I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Zhang Wanqing and Fengxi stood on a barren plain, a chill wind whipping up dust and blurring their vision. Before them, a vast labyrinth rose from the ground, its stone walls towering, eerie and mysterious. At the entrance to this maze, an ancient inscription read: "Those who are lost will remain trapped forever. Only the truly wise can glimpse the exit."

Fengxi gently touched the incisions on the stone wall, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. "This is a maze that tests both wisdom and courage. We must find the correct path to reach the guardian."

Zhang Wanqing gripped her sword tightly, her eyes sharp as an eagle's as she scanned every corner of the maze. "The guardian of the maze must be hiding somewhere, watching over everyone who enters. We must remain vigilant at all times."

They entered the maze, the stone walls slowly closing behind them, isolating them from the outside world. The maze was intricate and complex, each passageway incredibly long, seemingly endless. Strange symbols and patterns were carved into the walls, as if telling ancient stories.

Fengxi began to examine the symbols carefully. His fingers gently traced the stone wall, feeling the texture of each symbol. "These symbols are guides. They hold the secrets of the maze."

Zhang Wanqing nodded, her eyes searching the passage for any clues. "We must follow these symbols to find the center of the maze."

They began to advance along the passage, taking each step cautiously, fearing to trigger the maze's mechanisms. Fengxi's staff slashed through the air, stirring up a subtle gust of air, as if searching for something. Zhang Wanqing lightly tapped the ground with the tip of her sword, and she could feel the subtle vibrations of the ground, the rhythm of life within the maze.

As they went deeper, the maze's passages grew narrower, and the symbols on the walls grew denser. Fengxi began to chant softly, the tip of his staff emitting a soft glow that echoed with the symbols on the wall. Zhang Wanqing drew her longsword, its blade flashing a sharp, cold light in the dim passage.

"These symbols are the keys to the maze. They will lead us to the guardian." Fengxi's voice echoed in the passage.

Zhang Wanqing nodded and began to wield her sword. Each swing stirred up a gust of wind, which intertwined with the air currents to form streaks of sword energy. These streaks of sword energy weaved through the passage, attempting to locate the guardian's physical form.

The guardian of the maze seems omnipresent, yet untraceable. Its figure looms at every turn, as if playing a game of hide-and-seek. Zhang Wanqing and Fengxi must remain vigilant at all times, for danger may lurk in every corner of the maze.

Fengxi's spells grew faster and faster, the light on the tip of his staff growing brighter. He began to direct the air currents, trying to find the Guardian's weakness. Zhang Wanqing's swordsmanship also grew more and more fierce. Her sword energy intertwined in the passage, forming a net, trying to capture the Guardian's phantom.

At that moment, Fengxi noticed a pattern in the Guardian. Though its silhouette was blurry, its substance would always be revealed for a moment amidst the flow of air. Fengxi immediately signaled to Zhang Wanqing, who understood. Her swordsmanship became even more swift, her sword energy piercing the passage, awaiting that moment.

Finally, the Guardian's figure revealed its physical form within the air currents, and Zhang Wanqing's sword energy instantly erupted, aiming directly at the Guardian's heart. The Guardian seemed unprepared for the precision of Zhang Wanqing's attack, and its figure trembled within the sword energy before eventually dissipating.

The walls of the maze began to dissipate, and the passage gradually became clear. Where the guardian disappeared, a transparent key was left behind. It emitted a faint light, like the essence of the maze.

The maze keys in Zhang Wanqing and Fengxi's hands glowed faintly, guiding them to a hazy realm. The sky was a lavender hue, the ground carpeted with soft petals, and the air was filled with a scent both familiar and unfamiliar. They knew this was a world of dreams, a realm of the mind and fantasy.

Fengxi took a deep breath, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "The atmosphere here... seems different from the real world. We must be careful. Everything in this dream may be false."

Zhang Wanqing nodded, her eyes scanning the surroundings, trying to catch any possible clues. "The Dream Guardian may be hiding in these illusions. We must stay awake."

They advanced slowly, each step rustling softly on petals. Fengxi's staff slashed through the air, stirring up a subtle current, as if searching for something. Zhang Wanqing lightly tapped the ground with the tip of her sword, and she could feel the subtle vibrations of the earth, the rhythm of life in her dreams.

"We must find the patterns of dreams in order to find the guardian." Fengxi whispered, his voice echoing in the dream.

Zhang Wanqing nodded, her eyes sharp as an eagle, scanning every corner of the dream. "Although dreams are illusory, there are always clues to follow."

