Rui stared at Shen, startled by the understanding in his eyes.
Shen's expression softened momentarily before shifting to something more focused.
"What were you and Zou doing in the Void Realm in the first place?" he asked, his tactical mind already working through the problem.
Rui sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Zou brought me there to practice my chaos magic." She glanced at Zou's still form.
"He said it was a place where chaos energy flows naturally."
"And he was right, I felt stronger there, more connected to my power. I was actually making progress until..."
"Until the void creatures attacked," Shen finished for her, his brow furrowing.
"That's highly unusual. The Void Realm has been desolate for millennia. Nothing has lived there since the fall of the Eternal King's civilization."
"You know about the Void Realm?" Rui asked, surprised.
Shen nodded.
"Every military commander studies ancient battlegrounds. The Void was one of the most significant."
