Li Chuan stood inside the dilapidated wooden cabin, rain seeping through the cracks and pooling on the floor. His fists were clenched, his body tense, as though the weight of the entire world was pressing down on him.
He looked at Su Na, the conflict in his heart intensifying. The Su Na before him was real, yet the Li Chuan on the other end of the phone haunted him. In the other world, his comrades were still fighting for their lives, and that Su Na faced inescapable danger.
"What should I do?" Li Chuan's thoughts were a tangled mess. The cries of battle, the pleas of his comrades, and the sorrowful face of that world’s Su Na cut through him like a blade.
His sense of duty, combined with the weight of his emotions, finally shattered the stillness around him. He realized at that moment—he couldn't keep running. He couldn't stay in a world that wasn't his.
Suddenly, a blinding flash of lightning split the sky, tearing through the downpour. The wind howled violently, shaking the walls of the cabin as if the entire space itself was trembling.
Li Chuan felt it immediately—an abnormal force in the air, as though the seams of time and space were twisting, shrinking.
Su Na's face paled, her eyes wide with fear. "Li Chuan, look outside..." she whispered, her voice trembling, pointing toward the horizon where the sky seemed to distort, as if it were a curtain about to be ripped apart.
Li Chuan gazed at the sky, and it felt as though something was tearing open inside his chest. The air around him began to swirl, pulling him toward an invisible vortex.
His entire body tensed, as if he stood in the heart of the battlefield—the distant rumble of explosions and the sharp crack of gunfire inching ever closer.
The rift in space was closing fast, like a wound that was healing over, disappearing inch by inch. His breath grew heavier, his body instinctively leaning forward. He knew this was his last chance. A fierce determination surged inside him.
Li Chuan reached out, closing his eyes to focus on the pulse of time and space. Every ripple, every twist in the fabric of reality sent signals to him. He poured all his concentration into the fading rift, his fingertips trembling as he tried to connect with this world.
A familiar but powerful force surged into his body from every direction. He could feel the warping and chaos of time and space, as if the battlefield was starting to materialize from the void.
But just as he thought he had succeeded, the rift snapped shut, as if blocked by an unseen force. It sealed in an instant, vanishing as though it had never existed.
Frustration gripped him, and his clenched fists trembled slightly. He knew—time was running out.
"I have to go back." The faces of his comrades, Su Na’s image, flashed in his mind. The sacrifices, the pain—he couldn’t retreat any longer.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down, banishing all distractions. This time, he abandoned his reliance on external power. Instead, he focused on the energy within him, letting it merge with the rhythm of time and space. It felt as though every pulse of the universe was syncing with his breath.
Moments later, the resistance that had once pushed against him began to fade. The tension in the air dissolved. Li Chuan’s hands moved gently, and with a deep, resonating hum, the rift began to open once more, like a heavy door finally giving way.
On the other side of the rift, the burning battlefield appeared again. The heat of the flames and the acrid stench of smoke hit him like a wave.
"It worked..." Li Chuan whispered, a determined glint in his eyes. He turned around, casting one last, long look at Su Na, his gaze filled with a painful, unspoken farewell.
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This time, he had no choice but to say goodbye.
Su Na’s eyes were filled with unwavering resolve, though tears brimmed within them. Still, she did not try to stop him. "Go, Li Chuan. I believe in you," she said softly, her voice carrying no resentment, only deep trust.
With a determined step, Li Chuan crossed through the rift, the world before him splitting into a burst of blinding light. In the next second, his feet touched solid ground again, the air heavy with smoke and the stench of war—he was back on the battlefield.
His comrades were silently clearing the battlefield, their faces etched with exhaustion and loss. They believed Li Chuan had disappeared into the rift, never to return.
Zhang Nan and Old Zhao were discussing their next move, while Su Na stood aside, her face pale, eyes filled with endless sorrow.
Suddenly, through the dust and smoke, a shadowy figure began to take shape. Li Chuan’s steps were steady, though fatigue weighed heavily on his features. His comrades froze, staring in disbelief.
Old Zhao’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t trust what he was seeing. He stood motionless for a moment, then, overcome with joy, shouted, "Li Chuan is back!"
The soldiers quickly gathered around him, their faces a mix of shock and joy.
Old Zhao stepped forward, laughing as he slapped Li Chuan on the shoulder. "You really are tough! Not even a time rift can hold you!"
Meanwhile, Su Na stood frozen in place, tears silently streaming down her face, her hands trembling as though afraid to believe it was real.
The tears flowed down her cheeks as she stared at Li Chuan, slowly approaching. She wanted to speak, but no words would come.
She was terrified that if she spoke, this moment—this reunion—would shatter, and Li Chuan would vanish again.
Li Chuan approached her, slowly wiping away her tears with his hand. "Don’t cry. I’m back," he said softly.
Su Na couldn’t hold back any longer. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, her body trembling, tears flowing freely. In that moment, no words were needed—his heartbeat was all the proof she needed that he was truly there.
Li Chuan embraced her gently, warmth flooding his chest. He was no longer the lone warrior.
He had her, his comrades, and a greater responsibility.
Su Na, still choked with emotion, could barely speak. She stood before him, as if fearing this was just a dream.
Li Chuan gave a faint smile, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer. In that brief instant, the chaos of the battlefield seemed distant.
Though they exchanged no words, the emotions shared in their gaze spoke louder than any words could.
He wanted to tell her that the other world, the peaceful moments they had shared, still lingered deep within him.
Old Zhao gritted his teeth, his voice heavy with urgency. "We need to move fast. Time’s running out!"
Xiao Bai looked anxiously at Zhang Nan. "Their reinforcements are closing in. If we don’t act now, we may never get another chance!"
Su Na’s eyes burned with determination. "This time, we can’t fail. We have to stop the Greenlight Project!"
Zhang Nan unfolded the electronic map and pointed. "Here. Their secret military base. Let’s move!"
As they prepared for the next mission, Su Na and Zhang Nan stumbled upon a strange device on the body of an enemy soldier while clearing the battlefield. Su Na knelt down, picking up what appeared to be an encrypted electronic chip.
"What is this?" Su Na asked, her brows furrowed.
Xiao Bai quickly examined it. "Looks like a key device from the Bureau of Order... but it’s incomplete, missing crucial data."
Zhang Nan scanned the area, his eyes sharp. "They’re hiding something. We need to find the rest."
They continued searching, and after a while, Su Na accidentally kicked aside a metal shard, revealing a hidden black box.
Xiao Bai’s eyes widened in shock. "That’s it. This black box and the chip—it’s all part of a set. Whatever secrets the Bureau of Order is hiding, it’s inside this."
Su Na knelt, gently brushing away the dust on its surface, revealing the Bureau’s emblem. Her heart raced—this was the key they had been searching for.