Shen Lingxue struggled to look forward, only to see Fang Xiu sitting calmly on his throne, looking down at her indifferently as if he were a god. He held his chin in one hand, his eyes cold and distant.
"Fang Xiu! Did you create all this?" Shen Lingxue shouted.
Fang Xiu didn't reply. Instead, he coldly commanded, "Kneel."
His voice was like an emperor's decree, filled with an undeniable authority. Hearing this, Shen Lingxue panicked, realizing she couldn't control her body anymore, as if something was manipulating her.
"My body... it's not under my control, Fang Xiu! What are you trying to do?"
With a thud, Shen Lingxue found herself kneeling on the ground. This act of submission was humiliating for her, who had always been proud. She had never knelt before anyone, let alone before a man she despised.
"Crawl over here," Fang Xiu ordered.
Shen Lingxue, now filled with fear and anger, protested weakly, "No, don't"
Despite her struggles, she was powerless. She crawled toward Fang Xiu, step by step, like a dog.
Then, she felt a sharp pain in her face as Fang Xiu ruthlessly stepped on it, forcing her to kneel with her face under his foot.
"I'll kill you!" Shen Lingxue screamed, her voice muffled and somewhat funny due to her position.
Suddenly, Fang Xiu snapped his fingers, and the dark surroundings transformed into the Xiyuan community.
Shen Lingxue saw a nightmare unfold where her brother was being chased by Nightmare, who had turned into a butcher and was wielding a cleaver. The butcher toyed with her brother, occasionally slashing him, causing blood to splatter.
Upon seeing this, Shen Lingxue's eyes reddened with rage. "No! Don't hurt him!"
In this illusion, overwhelmed by pain, she lost her ability to think clearly, much like someone unaware they were dreaming.
Fang Xiu's indifferent voice broke the silence, "Want to save him?"
"Fang Xiu, what do you want? Don't hurt my brother! Come at me instead!"
"Beg me," Fang Xiu said coldly.
Shen Lingxue's heart trembled. Her pride wouldn't allow her to beg for mercy. The next moment, however, seeing her brother's arm being cut off, she couldn't bear it any longer. Tears of humiliation rolled down her cheeks.
"Please, please save my brother!" she begged, her voice weak and broken.
"Louder," Fang Xiu demanded.
"Please! Save my brother! Please, please," Shen Lingxue cried.
With a snap of his fingers, Fang Xiu dispelled the darkness, and his figure vanished. The scene shifted back to Shen Lingxue's home. Her brother sat on the couch, expressionless.
Rushing to him, Shen Lingxue hugged him, crying uncontrollably. To her shock, her brother coldly pushed her away, accusing her, "Why did you save me? Don't you realize that because you chose to save me, Nightmare went to the city center? Now everyone there is trapped in a deep sleep, never to wake again."
Suddenly, the TV turned on, showing news reports of chaos in the city center. Police tape cordoned off the area, and outside, countless people were crying and kneeling on the ground.
"Please, save my child!"
"Let me in. My wife is still in there!"
Shen Lingxue was struck with immense guilt, despair, and self-reproach.
"Do you see, sister? You caused all this! They've lost their families, their homes, everything, because of you! Why did you save me?" her brother yelled.
Then, in a frenzy, he ran to the window and jumped out from the fifteenth floor.
"No!" Shen Lingxue collapsed in despair.
The scene shattered like a mirror, returning to darkness. In the dim light, Fang Xiu sat on his throne, calmly watching the weeping Shen Lingxue.
"Kneel, crawl over here."
Once again, Fang Xiu stepped on her, but this time, Shen Lingxue didn't resist. She was like a broken puppet.
With a snap of his fingers, the scene of her brother being chased by the nightmare reappeared.
"What will you choose this time?" Fang Xiu asked indifferently.
Shen Lingxue saw her brother again, her eyes regaining some life. But as she thought of saving him, the images of the grieving people and her brother's tragic death flooded her mind.
A look of agony and struggle flashed in Shen Lingxue's eyes. After a long while, she closed her eyes in despair, remaining silent. Meanwhile, in the scene, her brother was being mercilessly tortured by the butcher. His screams echoed in her ears.
"Ah! Please, let me go! Sister! Where are you? Come and save me!"
Shen Lingxue kept her eyes tightly shut, tears streaming down her face and her body trembling uncontrollably. She wanted to speak several times, but each time, she stopped herself.
The scene shifted again. Shen Lingxue found herself back in her empty home but without her brother. Then, suddenly, her brother appeared, his face ashen like a ghost.
"Sister, why didn't you save me? Do you know I am trapped forever in this nightmare, eternally tormented?"
"Why didn't you save me? Why?!"
Shen Lingxue collapsed in despair. She rushed to embrace her brother, only to feel like she was hugging a cold, lifeless body.
"I'm sorry, so sorry," she cried until her voice was hoarse and weak. But her brother remained unaffected, repeatedly questioning her, "Why didn't you save me? Why?!"
Everything plunged into darkness again, and Fang Xiu reappeared. The previous scenes and choices played out repeatedly, like a cycle.
Once, twice, three times
On the eighteenth repetition, Shen Lingxue crawled over to Fang Xiu even before he spoke, her beautiful face marred by tears.
"Please, please, don't torture me anymore. I know I was wrong."
Fang Xiu remained unmoved, his voice cold as ever, "What will you choose this time?"
"No, no, no! No! I won't choose! I refuse to choose anything!"
But avoiding the decision was useless. The cycle continued relentlessly."