Yun wasn't sure when he woke up again… or if he even woke up at all. The boundary between the illusion world and the real world kept getting thinner, like a badly washed painting where all the colors bleed together. His breath came out white in the cold air, even though the last illusion layer had been burning hot. Everything felt wrong and right at the same time.

He stood in a forest that seemed too real to be fake—leaves drifting down, cold soil under his feet, the distant sound of water somewhere. But Yun's instincts had sharpened too much lately. He knew this wasn't reality. The quiet was too quiet, even for a forest.

"Layer… what? Seven? Eight? I lost count," Yun muttered, rubbing his forehead. "Why does my head feel like someone hit it with a frying pan?"

No one answered, of course. The illusions never answered. But a wind pushed through the trees, and Yun felt something tugging at his chest—like a thread tied to his heart, pulling him somewhere deeper.

He followed it.

He had learned by now the illusions weren't random. They tested pieces of him. Fear. Anger. Attachment. Weakness. Pride. Memory. Even hope. Some illusions had almost broken him—others had sharpened him until he could feel thoughts slicing cleaner than a blade.

But this one felt different. Heavy. Like a final exam he hadn't studied for.

The forest faded gradually, the world cracking like glass… and Yun stepped into a wide, dark hall shaped like a temple that had half-collapsed. Moonlight fell through broken pillars. Strange symbols flickered across the walls like glowing fish.

At the center, a man stood waiting.

He wore pale robes. His presence was calm, but strong—stronger than anything inside the illusions so far. His hair was long and silver, his expression unreadable.

Yun felt the hairs on his arms rise.

"You…" the man said softly, "are late."

Yun blinked. "Late for what? I didn't exactly schedule an appointment."

The man smiled faintly just barely. "This is the Eighth Layer. The Illusion of Identity."

"Identity…?" Yun repeated slowly.

"Yes. All your life, you have been pushed by forces stronger than you. Hidden from truth. Sheltered, yet hunted." The man stepped forward. "This layer forces you to choose what kind of person you will become."

Yun swallowed. "I thought that's what all the other illusions were for."

"They shaped you," the man said. "But this one decides you."

A cold chill swept across the hall. Yun clenched his fists automatically.

Then the illusions shifted walls rippling like water and Yun suddenly saw three versions of himself standing across from him.

One version looked like the Yun who first entered the illusion realm—scared, wide-eyed, innocent, unsure of the world.

The second Yun looked fierce, cold-eyed, emotionless. A Yun who trusted no one, who burned enemies without hesitation.

The third Yun… looked balanced. Calm but warm. Intelligent but still human. Strong but not cruel.

The silver-haired man gestured at them.

"These are the paths that lead from your blood. You must choose which Yun you wish to become."

Yun's breath hitched. The first Yun trembled and said, "I… I don't want to fight anymore…"

The second Yun scoffed, "Weakness disgusts me."

The third Yun watched quietly, hands behind his back.

Yun's heart thudded.

He didn't want to lose himself.

But he didn't want to remain naive either.

He stepped forward slowly.

But before he could choose, the air cracked open with a violent shatter

BOOOOOM

Cosmic pressure slammed into the hall, ripping the illusions like torn fabric. Yun staggered backward, covering his ears as a voice thundered from beyond the illusion world.

"FOUND HIM—THE STAR CHILD—HE IS HERE!"

Hunters.

Real Hunters.

Not illusions.

Not shadows.

The ones his parents feared.

The silver-haired man's eyes widened.

"This layer… was not supposed to be interrupted!!"

The entire world buckled. Stars fell from the ceiling like broken glass. Yun could feel something reaching into the illusion realm clawing its way in.

And then voices echoed across the collapsing hall.

"Yun! Hold on!"

"Little master stay where you are!"

"We've located the breach—anchor the formation now!"

New voices. Not hostile.

Allies?

Yun didn't recognize them, but they felt familiar somehow—like destiny brushing against him.

The silver haired man grabbed Yun's shoulder.

"You must choose now! Who will you be?"

Yun stared at the three versions of himself.

One scared.

One heartless.

One balanced.

The hall crumbled around him. Hunters screamed from the cosmic tear. Light poured in.

Yun took a breath.

And stepped toward

The illusion collapsed at once.

The hall vanished.

The three Yuns vanished.

The silver-haired projection faded like dust.

And Yun stood in the ruins of the real ancient temple in the Celestial Sky gasping, sweating, heart pounding but with a new calmness in his eyes, sharper than before.

Shen Yu stood nearby, clothes torn from fighting off the cosmic predators that tried to enter. When he saw Yun stand, he exhaled.

"You chose," Shen Yu said quietly.

Yun nodded. "Yeah. I chose."

"…And?" Shen Yu asked.

Yun wiped his forehead and gave an answer he had never been able to give before—

A sharp, calm smile.

A new confidence.

And eyes that now held the stars.

"You'll see."

Shen Yu actually chuckled. "Good. You'll need that attitude… because the Celestial Sky is far more dangerous than anything we've faced yet."

Yun looked toward the horizon where floating mountains and torn skies stretched endlessly.

For the first time, instead of fear…

He felt ready.

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