Sophie's apartment was in disarray, candlelight casting restless shadows across the cluttered furniture and battered walls. The air was heavy with the scent of burnt wax and a tension that felt like the aftermath of thunder. In the center of the chaos, Alex lay sprawled on the faded rug, a protective talisman slipping from his brow, still warm to the touch.
Xiaohuo (小火) pressed himself against the wall, fighting to steady his breath. Echoes of the red-lit crack's sinister voice still curled around his thoughts, seductive and threatening in turn. Every shadow in the room seemed sharper, every sound more dangerous.
Sophie knelt beside Alex, checking his pulse and whispering a calming word. Maya stood back, arms folded tight, gaze flickering warily between every person in the room. Ethan, pale and hollow-eyed, looked as though something unseen had drained half the color from his soul.
"We can't keep letting it attack us on its terms," Sophie said, voice low but unyielding. "That last assault proved it—the crack's influence can pierce our defenses, even if only for moments."
Xiaohuo nodded, fingers clenching into fists as he forced his fear into focus. "We need to understand what these things really are. What is the crack, truly?"
Sophie reached for her battered manuscript, flipping through brittle pages inked with symbols and diagrams. "The old records say the crack isn't just a rift between worlds. It's a wound in the layer of human consciousness—the boundary where our fears and desires bleed through. Sometimes it's a ghost. Sometimes it's a dream. Sometimes, something worse."
Maya spoke softly, almost to herself. "I see my nightmares in there. But they seem more real than anything I remember in waking life."
Ethan's voice trembled, a raw edge in every word. "That voice—just now—it told me to surrender. Said the pain would end if I just gave up. For a moment, I almost believed it."
Sophie looked over at Xiaohuo, tone gentler. "What did it say to you?"
For a moment, Xiaohuo's eyes clouded. He remembered the promises, the whispers. "It offered me power. Freedom. Said if I crossed over, I'd get everything I ever wanted. But… I know what I want. I want to protect you all. I won't let anyone be lost."
A sudden crash startled them all—the sharp ring of breaking glass from the street below. Instinctively, Sophie rushed to reinforce the talismans on the windows, murmuring protective words. Xiaohuo clutched his prayer beads, feeling the dark chill pressing at the edges of the room.
A frantic knocking hammered at the door. Maya flinched, Ethan stepped back. Sophie called out, "Who's there?"
On the other side, a man's voice—hoarse, desperate, and heavily accented—pleaded, "Please, let me in! It's after me!"
Xiaohuo and Sophie exchanged a glance, and Sophie quickly undid the ward on the door. A blond man stumbled inside, his coat and face streaked with a black, oily residue that seemed to writhe in the candlelight.
"I'm David," he gasped, breath ragged. "I just moved in. A red crack opened in my wall. Something tried to pull me through—" His words broke off as he shuddered, eyes flickering with an unnatural red gleam.
Sophie's face hardened. "He's been marked by the crack!"
She and Xiaohuo moved fast, pinning David down as Maya and Ethan hurried to help, pressing talismans to his skin and chanting in unison. David's mutterings grew wild, the language warping into something ancient and venomous. The black stain spread, chilling the air, drawing in the room's warmth like a living thing.
"Heart united, evil out!" Sophie cried, slapping a talisman on David's forehead.
The shadows writhed. David screamed. Xiaohuo felt a force pulling at his mind, clawing for a way in, trying to collapse their circle. But Maya and Ethan held firm, joining hands with Sophie and Xiaohuo and completing the protective ring.
A sudden clarity came to Xiaohuo. He pressed his prayer beads to David's chest, focusing every ounce of will: "We're not afraid. Your tricks have no hold here!"
A burst of white radiance erupted, sweeping the shadows away. The black residue melted into nothing. David slumped over, breathing hard, the red light gone from his eyes.
Sophie wiped sweat from her brow. "The crack's mark can spread now—physical contact is enough. It's probing, looking for weak spots. If we don't act, it will find a way through."
Xiaohuo helped Maya to her feet, his own hands shaking. Looking around at his friends, he spoke with new resolve. "We can't just wait for the next assault. We have to find the source. Only then do we have a chance."
For a moment, the room was silent. Then one by one, the others nodded. Sophie squeezed Xiaohuo's hand. "We still have each other. As long as we stand together, there's hope."
Outside, the wind howled, carrying with it the echoes of a world not their own. The night was far from over—but hope, fragile and bright, had begun to burn.