Ashen Rot!

As her garment slipped further, Zhao Tian noticed the faint, dark mark just above her heart, spreading across her chest in thin, inky tendrils.

It pulsed faintly, flickering with a strange, ominous light. The sight jolted him out of his daze, his admiration quickly shifting to concern.

"Jia..."

Guiding her gently, he led her to sit on the edge of the bed, her gaze fixed downward as she took a steadying breath. 

"The Ashen Rot... it's grown even more, hasn't it?" he muttered, his fingers grazing the edges of the darkened skin.

He could feel the unnatural chill that radiated from the mark, contrasting sharply with the warmth of her skin. 

Li Jia nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Yeah… It's been draining me slowly. It's like it's feeding off my energy, rotting away at my heart bit by bit. I thought I could manage it, but… it's spreading faster now."