As they continued forward, the surrounding landscape began to blur, as if everything was flowing and shifting. Fengxi began to chant softly, the tip of his staff emanating a soft light that echoed with the surrounding illusions. Zhang Wanqing drew her longsword, its blade gleaming with a sharp, cold light in the dreamlike glow.

"Although the power of dreams is strong, we can perceive it with our hearts." Fengxi's voice echoed in the illusion.

Zhang Wanqing began to wield her sword, just as she had done before in her search for other elemental guardians, and Fengxi began to chant an incantation. However, their actions did not cause any change in the dream, let alone finding the guardian. It seemed they had underestimated the enemy.

Suddenly, Zhang Wanqing remembered a diary her ancestors had given her, which mentioned a dream maze. She opened it and saw that it was located on a barren plain, with mountains and forests towering before her. Legend has it that this maze is guarded by dreams, and only those with pure hearts can glimpse its true path and find its entrance. Otherwise, they will simply get lost in the forest, unable to escape.

Zhang Wanqing, a clever and brave girl; Feng Xi, a calm and composed young man, their destinies are intertwined at this moment, and they face this ancient and mysterious challenge together.

Sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, illuminating Zhang Wanqing's face. Her brow was furrowed, but her eyes gleamed with determination. Feng Xi stood beside her, his gaze deep, as if lost in thought. The two exchanged glances, their resolve understood without words. No matter how difficult the entrance to this maze might be to find, they would find it.

Zhang Wanqing pulled out a specially crafted compass, a modified version she'd made before setting out, based on instructions from ancient texts. A regular compass wouldn't work here, but hers wouldn't. They walked for a long time, seemingly unable to escape the forest. Just as they were at their wit's end, Zhang Yuqing spotted a unique tree. It was more withered than the others, yet incredibly tall.

"It must be the entrance to the dream maze," Zhang Wanqing whispered, a barely perceptible tremor in her voice. "It's said that it can reveal a person's deepest fears and desires."

Fengxi nodded, his gaze fixed on the entrance to the maze, where an invisible force seemed to beckon them. "We must remain awake and not be deceived by the illusions within the maze."

They stepped into the maze. The surrounding walls were made of ancient stone bricks covered with moss. The air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and plants. Sunlight filtered through the cracks in the maze, illuminating the ground in patches, creating a crisscross pattern of light and shadow.

The maze's paths were intricate and complex, and every turn could lead to a completely different direction. Zhang Wanqing and Fengxi advanced cautiously, taking every step with extreme caution. They knew that every choice in the maze could mean the difference between life and death.

As she walked, Zhang Wanqing suddenly stopped, her gaze drawn to a mural on the wall. It depicted a woman with deep, mysterious eyes, as if able to see through people's hearts. Involuntarily, Zhang Wanqing reached out and gently touched those eyes.

"Be careful!" Feng Xi's voice suddenly rang out. He grabbed Zhang Wanqing's hand and pulled her away from the murals. "These murals might be traps in the maze. They could lead us astray."

Zhang Wanqing regained consciousness, feeling a wave of fear, yet also admiring Feng Xi's vigilance. The two continued on their journey, but this time they were more cautious, not wanting to touch anything in the maze.

As they delved deeper into the maze, they began to encounter all sorts of bizarre sights. Sometimes, they heard laughter from afar, and sometimes, they saw hideous faces suddenly appear on the walls. But Zhang Wanqing and Feng Xi remained steadfast in their minds, unwavering in their illusions.

Until they came to a huge square, in the center of which was a stone platform with a crystal ball on it. The crystal ball emitted a soft light, as if guiding their direction.

"This is the center of the dream," Fengxi whispered. "We must decipher the secret of the crystal ball to find the exit."

Zhang Wanqing stepped forward, took a deep breath, and placed her hand on the crystal ball. Suddenly, a powerful force drew her in, and her consciousness began to waver between dreams and reality.

She saw her past, those happy and sad memories flashing through her mind like a movie. Then, she saw Fengxi, the adventures they had shared, the difficulties and challenges they had faced together. Finally, she saw the exit of the maze: a door made of light, visible only to those with pure hearts.

Zhang Wanqing opened her eyes, her gaze becoming more resolute. She turned to Fengxi and said with a smile, "I understand now. The exit from the dream maze is actually within our hearts."

Fengxi nodded. He also touched the crystal ball and experienced a spiritual cleansing. They were both very nervous, because it was said that only those with pure hearts could find the right path.

They walked towards the door of light together, and prayed that the moment they passed through the door, the maze would disappear and they would be able to walk out of the maze and return to the real world...