17. Revelation.

"Hey," Lu Shui Hua called out with a hint of urgency, his voice reverberating through the expansive room.

"If you're going to tell a story without an end, why bother telling anyway?" he added, his words resonating deeply within the vast space.

Engrossed in the presence of Huo Nüshén, who stood behind him, engaged in some undisclosed activity, Lu Shui Hua remained oblivious to the intricately carved sculptures and architectural wonders that adorned the room.

"I just don't understand..."

"Shhh..."

Huo Nüshén abruptly interrupted him, cutting off his incomplete sentence. As he shifted his gaze from the candles he had been diligently lighting, he directed his piercing eyes towards Lu Shui Hua, catching him off guard.

Lu Shui Hua couldn't believe what he was witnessing. It felt like a surreal dream, yet the overwhelming reality sent shivers down his spine. Right before his very eyes, Huo Nüshén's eyes erupted into fierce flames, instantly engulfing the entire room with his potent aura. Each candle ignited, dispersing an ethereal glow throughout the once dim space. It resembled a sacred sanctuary, bathed in a fiery illumination.

Those eyes held an inexplicable enchantment, beckoning Lu Shui Hua and luring him into a trance-like state as he remained fixated on Huo Nüshén.

"Shu Hua," Lu Shui Hua heard a voice, a voice that seemed to echo within his mind.

He called his name, yet Huo Nüshén's lips had not moved at all.

It felt as if the voice resided solely in his head, a telepathic connection with his innermost thoughts.

He yearned to respond, to say something, but the enchantment held him captive, rendering him speechless.

"You cannot speak in the sacred room, Shui Hua," Huo Nüshén's voice echoed once more, filling Lu Shui Hua with an overwhelming sense of terror.

"Don't be frightened... Only in this form can I find the confidence I need to express the inevitable," Huo Nüshén's words left Lu Shui Hua speechless, leaving him at a loss for words. All he could do was continue to gaze in awe.

Shui Hua raised an eyebrow, perplexed by these cryptic words.

Inner voice?

What now?

"That is your inner voice, Shui Hua."

You can hear me? Lu Shui Hua questioned within his thoughts, his gaze still transfixed on those blazing eyes.

"Yes..." Huo Nüshén's unwavering gaze never faltered. "And so can he."

What?

Who?

Before he could inquire further, the flame of a recently lit candle suddenly extinguished, leaving only a wispy trail of smoke as evidence of its previous illumination.

"He is here."

W-Who?

"My master."

Lu Shui Hua couldn't believe what he was hearing, unable to find words to describe the fear gripping his very being. Tremors ran through his body, overwhelmed by the knowledge that the person now present was the same merciless individual Huo Nüshén had described moments ago. How was he supposed to react? He had been warned that this person harbored deep disdain for humans, stories of torment and suffering inflicted upon them.

But... he's human!

I-I-I can't see him...

"But he sees you," Huo Nüshén's voice echoed once more.

I-I-I don't wish to see him. Lu Shui Hua stated matter-of-factly, intensely trembling.

"Your presence in the sacred chamber has already summoned him, Shui Hua. Only you possess the power to accomplish that."

What does that even mean?

"You are unable to see him because your eyes still carry mortality, and his mortal form has not yet been fashioned."

M-My eyes? I don't understand.

"You are his weakness, Shui Hua."

What?

"You were his curse".