitting together as the beast's regeneration kicked in.
But as the Behemoth healed, Rui noticed Jin lying on the ground. His face had grown ashen, his breathing shallow.
"No!" Rui shouted.
She understood with terrible clarity—the beast was feeding on Jin's life force to heal itself.
Each regeneration drained Jin further, pulling more of his essence into the monster.
The Behemoth laughed, a sound like stones grinding together.
"Now you see, Princess. You cannot defeat me without killing him. We are bound together, two sides of the same soul."
Jin raised his head weakly.
"Rui... use the sword. End this."
She tightened her grip on the Sword of Mercy, its pink-gold light flickering as uncertainty crept in.
Every blow she landed on the beast hurt Jin. But doing nothing meant watching him fade away completely.
Rui lowered her sword and knelt beside Jin's weakened form. His skin felt cold beneath her fingers as she gently traced the contours of his face.
"Jin, listen to me," she whispered, her voice steady despite the chaos around them. "This isn't just my trial. It's yours too."
"What do you mean?" he asked, voice barely audible.
"You have to stop fighting it. You have to let go of the past."
Jin's expression tightened. "The beast destroyed everything I loved. My village, my family—"
"And you've carried that guilt ever since," Rui interrupted softly.
"But it wasn't your fault. You were a child."
The Behemoth roared behind them, but Rui didn't turn. Her focus remained entirely on Jin.
"How can I just... let go?" His voice broke at the last word.
Rui leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead, a gentle benediction.
"Same way I did," she murmured against his skin.
"By accepting that pain is part of you, but it doesn't define you."
Rui pulled Jin to his feet, supporting his weight against her side. His body trembled, but his eyes held a new determination.
"Together," she whispered, guiding his hand to rest atop hers on the Sword of Mercy's hilt.
The blade flared brighter at their combined touch, pink-gold light intertwining with threads of electric blue.
The Behemoth charged toward them, each thunderous step shaking the ground. Its massive jaws opened wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth.
"Focus on your connection to it," Rui urged. "It's your power—claim it back."
Jin nodded, closing his eyes. His breathing steadied as he reached out with his consciousness, seeking the familiar energy that had been part of him since childhood.
The Behemoth faltered mid-charge, its massive form shuddering as if struck.
Jin's face tightened with concentration.
The beast's chest began to glow, the blue light pulsing erratically beneath its dark hide. Tendrils of azure energy stretched outward, drawn inexorably back toward Jin.
"The power was always mine," Jin continued, standing straighter now. "I just needed to accept it."
The blue light flowed back into him in steady streams, pouring through the air and absorbing into his skin.
"Now, Rui!" Jin cried.