Rocot: Reborn

The shadow ignored Claire's panic and continued to move closer. Every step seemed to step on Claire's nerves, making her almost breathless. She stepped back subconsciously, but found that she had been forced into the corner of the hall, with no way to retreat.

"You...what do you want to do?" Claire's voice was trembling, but she pretended to be calm. She tried not to look so scared, but her slightly shaking shoulders betrayed her.

The shadow stopped in front of her, and his scarlet eyes were like two will-o'-the-wisp fires, scanning her face as if to see through all her disguises. "What do you think, little girl?" His deep voice was teasing, as if he was teasing a panicked prey.

Claire bit her lip, clenched her fists, and forced herself to calm down. She knew that facing such a madman, being afraid and retreating would only make him more excited. She had to find a way to delay time and wait for rescue, or... find an opportunity to fight back!

"You want the power of the Heart of Creation. I can help you." Claire took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound calm and confident. "I know how to control it. I can help you achieve your goal."

The shadow seemed to be intrigued by her words, and his scarlet eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was evaluating the truth of her words. "Oh? You know how to control it?" There was a hint of doubt in his tone, "Just you? A little girl who is still wet behind the ears?"

"Don't underestimate me!" Claire puffed out her chest, trying to make herself look more imposing. "I know much more than you think. Lu Li...he has collected a lot of information about the 'Heart of Creation', and I know where they are stored."

The shadow was silent for a moment, as if he was weighing the pros and cons. Claire's heart was in her throat. She didn't know if her words could move this madman, but she had no other choice.

"Very good." The shadow finally spoke, with a hint of barely perceptible excitement in his tone, "Take me there."

Claire breathed a sigh of relief, but she didn't dare to let her guard down. She knew that this was just the first step, and there would be more dangerous challenges waiting for her.

The shadow seemed to see through her thoughts. He suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist with such force that he almost crushed her bones. "Don't play tricks, little girl." He leaned close to her ear and spoke in a deep voice like a poisonous snake. "Otherwise, you will regret coming into this world."

Claire frowned in pain, but didn't dare to resist. She knew that now was not the time to tear her face apart. She endured the pain and forced a smile, "Don't worry, I won't joke with my life."

The shadow finally let her go with satisfaction and turned to walk deeper into the hall. Claire rubbed her wrist and followed him, her mind racing, looking for a chance to escape.

They walked through long corridors, passed by closed metal doors, and finally came to a huge stone door engraved with complex runes. The shadow stopped and turned around, and his scarlet eyes looked particularly strange in the dim light.

"Open it," he ordered.

Claire took a deep breath, walked to the stone door, and carefully observed the runes on it. These runes were ancient and mysterious, emitting a faint magical fluctuation. Claire had seen similar records in Lu Li's materials. It was said to be a powerful sealing technique in ancient times.

"How do I open it?" the black shadow asked impatiently, with a hint of threat in his tone.

"It will take some time." Claire didn't look back. She could already feel the shadow's patience running out, but she had to stay calm and not reveal any flaws.

She reached out her hand and gently stroked the cold stone door, feeling the ancient power contained in the runes. Her fingertips began to feel slightly hot, and strands of light blue light flowed out from her fingertips and slowly seeped into the runes on the stone door.

When the black shadow saw this scene, his scarlet eyes suddenly lit up, and he stared at Claire with greedy eyes, as if she was a rare treasure in the world.

"Hurry up!" he urged, with a hint of irrepressible excitement in his voice.

Claire ignored him and continued to concentrate on controlling her magic. She knew that she was playing with fire and that if she was not careful, she would get burned. But she had no way out and could only go all out.

As more and more magic power was injected, the runes on the stone gate began to glow and emit a low humming sound, as if a sleeping beast was waking up.

At this moment, Claire suddenly felt a strong mental force invading her mind, trying to control her consciousness. She was startled and pulled her hand back suddenly, but it was too late...