Drip. Drip.
The sound of water striking the floor echoed through the darkness. A pale-faced, dark-skinned boy lay motionless on the cold stone floor, his clothes torn and stained. Heavy shackles bound his wrists and ankles, their metal biting into his skin. His heartbeat was faint, barely there, and each breath came shallow and uneven. His fingernails were bloody and broken from desperately clawing at the shackles, as though sheer desperation could somehow break the iron.
"Why... why?" he murmured weakly.
He tried to shift his body, but the movement sent a sharp pain through him. He winced, barely able to lift his head from the cold, unforgiving floor. A quiet sniffle escaped him, and tears rolled slowly down his pale cheeks. Then, without warning, a memory flashed through his mind.
"Little brat, I will search for the scrolls you wanted. This time, we've got a big mission."
A tall, burly man stood before Lican, his broad frame casting a shadow over the boy. At nearly six feet tall, he looked intimidating at first glance, but the wide smile on his face made him seem almost harmless. He reached down and gave Lican a heavy pat on the shoulder.
Thump.
Lican stumbled slightly under the force, then laughed. "Okay, Dad..." he replied happily.
The wind swept gently through the grass around them, carrying the faint rustle of leaves. For a moment, everything felt peaceful, but then his father's smile faded.
"Don't forget what I told you, son." His voice grew quieter. "The world is a snake... and only the strongest have the final say."
He paused, his eyes settling firmly on Lican. "Better to be the eater than the eaten."
The words hung heavily in the air as his father reached inside his clothes and pulled out a small manuscript. He placed it carefully into Lican's hands before producing a sharp jade pin. The jade caught the light, its surface glimmering faintly as Lican stared at it.
"If you find your heart..." his father continued, his expression becoming unusually serious, "chase after it relentlessly."
Lican looked up at him as his father gently closed his fingers around the jade pin. "Keep this very well."
He smiled again and patted Lican gently on the head. "I will be going now, son."
Lican held the jade pin tightly against his chest. "Bye, Dad."
The man turned and began walking away, while Lican remained where he stood, watching his father's back slowly disappear into the distance. Neither of them knew that those simple words would become one of Lican's most painful memories.
"Yes! The jade hairpin!" Lican exclaimed, hurriedly patting down his pockets with trembling hands. "Come on... where is it?"
His fingers suddenly brushed against something smooth, and his eyes widened. "Found it!"
He quickly pulled the hairpin from his pocket. Its dark jade surface caught what little light reached the cell, and its sharp, pointed tip glimmered faintly. Lican stared at it for a moment, a faint smile appearing on his exhausted face. With the little strength he had left, he pushed the pointed end of the hairpin into the lock of his shackles, twisting and probing desperately.
Click!
His eyes widened as he stopped, wondering for a moment if he had imagined it. Then the lock shifted, and a small crack appeared. Something else caught his attention, however: the hairpin. It hadn't even been scratched. Despite everything it had been through, the jade remained perfectly smooth, without a chip or a mark.
Lican frowned. "How...?"
He shook the thought away. "Too busy to care about that now," he muttered, his expression hardening as he focused completely on the lock.
His fingers trembled from exhaustion, but he refused to stop. Come on...
He twisted the pin again.
Click!
The lock released, and a grin spread across his face. "Haha..."
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, genuine joy flickered in his eyes. Then—
Tap.
His smile vanished as a sound came from outside.
Tap... tap... tap...
Footsteps.
They were getting closer, and Lican's breathing quickened. "Shit."
He immediately worked faster, his fingers moving desperately over the remaining shackles.
A woman hummed softly as she walked down the cold stone hallway, a plate of stale bread in one hand. The sound of her humming echoed strangely through the empty corridor as she approached the metal cell. She stopped in front of it, pulled out a set of keys, and inserted one into the lock.
Clink.
Clunk!
The metal door swung open, and a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "Sweetheart!"
Silence.
The woman tilted her head, but there was no response. Her eyes slowly scanned the cell, finding nothing. She looked toward the far end of the room, but it was empty. Her smile disappeared.
"Shit!"
Her face went pale, and the plate nearly slipped from her hand. She immediately rushed inside, her footsteps pounding against the stone floor as panic overtook her. In her haste, however, she failed to notice the shadow hiding behind the open door.
But Lican knew better than to stay there. He reached forward and pressed his palm against a particular spot.
Click!
Something shifted inside the wall, and a thin line appeared. The wall slowly separated, revealing a hidden doorway. Lican immediately slipped inside, then turned around and pulled the secret door shut behind him.
Clunk.
Darkness swallowed him.
For the first time since his escape began, Lican stopped moving. He leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. But somewhere beyond the hidden door—
BOOM!!
The metal cell door finally gave way.
Lican's eyes widened.